Buena Vista Courthouse Restoration

Client: Town of Buena Vista

Site: Buena Vista, Colorado

The courthouse in Buena Vista was constructed in the late 1880’s, and vacated several years before the Town of Buena Vista, as owners, retained the Collaborative to perform a needs evaluation. The Town wanted to determine if the capacity of the present Town Hall would be sufficient for the foreseeable future, or whether the Town should move its offices to the county courthouse. The Collaborative completed an analysis of the spatial needs of this city , projected over the course of the next 20 years; and analyzed the existing Town Hall and its value on the marketplace should the Town decide to sell in an effort to generate funds for a courthouse restoration. The firm prepared a Master Plan dealing with all aspects of the courthouse restoration process. This plan included cost estimates for all elements in the plan, and a complete materials analysis that covered wallpaper, existing finishes, historic finishes, and restoration techniques. Also evaluated, were energy conservation requirements, lighting needs and funding opportunities. An interesting aspect of this particular project was the firm’s use of a combination of passive and active solar heating assistance units that would be located in the cupola of the courthouse. Alternative designs were presented and analyzed, and cost estimates were prepared for the selected plan. Funding was delayed for several years, but the rehabilitation is now complete.