Award of Merit: Renovation/Restoration: McMenamins Elks Temple Renovation

McMenamins Elks Temple Renovation

PHOTO COURTESY ANDERSEN CONSTRUCTION

McMenamins Elks Temple Renovation
Tacoma, Wash.
Award of Merit

Owner: McMenamins Pubs & Brewery
Lead Design Firm: Ankrom Moisan
General Contractor: Andersen Construction
MEP Engineer: SeaTac Electric
Structural Engineer: Froelich Engineers
Civil Engineer: David Evans and Associates
Subcontractors: Emerald Aire Inc.; Smith Fire Systems

The McMenamins Elks Temple, built in 1915 and listed as a historic place on the National Register, underwent a seven-story renovation that features a restaurant, bars, 45 hotel rooms, event spaces, game rooms, a fully operational brewery, a commercial kitchen and a theater.

Exterior work repaired the existing structure, undoing previous remodels and restoring architectural elements lost over time. The project team referenced architectural and structural drawings from 1915 to gain insight into corners of the building that were not visible or easily accessible. Tools such as 3D scanning, drones, borescope cameras and even selfie sticks were used to poke and prod into every square inch of the building and help guide the renovation.

Unlike typical projects where drawings provide a majority of the details, much of the Elk Temple’s design was not captured on paper; it was verbalized by the owners during weekly walk-throughs. Many key building components were created via conversations, onsite meetings and teamwork among the designers and the trades.