Winder Building

The Winder Building stands as one of Washington, DC’s oldest office buildings. Built in 1848 of brick and steel, just steps from the White House, it was, at the time of its completion, the largest office building in the District. Its exterior walls have been treated with a coat of warm, off-white stucco for as long as records exist. Today the Winder Building houses the offices of the US Trade Representative, a member of the Executive branch.

The Winder Building sustained damage during the 2011 earthquake that impacted much of Washington, DC and the surrounding areas. The earthquake was responsible for a variety of structural and aesthetic issues that required a significant response. In 2012, we were engaged by Bennett Preservation Engineering, the Engineer of Record for the project, to provide conservation consultation during the final design and construction phases.

We assisted BPE with sourcing and specifying a high-calcium lime stucco for the new finish. We also developed protocols for surface preparation of the substrate, including mortars to be used in repairs, how to integrate new bricks into existing construction, and environmental controls for stucco curing. We also provided on-site quality control and technical assistance during the implementation.