EPA/WJC Mellon Auditorium Large Meeting Room Restoration

Design | Build | Historic restoration

The Mellon Auditorium’s Large Meeting Room is historically known as the Departmental Auditorium. Designed by Architect Arthur Brown Jr. from 1926-1931 and constructed from 1931-1935 (dedicated in 1935), the Large Meeting Room is approximately 60 feet in height and 14,400 square feet.

As tasked by the General Services Administration (GSA), Meridien group performed design-build services for the repair and cleaning of the Mellon Auditorium Large Meeting Room’s “Sphinxstone” surfaces. This included its walls, columns, pilasters and neoclassical ceiling entablature; the repair, honing and polishing of the marble wainscoting; the cleaning, repair and re-gilding of its Dutch metal ornamental finishes; regrouting of its deteriorated mortar joints; the repair and restoration of its blue-gray painted ceiling; replacement of its White Oak strip flooring, and the restoration of the auditorium’s doors.

Photo credit: Felix Ian Paden

Chevy Chase Fountain Restoration

Design | Build | Historic restoration

Since 1916 the National Park Service (NPS) has been entrusted with the care and maintenance of our great Nation's national parks. In 2022 Meriden Group was tasked by the NPS with providing restoration and rehabilitation services to the Chevy Chase Circle Fountain located in Rock Creek Park.

These intensive services included the cleaning and conservation of the fountain stone masonry, masonry joint repointing, removal, protection, repair and reinstallation of Historic Materials, including the fountain coping stones to facilitate installation of the new waterproofing system. Meridien also replaced the existing fountain equipment within the vault, demolished the existing vault concrete ceiling and manhole access, installed a new concrete vault ceiling and access door with new supply and return piping. Also included was a new chemical sanitation system, an automatic fill system, with concrete topping slab replacement among many other services that were completed on time and within budget.

Stewart Lee Udall Building: Exterior Restoration

Design | Build

Project details:

The Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior (DOI) Building is located on an area spanning nearly two city blocks. The building is a seven-story steel-framed structure clad in stone. The overall shape of the building is unique. The building facades feature a vertically stacked tripartite arrangement with a stylobate on the first and second stories.

As tasked by the General Services Administration (GSA), Meridien group performed façade cleaning of exterior limestone panels at multiple locations that included: above seven (7) totaled building entrance ramps, two (2) areas accessible from low roofs around the building and three (3) areas at the north elevation and south elevation up to the second floor window. This project was completed effectively and efficiently by Meridien Group within the desired budget provided by GSA.

National Building Museum Great Hall Concrete Slab Replacement

Meridien Group provided the following services at the Great Hall in the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.:

• Install systems to protect existing adjacent historic structure and fabric.

• Remove and dispose of existing carpet and all layers of underlayment.

• Remove existing mortar bed.

• Remove concrete topping and the slab on grade.

• Excavate or fill strata of sand and soil as needed to maintain a continuous flat surface in preparation for installation of granular fill capillary break.

• Install one layer, minimum 6 mil polyethylene vapor barrier on top of the gravel.

• Install a new reinforced concrete slab and ensure the slab meets the required flatness and levelness criteria.

• Minimize shrinkage cracking by installing adequate control joints and following the code recommendations for low shrinkage concrete mix design.

• Provide bridging panel for access to existing Chilled Water Lines near the water fountain. Bridging panels shall be able to withstand weight and load of current lifts used by Building Management.

• Install temporary barriers to control construction debris and dust from the open atrium space to spreading other building common areas

• Provide and install barricade about 4 feet in height to separate work area and pedestrian interior palazzo walk area.

Freedman Bank Building (FBB) Facade Restoration

The Freedman's Bank Building is a fully occupied National Historic Landmark that was constructed in 1919. Meridien Group was petitioned to repair and restore the three stone facades of the Treasury Annex Building. This complex design-build project included cleaning and removal of bird excrement. grouting, caulk removal and painting services around a multitude of windows. Meridien Group provided excellent performance in identifying deficiencies and developing plans to track repairs as they were completed on time and within budget.