FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH OF OAKLAND

This project was the second phase of a seismic retrofit and renovation for the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. FUCO was built in 1891 and is a registered city, state and federal landmark. Our work included the seismic strengthening of the historic sanctuary and restoration of the building exterior, plus accessibility, lighting, and other system upgrades, one of which included a new fire sprinkler system hidden in the existing wood ceiling.

The innovative structural design included bonding carbon fiber sheets to the existing brick walls, to prevent out-of-plane movement during an earthquake. Additionally, new steel columns and foundation piers were carefully inserted to buttress the existing system of redwood columns and brick foundation.