Frye Art Museum

Cast-in-place concrete bends form the entry colonnade.

A curvilinear rotunda contrasts with the museum’s rectilinear forms.

Seattle, Washington 
Client: Olson Sundberg Architects
Dates of Service: 1994-1996

Project Summary: This existing art museum building, which consisted primarily of cast-in-place concrete walls with stucco and EIFS exterior finishes, built-up and EPDM single-ply roofs, steel-framed clerestory glass, and Kallwall window systems, was experiencing significant cracking, all of its weather-exposed windows leaked, and its built-up roofs lacked drainage slope and were extensively deteriorated.

PL:BECS Services: As part of its design of a major expansion and remodel of the building, Olson Sundberg Architects retained PL:BECS to provide envelope-related services in two phases.

The first phase consisted of the detailed evaluation of the existing building’s exterior envelope systems, including preparation of specific recommendations for corrective approaches and cost estimates for the various recommended actions. 

In the second phase, PL:BECS provided guidance to the architect throughout the design of the additions and remodel, reviewed the construction drawings and specifications, and made recommendations pertaining to all exterior components, including cast-in-place concrete walls, thin-stone veneers, metal claddings, window systems, sub-grade and reflecting pond waterproofing, roofing, flashing systems, and related materials.