Renovating Older Institutional Buildings: Starting With Demolition

Many long-standing community buildings accumulate decades of design updates, repairs, and finish materials. The cafeteria at Myron Stratton Home was no exception.

Over time, the space had received multiple generations of finishes, including:

• Original carpeting throughout the dining area
• Several hundred square feet of quarry tile commonly used in commercial kitchen environments
• Outdated cabinetry and serving counters

While these materials once served the building well, they no longer created the welcoming dining environment residents deserved.

The renovation began with complete demolition of existing finishes in the main dining area, allowing the construction team to evaluate the building’s underlying structure and prepare the space for restoration.

Projects like this highlight how commercial remodeling projects often begin with careful demolition, allowing contractors to assess structural conditions before introducing modern upgrades.

Once demolition was complete, attention turned to one of the building’s most distinctive architectural elements: the exposed structural timber framing.

Restoring Historic Timber Framing

One of the most striking architectural features inside the Myron Stratton Home cafeteria is the system of exposed timber beams supporting the roof structure.

Over time, these beams had been coated with a dark brown stain that concealed much of the wood’s natural character. During the renovation process, Southern Mesa carefully sanded the beams to remove the existing finish.

As the sanding progressed, an unexpected discovery emerged.

Beneath the dark stain was an intentional antiqued wood design created by the original builders—a detail that had been hidden for decades.

Rather than covering the wood with a modern finish, the renovation team chose to preserve and highlight the original craftsmanship.

A new stain was carefully selected to:

• Reveal the natural grain of the wood
• Highlight the original antiquing technique
• Maintain the historic authenticity of the building

Additional custom staining was applied to surrounding millwork to create visual harmony with the cabinetry and finishes introduced during the renovation.

This approach allowed the renovation to celebrate the building’s history rather than erase it.

Window Replacement: Improving Efficiency While Maintaining Historic Character

Older windows can present several challenges in aging facilities, including:

• Poor energy efficiency
• Draft issues and temperature inconsistencies
• Aging materials that require frequent maintenance

As part of the renovation, all windows in the cafeteria were replaced with high-performance Pella metal-clad window units.

These windows were selected to improve energy efficiency while maintaining the exterior appearance of the building.

Key features included:

• Exterior cladding finished to match the existing building envelope
• Interior wood trim stained to complement the restored millwork palette
• Improved insulation and thermal performance

This upgrade improved interior comfort while maintaining the architectural integrity of the structure.