Ani Mishigian recently visited St. Clare at Capitol Park, a historic building formerly known as Capitol Park Hotel, which has been repurposed to provide much-needed housing for the homeless community. This remarkable transformation has turned the eight-story historic hotel’s 180 rooms into 134 studio apartments, creating a stable living environment for those who need it most.
Miyamoto provided the sophisticated seismic retrofit design that made this adaptation possible while preserving the building’s historic character. The engineering team introduced concrete shear walls on the upper floors, strategically placed behind the historic exterior brick-bearing walls. These were carefully positioned in discrete locations to avoid obstructing the building’s historic windows, maintaining the architectural integrity of this important landmark.
At the ground level, the design incorporated concrete moment frame columns and beams along the edges of the retail spaces, while similar elements were integrated into the second-floor assembly areas. This approach provided the necessary structural strength and stiffness while minimizing impact on space usage and preserving the exterior storefront glazing.
This project represents a perfect balance of historic preservation, structural safety enhancement, and community service—demonstrating how thoughtful engineering solutions can help address pressing social needs while respecting architectural heritage.
