University United Methodist Church

Austin, Texas

Historic Richardsonian stone church with tower and red tile roof. Preservation project by Heimsath Architects.
Historic Richardsonian stone church with tower and red tile roof. Preservation project by Heimsath Architects.

Historic Preservation & Interior Renovations

The Architect worked with the congregation on to address a number of preservation issues on their historic building located at the edge of the University of Texas campus. The comprehensive preservation program addressed a range of pressing roof issues. The first-phase restoration work included the removing all of the original clay-tile roof and then adding high-quality underlayment before carefully reattaching the existing and replacement tiles.

The rest of the preservation scope included cleaning the exterior masonry with non-abrasive solutions, recapping the face of deteriorated stone blocks with new materials, and preserving and repainting with historic colors all the wood eaves and details. The work included repairing the stained glass windows and installing a new vented protection system.

The program also included a new street-front gathering area in front of the main entry doorway. This subtle new addition made it possible to provide an accessible entry into the main worship space.

As a followup project, the architects completed a Phase 2 program. This consisted of interior renovations for HVAC improvements within the historic buildings, restroom upgrades, and the redesign and refurbishing of the existing commercial kitchen.

Restored historic stained glass windows at University United Methodist Church. Historic preservation by Heimsath Architects.
Restored historic stained glass windows at University United Methodist Church. Historic preservation by Heimsath Architects.
Polychrome wood eave detail with copper gutter. Historic preservation, United Methodist Church.
Polychrome wood eave detail with copper gutter. Historic preservation, United Methodist Church.
Ornamental craftsman style roof rafters. Historic preservation, United Methodist Church, Austin.
Ornamental craftsman style roof rafters. Historic preservation, United Methodist Church, Austin.
Red church door on decorative stone façade with stained glass windows. Historic preservation, Austin.
Red church door on decorative stone façade with stained glass windows. Historic preservation, Austin.
Richardsonian stone church façade newly restored by Heimsath Architects.
Richardsonian stone church façade newly restored by Heimsath Architects.
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