An historic landmark, South Carolina State University’s Lowman Hall was reroofed in 2009 by Fort Roofing, Sumter, S.C. The architect for the project was Watson Tate Savory, Columbia, S.C., and the general contractor was Weber Construction Co., Orangeburg, S.C. The building was reroofed with 15,173 square feet of Techo Tile from ATAS International, Inc. The 0.032-inch aluminum tiles have a Redwood embossed finish.

ATAS was honored that this historic renovation project received two awards from the American Institute of Architects Greater Columbia Section. Lowman Hall won an AIA South Carolina Citation Award and AIA Columbia Section Merit Award. Submissions were judged by an independent jury selected by the AIA Greater Columbia board of directors. The awards were presented during the biennial AIA Columbia Section Awards Ceremony on September 30, 2010, and ATAS was a sponsor of the event.

“The profiled metal roof adds detail to match the original photos, as well as a feeling of authenticity,” said John McLean, AIA, LEED AP, associate architect with Watson Tate Savory.

Located in Orangeburg, Lowman Hall is an office and administrative building that was closed for many years. It is the oldest building on campus, being built in 1917 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Fire insurance maps indicated that the original roof was metal, but at some point the roof was replaced with asphalt shingles, which were failing. In 2006, a temporary roof made of building wrap was added to cover the many large holes in the roof. In addition to installing the ATAS roof, the restoration project included repairing the original interior finishes and exterior details. The building reopened in January 2010.

McLean noted: “The reason the restoration of Lowman Hall is worthy of an award is the building is important to generations of students and staff who have passed through South Carolina State University and the restoration of as much of the original building’s materials was done carefully to bring the building back to its former glory. It is one of the few remaining old buildings on the campus, and it sits at the top of the hill above the main university entrance in the heart of campus. For many reasons, the building had been abandoned and boarded up for more than a decade and was in a state of advanced decay. As dramatic as the before-and-after photos are, the fact that the history of the university is so strongly captured is what made the project so successful.”

ATAS President Dick Bus noted: “ATAS appreciates the recognition AIA Greater Columbia Section has bestowed with these awards, and we congratulate all those involved with this remarkable project. It is important to recognize that in today’s sustainable environment, the ultimate green construction is a retrofit project like Lowman Hall.”