Program Summary: Historic restoration and rehabilitation of the interior and exterior of a 42-room boutique hotel located in Covington, LA. Program Statement: Originally constructed in 1907, the hotel was the premier destination for those travelling through the Northshore as well as wealthy New Olreanians wishing to escape the heat of the city. In the 1960s, the building was converted into various office and retail spaces. As the city of Covington outgrew their City Hall in the early 1960s, the building s interior underwent a major renovation in order to house municipal offices, judges chambers, and courtrooms. After the city moved to their current City Hall location, the building sat abandoned until it was purchased by its current owners in late 2009. The building was completely gutted in order to stabilize the existing structure and to reveal its remaining historic elements. A number of the original floor joists and wooden beams had to be replaced, and the entire second floor system was leveled. The load bearing corridor walls were restored to their original locations for the new secondfloor Guestrooms. The lobby and central fireplace were returned to the ground-floor level and public spaces were created to service the needs of a modern hotel. Utilizing the shells of previous additions, a Sunroom and Prefunction space connect the original building to the fully-renovated, central courtyard. In addition to repairing the exterior façade, new custom wood openings on the ground floor were installed to replace the existing metal storefront openings based on historic photographs. RR-270.01 Building Area: (sf) 38,467 SF Cost per Square Foot: $215/SF Construction Cost $8,200,000 Date of Completion: June 2014
RR-270.02 Originally constructed in 1907, the hotel served as a premier destination for travelers and New Orleans wishing to escape the heat of the city.
RR-270.03 HISTORIC REHABILITATION The existing building s metal storefront openings were removed and replaced with wooden openings based on the original windows and doors through research of historical photographs. Historic Postcard - 1908 Historic - Circa 1930 1972 Pre-Construction - 2012
RR-270.04 EXISTING VS. CURRENT CONDITIONS An addition was added to the rear of the site transforming an unsightly parking lot into a private courtyard.
RR-270.05 EXTERIOR RENOVATION COURTYARD The courtyard contains a pool deck, bar patio, fountain, outdoor fireplace, and seating areas. It sits at the center of the building to serve all its adjacent spaces, including the sunroom, prefunction room, lobby, fitness center, bar, and guestrooms.
RR-270.06 EXISTING VS. CURRENT CONDITIONS FIRST FLOOR The building underwent multiple exterior and interior renovations that spanned from its construction in 1909 to its abandonment in the 1990s. The function of the building varied over time, including a hotel, commercial spaces, and a city hall for Covington. It was purchased in 2009 by its current owners to be turned back into its original purpose a boutique hotel.
RR-270.07 EXISTING VS. CURRENT CONDITIONS SECOND FLOOR The building was completely gutted in order to stabilize the existing structure and to reveal its few remaining historic elements. A number of the original floor joists and wooden beams had to be replaced, and the entire second floor system was leveled.
RR-270.08 INTERIOR RENOVATION LOBBY The lobby contains the reception desk, a double-sided fireplace, multiple seating areas, and filters guests into the courtyard, sunroom, ballroom, and bar.
RR-270.09 INTERIOR RENOVATIONS SUNROOM AND PREFUNCTION The constructed skeletons of previous additions were used to create two new spaces that connect the building housing the original hotel to the newly renovated courtyard. The sunroom is connected to the lobby through a double-sided fireplace and contains various seating areas that overlook the courtyard. The prefunction room is an open, sunny space that provides an overflow from the adjacent ballroom.
RR-270.10 INTERIOR RENOVATIONS ENTRY AND CORRIDORS On the west side of the building is a secondary entrance and passenger drop-off. entry that leads to a smaller lobby. Adjacent to the entry vestibule is a small library where guests can wait or find a quiet moment away from the main lobby. The space features vibrant redlacquered walls and custom millwork framing original works of art. The corridors lead guests to their rooms, past more works of art and red-lacquered doors.
RR-270.11 INTERIOR RENOVATIONS BAR The bar features custom millwork throughout the space. The bar top is composed of custom glass and backlight by LED lights. The back bar utilizes mirrors to open up the small space by reflecting daylight from the courtyard. Murals depicting scenes from of historic Covington cover the remaining walls.
RR-270.12 INTERIOR RENOVATIONS GUEST SUITES The second floor has two guest suites that are each named to honor prominent figures in Covington: author Walker Percy and architect Thomas Sully. Each suite has a sitting area, two bedrooms, a full bath, and a private balcony. The sitting area is fitted with custom millwork that flanks the entry, and provides an elegant private space for its occupants.
Project Name: Southern Hotel Project Location: 428 E. Boston Street Covington, LA 70443 Owner/Client: Condrey Southern Hotel, LLC Architect(s) of Record: Trapolin-Peer Architects, APC 850 Tchoupitoulas Street New Orleans, LA 70130 Project Team: Peter Trapolin Ashley King Landscape Architect: Cap s Design Studio, LLC Consultants: Structural: Schrenk, Endom, & Flanagan MEP: Associated Design Groupo, INC General Contractor: Woodward Design + Build Photographer(s): Will Crocker (Finish photos) Slides: 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Trapolin-Peer Architects (Existing conditions and construction photos) Slides: 4, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 Historic New Orleans Collection (Historic photos) Slides: 3 RR-270.x