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E
vangelista Corporation, New Hudson,
has restored a classic space within one
of the most prominent buildings in
Detroit’s Cultural Center. With its decorative
cornices and tall windows encased in an
ornamental bronze grille, the long-vacant
library within the Horace H. Rackham
Education Memorial Building has been
brought back to life as an appealing study
hall for Wayne State University’s Department
of Communication Sciences & Disorders
(CSD).
Working with JW Design, Royal Oak, as
architect and Strategic Energy Solutions,
Berkley, as engineer, Evangelista Corporation
inserted contemporary infrastructure into
this second-floor study space, while
preserving the former library’s Art Deco
elements. The same project team undertook
the conversion of a Rackham kitchen and
cafeteria into a state-of-the-art Hearing
Sciences Laboratory. WSU leases the entire
wing of this grand old building from the
University of Michigan as clinical and
classroom space for both CSD and the
Psychology Department.
CITY BEAUTIFUL
Designed by Harley, Ellington and Day in
the 1930s, the Rackham Building rises across
Farnsworth from the Detroit Institute of Arts
and near the Detroit Public Library. All three
buildings form the Cultural Center Historic
District placed on the U.S National Register
of Historic Places in 1983. All three were
created in the first half of the 20th Century
PHOTO BY MARCI CHRISTIAN, CAM MAGAZINE
TO HISTORY
one time, the library, itself, was one of the
focal points of the building.”
Today, the former library inspires CSD
students to excel in the disciplines of
speech-language pathology and audiology.
Modest in square footage but grand in
BY MARY E. KREMPOSKY , ASSOCIATE EDITOR height, the 25-foot-tall study space has a
mezzanine and a main room now with Wi Fi
access and a host of new technologies
and cleaning the metal fixtures. “The light are a vast improvement over the 2 x 4 resemble metal with complementary vertical
fixtures didn’t work at all,” said Pulsinelli. fluorescent fixtures formerly in place. bands of turquoise and coral. The second is a
“We removed the old-style wiring, and then Evangelista also cleaned, but left decorative strip dividing the mezzanine and
rewired the lights and installed new lamps.” untouched, two bands of decorative painting main ceilings with a geometric pattern in
New pendant fixtures in the mezzanine from the 1930s. The first band is the main varied hues of green. “They wanted to use the
complement the original light fixtures and room’s ornamental plaster cornice painted to cornice and decorative strip as a focal point of
the Evangelista team took over and used to conduct national research on a research for publication. In the future,
renovated the 800-square-foot space by cutting-edge method of suppressing students in the newly renovated study hall
interior demolition and installation of new tinnitus called trans-cranial magnetic may be reading research results generated
drywall ceilings and walls. The newly stimulation. “There are very few people in in the laboratory below them.
renovated space now houses two specialty the country and only a couple places in the As part of the renovation, Evangelista
sound-treated testing booths (both outside world that use this method of stimulating removed and restored the old wood
of Evangelista’s scope of work) that aid in a the brain to suppress tinnitus,” said Cacace. wainscoting on the perimeter of the former
number of research initiatives. One booth is Cacace is on the brink of submitting his cafeteria and re-installed it in Cacace’s office.
“It wasn’t in great condition,” said Pusinelli,
“but we fixed it up to retain some of the old
flavor of the building.” Added Cacace, “They
did a nice job.” Of the lab itself, Cacace is
equally pleased. “Now students have a nice
challenge?
place to work,” he added.
The opening of the new study hall and
Cacace laboratory in late January 2010 was
music to the ears of the Department of
Communication Sciences & Disorders. The
project is also a testament to the skill of
Evangelista Corporation. News must travel,
for the company is already hard at work
remodeling the Music Department in Old
Main, as well as a lower-level coffee shop in
the Student Activities Building, and an
elevator project in the adjacent Education
Building, according to Mark A. Evangelista,
P.E., president of the company. Gaining more
projects is always a sound reward for a job
well done.