West Virginia State Capitol Building #4 Renovation

This project was the third project on the Capitol Campus and entails a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary renovation of a landmark state office building, designed to bridge West Virginia’s rich architectural history with the high-performance demands of modern governance. Although Building Four was not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the client wanted to maintain the existing style and historic character of the building. This entailed adhering to the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the National Park Service Historic Preservation Standards. The renovation transforms the facility into a 21st-century workspace for the Department of General Services, Department of Administration, Division of Natural Resources, Public Defender Services, and the Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.

This approach goes beyond a standard “remodel” and performs a rehabilitation that respects the building’s most significant mid-century historic fabric while completely overhauling its core infrastructure to provide flexible, state-of-the-art open office space for multiple agencies and users. The scope includes:

• Next-Gen Infrastructure: A total integration of modern HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection systems designed to be non-intrusive to the historic aesthetic. Redesigned the building core to meet accessibility standards while incorporating secure elevator lobbies for the demands of a multi-tenant program.
• Digital Connectivity: Implementation of advanced data, communication, and audio/visual systems to support the evolving needs of state agencies, including a multi-purpose room for building tenants to schedule learning seminars and conferences.
• Safety & Resilience: A full-scale upgrade of life safety and security systems, supported by a coordinated campus-wide emergency power project.
• Human-Centric Design: Sophisticated space planning and furniture selection that optimizes workflow and employee well-being within a classic architectural envelope.

The building was entirely vacant for the project. Initially, GSD wanted to stay in the building during construction, but they changed their minds due to logistical issues.

Size

7 stories plus basement, 82,000 sf including basement

Construction Cost

$ 30 M

Firm Responsibility

Lead Architect
Coordination Of Large Consultant Team
Existing Conditions Documentation
Programming
Architectural Design
Finishes
Contract Documents
Contract Administration

Completion Date

2024