2021 CAHP Awards – Conservation – Engineering – Award of Merit

Beinn Bhreagh Hall Preservation
(Cape Breton, NS)

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Awarded to:

Bill Hockey (Architectural Conservation Services Ltd.)

Dr. Tom Morrison (Heritage Standing Inc.)

Beinn Bhreagh Hall is a National Historic Site built by inventor Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel in 1892. Heritage Standing Inc. (Engineering Lead; Fredericton, NB) and Architectural Conservation Services (Project Management; Halifax, NS) were hired to address problems arising from deferred maintenance. The 5,000 square foot load-bearing masonry and timber frame building required a holistic, multi-year plan to match the owners’ cash flow. The project began in 2013 with the first condition assessment and finished in 2019 with construction project management.

The Standards & Guidelines provided a framework for decision making so that a conservation plan could be developed. The building then required extensive documentation, assessment, and evaluation before interventions were planned. Construction project management ensured execution honoured the heritage value and construction needs of the site. Despite the project’s complexity, the Standards & Guidelines ensured everyone involved worked in harmony towards the end goal of preservation.