Historic Building Architects Receives AIA-NJ Merit Award For Preserving Felician College’s Celebrated “Iviswold Castle”

On Sep 8, 2014

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ) has honored Trenton-based Historic Building Architects (HBA) with a merit award in the historic preservation category for the firm’s work on Iviswold Castle, a magnificent late 19th century mansion. “The Castle” has recently been reopened as the new Campus Center and the main administration building of Felician College in Rutherford.

When it was built and later enlarged, the mansion was given countless decorative features—from lofty towers and clay-tile roofs to ornate plaster reliefs and elaborate woodwork. More than a century later, when Felician College acquired “Iviswold Castle,” it commissioned HBA to prepare a Historic Structure Report and lay the groundwork for a step-by-step restoration by successfully nominating the mansion for the National Registry of Historic Places.

The college then asked HBA to undertake a selective interior removal project to expose the original historic fabric concealed by many alterations. Later, it selected HBA to plan and manage the thorough restoration of the mansion’s beautiful and highly complex exterior and interior.

Historic Building Architects completed the 14-year, approximately $9-million restoration of the 18,000-square-foot, three-story mansion last year. Today, the mansion permits visitors to visit the historic building at set times.

“Historic Building Architects’ work on Iviswold Castle is a leading example of careful historic preservation,” said Kurt Kalafsky, AIA, president of AIA-NJ. “The building is now updated and functional while retaining elements of the original structure.”

HBA’s founder and head, Annabelle Radcliffe-Trenner, AIA, RIBA, added: “An old building is best honored when the public gets good, long-term use out of it.”

Felician College and Historic Building Architects were recently chosen for the top Preservation Award from the Victorian Society of America. The award recognizes the creative adaptation of the Iviswold Castle to serve students, faculty, and administrators well in the present age.

Founded in 1994, Historic Building Architects (HBA) specializes in historic preservation, restoration, and materials conservation, mostly in New Jersey.

The AIA-NJ Annual Design Awards program recognizes architectural projects that exhibit design excellence in one of four categories: Open (any building type), residential, historic preservation, and interior architecture. Projects are further designated as either “built” or “un-built.”

To be eligible, projects must either be located in New Jersey or designed by an AIA-NJ architect. During AIA’s annual Design Conference, a group of distinguished architects from throughout the country evaluates all the nominated projects.

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