 January 2010 - Julia Morgan is an American legend
in architecture with a
career spanning 50 years and over 700 buildings to her credit including
the Hearst Castle,
the reconstruction of the San Francisco Fairmont Hotel and the Berkeley
City
Club. Originally opened in 1930 as The Berkeley Women’s City Club, the present day Berkeley City Club is located next to the UC Berkeley campus and is a magnificent  blend of
Romanesque
and Moorish styles of architecture. Not only did Morgan design and
oversee
construction of the seismically reinforced structure, her personal
touches are
also reflected in the ornate light fixtures, classic furniture,
beautiful
plunge pool and distinctive fireplaces.Unfortunately, the decades of use slowly took their toll on the internal systems in the building, particularly the original galvanized domestic water piping system that was buried in the ornate columns and walls. Fortunately, the Landmark Heritage Foundation, was established with a mandate to protect the Berkeley City Club building and return Morgan’s “Little Castle” it to its’ former glory. In 1977 the Berkeley City Club (BCC) was added to the  National Register of Historic Places and
was
granted official status as a California State Landmark. “The Landmark
Heritage
Foundation (LHF) works very closely with Club management to enhance and
integrity of the building”, explained Mary Breunig, current President
of the
LHF, “we are all extremely proud of our very special building.”THE PROBLEM and SEARCH FOR A SOLUTION  From a practical operation standpoint, the water piping
project was
critical since the water quality and impaired flow was approaching
inoperable. To find a solution the BCC and LHF called upon committee of
experts from BCC membership to evaluate the problem. “In a community
like Berkeley, we are very fortunate at the City Club to have a wide
range of professional talent amongst our membership” explained Breunig,
“so we involved a number of industry experts in the committee to
evaluate the problem and explore possible solutions. In a property with the historic
significance of the Berkeley City Club which features original
architectural surfaces which were cast into the thick concrete
structure of the building, it was clear that pipe replacement was
inconceivable.”
“After 77 years of continual use, the piping system was in dire need of some help,” explained Nancy Johnson, General Manager of the Berkeley City Club. “Our guests and residents love this building as much as we do, and they are so appreciative to now have clear flowing water and to take a full pressure shower.” Now, the Berkeley City Club now has a water delivery system worthy of the building’s unique heritage, and its’ spectacular view over San Francisco Bay.
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The challenge to address the failing pipe
issue was daunting since the piping all originates in the basement
level and extends upwards to the guestrooms within the ornate concrete
columns and walls of the main floor. “After investigating in-place
restoration and developing a Request for Proposal,” continued Breunig,
“we received bids from multiple contractors. 
The project itself involved restoration of
the entire domestic hot and cold water piping system including guest
rooms, kitchen areas, pool shower rooms, hair salon, common areas
bathrooms, and the water mains supplying the entire building. “In order
to maintain operation of the facility during the restoration of the
mains,” explained Murray Greenwood, Regional VP for ACE EnviroTech, “a