Wren Building Restoration Receives 2026 AIA Virginia Merit Award

We’re honored to share that the Wren Building Restoration has received a 2026 AIA Virginia Award for Excellence in Architecture, earning a Merit Award in Extended Use — Historic Preservation.

G&H’s restoration of William & Mary’s Wren Building focused on preserving the many layers of history that have shaped this landmark since 1695.

Following extensive investigation, our team developed a comprehensive strategy to address water infiltration while conserving historic masonry, stone, wood, and other significant materials from the roof to the foundation. Guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, the work prioritized repair over replacement and carefully integrated modern improvements to help this living landmark endure for generations to come.

See the full list of 2026 Design Award Winners here.

©2026 David Lamb Photography

Westhampton Commons Receives Impact Award from Richmond Real Estate Group

Glavé & Holmes Architecture is pleased to share that Westhampton Commons has received the Impact Award from the Richmond Real Estate Group. The award recognizes projects that make a meaningful contribution to the community, demonstrating innovation, overcoming challenges, or advancing excellence in design and development.

Developed by Thalhimer Realty Partners, Westhampton Commons transforms a historic 1917 school site at the corner of Patterson and Libbie into a vibrant mixed-use destination in one of Richmond’s most walkable neighborhoods. The project thoughtfully integrates residential, office, retail, and public space through a design approach that is both contextually responsive and forward-looking.

The development combines adaptive reuse of the original school building with new construction, creating an active streetscape supported by shops, services, and outdoor gathering spaces. A shared green anchors the site, incorporating a monument that acknowledges its role in the history of school desegregation. The second phase, known as The Birney, expands the community with additional residential and office components, reinforcing the long-term vitality of the development.

Together, these efforts establish Westhampton Commons as a dynamic, mixed-use environment that enhances both the character and livability of the surrounding neighborhood.

Honoring 60 Years of Design

This year, Glavé & Holmes Architecture celebrates 60 years of practice — a journey shaped by vision, purpose, and people.

When Jim Glavé founded the firm in the 1960s, he believed in the power of preservation and the importance of place. At a time when many favored tearing down old buildings, he championed historic preservation and adaptive reuse, setting a precedent that continues to inspire us today.

Over the decades, that spirit of thoughtful design has evolved into a broader ethos: creating places that reflect their context, elevate the human spirit, and allow people to thrive. It’s an approach that has guided generations of our architects and designers, shaping communities across Virginia and beyond.

As we look to the future, we are proud to carry forward this legacy with fresh energy and vision. Our work continues to grow and diversify, but our commitment remains the same — to design with meaning, connect with culture and context, and create places that endure.

We are honored to reach this milestone and grateful to the clients, collaborators, and communities who have been part of the journey.

Recently, Virginia Business highlighted our 60th anniversary and reflected on the firm’s evolution and continued impact. Read the full article here: Milestones: Virginia companies celebrating big anniversaries in 2025 – Virginia Business

Announcing 2025 Staff Promotions

We are proud to announce the promotion of five exceptional team members whose talent, leadership, and commitment to excellence continue to shape the future of our firm.

These individuals embody the core values that guide our practice—creativity, contextual sensitivity, expertise, compassion, passion, stewardship, and integrity. Through their work, they help us pursue beauty in design, deliver meaningful client service, and foster a collaborative, purpose-driven culture.

Please join us in congratulating:

• Bridget Ficaretta, CID, Associate

• Connie Owens, AIA, Associate

• Kevin Svensen, AIA, Principal

• Nickolas Coile, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate

• Robert Riddle, AIA, LEED AP, CDT, Senior Associate

We are honored to recognize their achievements and grateful for the energy, insight, and inspiration they bring to our work every day.

Glavé & Holmes Named a Top Workplace for the 11th Time

Glavé & Holmes Architecture is proud to announce that we have been recognized as a Richmond Times-Dispatch Top Workplace for the 11th time. This honor reflects not just what we accomplish as a firm, but the way we work together—supporting one another, collaborating across teams, and fostering an environment where every individual feels valued and empowered.

We are deeply grateful to our talented and dedicated team members who make G&H a truly exceptional place to work. Their commitment to excellence and to each other shapes both our culture and the inspiring spaces we design.

Preservation Spotlight – Restoring Marezzo or “American Scagliola”

Introduction

G&H’s Preservation Studio is fortunate to find excellent examples of historic craftsmanship in our hometown of Richmond, Virginia. One such craft is demonstrated in the impressive scagliola plaster in the Jefferson Hotel’s Rotunda (see the mid-20th century postcard illustration above.) While the dramatically veined marble columns have been discolored by years of use, they are otherwise in excellent condition. Examination of the room confirms that the columns in the Rotunda and in the other principal rooms, both from the original construction in 1893 and the rebuilding of the Rotunda in 1907, were not painted but executed using an updated and streamlined version of a decorative art form originally developed in Baroque-era Europe. This “modern” technique was known as “American” or “Marezzo” scagliola. There are clear seams between the sections, and the veining patterns match those shown in early photographs.

Scagliola

The application of plaster to achieve a realistic marble finish was developed in post- Renaissance Tuscany as a substitute for expensive marble decorative finishes. It spread throughout the European continent with the explosion of finely detailed architecture in churches and palaces, and, with the growth of commerce in the nineteenth century, into a plethora of new building types. Integrally pigmented gypsum plaster with added animal glue to give strength and slow the hardening was used in molds and applied in situ to wall surfaces. Pigments and chips of marble could be added directly into the plaster mix to simulate by natural stone. The colors and contrasts were often more distinctive than those possible using natural stone. Veining was accomplished by drawing pigmented silk through the plaster or the plaster could be layered and sliced in different colors and cut back to give effect of marble. The spaces between small pats of about 3/8” in thickness are filled with a troweled slurry. The dry plaster was polished and buffed to achieve a hard, shiny appearance of stone. As master plaster craftsman Patrick Webb has observed, the complexity of scagliola requires highly developed skills:

“Through a series of slicing, addition of pigments, folding and re-joining the whole of the mass is mixed and set aside as large balls placed in ratios and arrangements that achieve the desired result: a counter-type of true marble or a fanciful creation. Depending on the desired outcome, from the initial mixing of colored slurries and other preparations are set aside for decorative effects. Much of the artisanship lies in a process of mental reverse engineering. One must conceive the desired outcome, have all materials on hand and systematically take steps to accomplish the effect” [Patrick Webb 2014].

Scagliola became recognized as an art form in its own right- hugely popular in England and on the Continent in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This kind of decorative work was sometimes known as “Bavarian Scagliola” in the United States due to its association with immigrant craftsmen from that region. It became widespread in the United States around the turn of the twentieth century when it became a kind of industrial material serving civic, religious, and commercial clients. As the wealth of the nation increased, rich finishes and lavish decoration were in demand in spite of the relative lack of craftsmen with the skills needed to create these dramatic effects. The plaster craft responded by adapting scagliola to serve contemporary construction technology and the quick turn-around required for completion.

Marezzo

Marezzo seems to have begun in Europe as a way of producing scagliola in reverse, with the finished surface facing downward in the mold and worked from above [Miller 415]. This North American variation of scagliola, used in addition to the traditional kind, was capable of quick assembly and placement on a large scale. Known to the trade as marezzo or “American Scagliola,” it was used for the finishing of the many courthouses, capitals, hotel, and office buildings built in the classical manner that sprang up in the period after 1900. The scagliola was produced by roving teams of immigrants from Italy and Germany, where the skill was widespread. The accelerating construction demands of American architects and their wealthy patrons, as well as the development of new materials, required innovation from the immigrant craftsmen who were responsible for realizing the great works in plaster, stone, and bronze that appeared on the scene at the turn of the twentieth century.

The development of marezzo was made possible by the development of Keene’s Cement in in England in 1834, a gypsum-based material with a hard finish suitable for polishing, modeling, and sculpture. Marezzo was made of Keene’s Cement, water, fiber, and pigment. It could be produced on site in very large sections of extremely thin, lightweight sections. One piece of marezzo could be wrapped around an entire column. The seam revealing its origin is usually concealed at the back of the column. At classically designed buildings like Richmond’s Jefferson Hotel, the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne Indiana, and countless others:

The surface of the scagliola on the columns measures from about 1/8 inch to 1/16 inch thick. . . . The scagliola is created on an oilcloth on a flat bench then lifted up on the cloth and “wrapped” around the column” . . . . “During setting, the cloth is peeled off, leaving the scagliola true and evenly curved” [Moretti, 2000].

With marezzo, in which the process of building up the effect of marble was reversed from that of conventional scagliola, the layer of plaster could be sometimes applied to a glass plate, allowing the craftsman to see the finish surface from below during composition.

“Scag,” in America, “was considered to be a trade secret of traveling crews of artisans. The scagliola artists’ work area would be draped and barricaded so they could proceed unobserved” [Staeli 1984]. According to a contemporary writer, “its limited use in recent times is greatly owing to its manufacture being restricted by rules and rigid methods and even prejudices, and being confined to monopolists, who kept the method secret until it was looked upon as a mystery which greatly enhanced its cost” [Hodgson 621].

A person in light blue pants and a white shirt repairs a large, weathered marble column, patching a damaged area with a reddish material using the traditional American Scagliola technique. Tools and materials for preservation are on the floor nearby; the setting appears to be an elegant, historic building. — Willard Hotel Crystal Room scagliola being repaired, 1985 (C.M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress). The thin layer of marezzo is clearly visible.

Restoring Marezzo

Marezzo and scagliola in general are very durable but are subject to discoloration by accumulated grime and by poorly conceived attempts to restore it with transparent coatings that can darken over time. It is essential that architects, property managers, and building owners understand the extraordinary value and history of the material. On occasion, we have been asked if it is possible to lighten the appearance of the finishes to appeal to the tastes of the current generation. Once everyone involved is aware of the value of conserving the decorative finish, we recommend beginning with a small-scale analysis to discern what the finish layers are and to suggest cleaning techniques, then hiring a decorative finishes restoration firm to do the work if the study indicates it. If there is damage to the surface, a plan for repair should be put together in consultation with an artisan skilled in the making and repair of scagliola. The fact that the color and veins run beneath the surface of scagliola means that scratches and chips don’t remove the color so that removal of a small portion of the surface by a careful sanding is possible. We would not recommend using the same firm for both the analysis and the restoration to ensure that the solution is long-lasting and effective.

The restored marezzo at the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana, stained by many years of heating using coal, was successfully cleaned in 1997 by the scagliola restoration team of Hayles and Howe, of Baltimore, and Montpelier, of Bristol, U.K., in connection with Evergreen Painting Studios. It was determined that the scagliola had been cleaned previously and polished with linseed oil. The smoke was absorbed into the porous plaster, causing discoloration. The staining was removed with heavy grit wet and dry papers and water stones, and the plaster surface polished. David Hayles and his team also used traditional techniques to repair the extensive marezzo surfaces, some areas of which showed signs of scratching and bleaching from harsh cleaning as well as voids, chipping, and cracking. “Every time you sand down a surface, you lose more and more of the original layer,” Hayles’ assistant Angela Bakalyar remarks. “For a building like this, you almost need a full-time maintenance crew of skilled people to baby these surfaces. Otherwise, in 100 years, you’ll have another big job” [Moretti 2000]. On the other hand, minor repairs could be done with inpainting rather than attempting to inset new decorative plaster. In some cases, it may be impossible to find a specialist. As was done at the Portland City Hall after damage in 1970, a dedicated local plaster company recreated the techniques of scagliola to repair existing elements and replace missing ones [Staehli 1984].

Conclusion

The decorative finishes of scagliola are important contributors to the significance of any historic building. Marezzo finishes are representative of the rapid multiplication of elaborately detailed interiors in the period before and after the turn of the twentieth century that was dominated by Beaux-Art classicism. Repair work or cleaning done to significant scagliola and marezzo surfaces should be specified by experienced restoration architects with the direct advice of skilled artisans or plaster specialists experienced in the field of scagliola as consultants.

Sources:

Billings, John Shaw, Records of first director of the New York Public Library, New York Public Library Archives and manuscripts [https://archives.nypl.org/nypla/4937].

Hodgson, Fred T., Mortars, Plasters, Stuccos, Artificial Marbles, Concretes, Portland Cements and Compositions (Chicago: Frederick Drake and Co. 1906). [https://archive.org/details/FredTHodgsonMortarsPlastersStuccosArtificialMarble/page/259/mode/2up]

Millar, William, Plastering Plain and Decorative (London, B. T. Batsford, 1897).

Moretti, Nick, Old World Order, 19 Oct. 2000, Walls and Ceilings [https://www.wconline.com/articles/83816-old-world-order].

Staehli, Alfred M., Scagliola: Restoration of an Antique Plaster Finish in the Portland City Hall, Oregon, Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology. Vol. 16, No. 2 (1984), pp. 44-50 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1494001].

Webb, Patrick, Scagliola, Real Finishes [Blogspot] 22 Nov. 2011 [https://realfinishes.blogspot.com/2011/11/plaster-casting-series-scagliola.html]

Worsham, Gibson, Carrere and Hastings’ Jefferson Hotel, UVA Thesis, 1996 [file://C:\\Users\gworsham\Downloads\Worsham._JohnG_1996_MARH.pdf].

Celebrating the Legacy of Randy Holmes

After decades of visionary leadership, Randy Holmes has retired from Glavé & Holmes on January 1, 2025. Since joining the firm, Randy’s design strengths, strategic guidance, and commitment to excellence have been integral in shaping our firm identity and our success. As he transitions to Principal Emeritus in a consultant role, we reflect on his lasting impact and the strong foundation he has built for the firm’s future.

Randy has consistently guided Glavé & Holmes with great design and a client-focused approach, embodying our mission to elevate the human spirit. Throughout his career, he approached challenges with a blend of wisdom and passion that inspired those around him. His mentorship has played a key role in the firm’s growth and succession. In his new advisory capacity, he will continue to share his expertise and provide invaluable guidance as the next generation of leaders moves the firm forward. For those who have on-going projects with Randy, rest assured he will continue to play an active role in the advancement of your project.

We are grateful for Randy’s years of service, leadership, and contributions to the profession. As we continue to uphold the principles of design excellence, client relationships, and community building, we look forward to the next chapter of the firm with Randy’s continued support. Please join us in congratulating Randy on his well-deserved retirement and wishing him all the best in this next phase of his career.

You can continue to contact Randy at rholmes@glaveandholmes.com

From Bank to Boutique: The Remarkable Revival of the Liberty Trust Building

Discover the award-winning transformation of Roanoke’s historic Liberty Trust Building, a seven-story Classical Revival-style bank reborn as a boutique hotel. This preservation masterpiece blends modern functionality with historic charm. Learn how the design team overcame challenges to honor its architectural legacy while meeting the needs of today’s travelers in this issue of Traditional Building magazine.

The Taylor House Wins an AIA Richmond Honor Award for Historic Preservation

Step inside the award-winning restoration of 2325 Monument Avenue, a stunning Mediterranean villa designed by renowned Richmond architect Duncan Lee in 1915. This 12,244-square-foot historic gem, part of the Monument Avenue National Register Historic District, features elegant stucco facades, a tile roof, and a grand three-story central block. The restoration preserved its historic character while carefully rehabilitating the west service wing’s first and second floors. Discover how thoughtful design brought new life to this architectural treasure while honoring its storied past.

View Project

Industry Partner Spotlight: The Power of Color

With less than two weeks until the public opening of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League (RSOL) Designer House, it’s time for our last pre-reveal Industry Partner Spotlight! G&HA’s designers wanted to ensure that they had the best quality and color of paint to complete the look of the master bedroom of the RSOL Designer House, so they turned to Benjamin Moore & Co. and Stanley Home Improvement.

Benjamin Moore & Co.
In 1883, Benjamin Moore & Co. was built upon the Moore brothers’ belief in “the exercise of intelligent industry in the spirit of integrity,” and for more than a century the company has upheld the same business culture. Today, they are known as an innovative manufacturer and retailer of the finest paints, stains and finishes, as well as a leader in the architectural coating industry. Because of the company’s commitment to creating products unparalleled in both color and quality, their high-performance products have set new standards of excellence in the world of design.

Stanley Home Improvement
Stanley Home Improvement is a local industry partner with 28 years of experience in the home improvement business. Owner Sidney Stanley has dedicated his business to serving residential projects that call for specialized, custom work. He has a discerning eye for detail and has perfected his skills, surpassing the needs and wants of clients with every venture. Stanley Home Improvements provides specialty painting and wall covering, carpentry/millwork, ceramic and marble installation, flooring, fixture installation, and window treatment and art installation.