Scott House Study and Rehabilitation

Virginia Commonwealth University,
Richmond, Virginia

THE SCOTT HOUSE  is one of Richmond’s most significant examples of American Renaissance architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was completed in 1911 and acquired by Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2001. The 18,000-square-foot mansion was built for Frederic William Scott and his wife Elizabeth Strother Scott. It was modeled after the Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island, which referenced the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Interior plasterwork is attributed to prominent sculptor and plaster contractor, Ferruccio Legnaioli.

VCU commissioned Glavé & Holmes Architecture (G&HA) to provide a feasibility study to assess existing conditions, programming, and conceptual design. Subsequently, G&HA was selected to provide a historically-sensitive rehabilitation to allow the building to serve as meeting and event space for visiting and University groups.

Goals for rehabilitation the Scott House included restoration of the exterior masonry and windows; upgraded mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; and new restrooms, office space and meeting rooms. While the rehabilitation will serve a variety of modern programmatic functions, the building’s historic fabric was restored in accordance with the Secretaty of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and the University’s preservation philosophy for historic buildings.