Great architecture deserves our attention and care.

Burns House · Completed

Ahrend & Brunzema Organ Restoration

Organ Builders Manuel Rosales and Greg Harrold completed a nine-month long project to restore and tune the Ahrend & Brunzema organ that was custom built for Lee Burns in 1967.

Rosales and Harrold's work included the restoration of deteriorated leather components, the construction of a new bellows and new enclosure for the organ’s blower and motor, a new control system for the blower motor, repair of the tremolo, and complete cleaning and tonal regulation of the 546 pipes.

Seismic bracing was enhanced, including a new platform from which the pipework in the upper case can be accessed more efficiently.

Rosales and Harrold's final phase at the Burns House allowed them to complete the tuning in its original temperament of “Werckmeister III”, preparing the instrument for upcoming concerts and residencies.

Moore/Andersson Compound · Completed

Parking Structure Restoration

The parking structure is a brilliant architectural folly, built of an ingenious framework of massive Western Red Cedar timbers.

After 40 years, several of the timbers needed to be replaced.

Kevin and a team of helpers carefully shored up the structure with temporary braces. And then they gingerly removed elements one at a time, such as 17-foot long 6" x 6" chevrons. After inserting each new piece, I taught my helpers about methods of post and beam connections with plates and carriage bolts. We also added extra blocks to reinforce some of the joints.

For the final phase, Kevin acid washed the whole structure so the old timbers would match the new ones.

Burns House · Completed

Staircase & Tower Study Floor Restoration

Charles Moore designed the great 3-story staircase as an abstract homage to the famous stone stair at Wells Cathedral in England.

Since the original carpeting was worn out after 50 years of use, the Foundation undertook a project to completely restore the stair.

After removing the carpeting, we re-clad the risers and steps in vertical grain Douglas Fir to match the dais upon which the Ahrend organ stands.

The Leland Burns Estate & Trust made this restoration possible. Thank you.

Burns House · Completed

Kitchen and Floor Restoration

To prepare the Burns House for its new life as a place to welcome residents—scholars, musicians, composers, architects, and designers—a priority was to fully renovate and restore the kitchen.

The work essentially reproduced Charles Moore's original design, but with updated materials and energy efficient appliances.

Since the originally specified Cal-Ga-Crete tile was worn and stained beyond repair, the new owner of the company reproduced the tile for replacement.

We also restored areas of the house (bedroom, study, and guest bedroom) where original tile had been replaced with carpeting.

The Leland Burns Estate & Trust made this restoration possible.

Charles Moore House · Ongoing

Textile Preservation & Restoration

Since textiles fade with age and UV, the Foundation's Director learned to sew and has been renewing pillows, cushions and fabrics in the Charles Moore House.

The textiles come from a range of places—Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Finland.

While some cushions could be carefully disassembled with a seam ripper, reversed, and re-sewn to extend their lives, others were replaced with textiles Charles Moore kept in storage.