Renae L. Kwon

Experience

Renae Kwon joined WJE in 2003 and has been involved in numerous building envelope investigation and repair projects. She has investigated brick masonry walls, thin stone cladding construction, terra cotta building facades, reinforced concrete structures, glass and curtain wall facades, and roofing/waterproofing systems. Ms. Kwon has performed numerous water leakage investigations, which frequently involve field testing of exterior building components based on standards developed by ASTM International, the American Architectural Manufacturer’s Association, and practical procedures developed for specific projects.

Ms. Kwon has managed projects consisting of design and preparation of drawings and specifications for repair projects, including masonry and stone repair, facade recladding, roof replacement and waterproofing, and peer reviews for new construction. She has also performed laboratory testing and field testing of various materials, including terra cotta, brick masonry, and stone.

REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS

Exterior Envelope Consulting

• South Illinois Healthcare Cancer Center - Carterville, IL: Exterior envelope design review and leakage investigation
• Bassett Medical Center Campus - Cooperstown, NY: Exterior envelope design review and leakage investigation

 

Facade Assessment

• North Dakota State Capitol - Bismarck: Historic limestone facade investigation
• Randolph Tower - Chicago, IL: Historic terra cotta facade investigation and restoration
• Miami-Dade County Courthouse - FL: Historic terra cotta facade investigation and restoration
• Financial Center - Nashville, TN: Stone facade field investigation and repair, including construction documents and observation
• 820 South Michigan Avenue - Chicago, IL: Stone facade reclad construction documents and observation

 

Research and Testing

• Milwaukee City Hall - WI: Field documentation, research, and laboratory testing of terra cotta failure
• 311 South Wacker Drive (Winter Garden) - Chicago, IL: Field investigation, repair documents, and construction observation of stone anchor repairs
• 270 Greenwich Street - New York, NY: Field investigation and laboratory testing of stone cladding system
• World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) - New York, NY: Evaluation of stone quarries, observation of stone production and layouts, and selection of stone testing specimens
• 225 West Wacker Drive - Chicago, IL: Laboratory and in situ testing of stone anchors for reanchoring lobby panels, and repair design

 

Historic Preservation

• Los Angeles Hall of Justice - CA: Historic terra cotta and stone facade restoration, including construction administration
• On Leong Building - Chicago, IL: Award-winning restoration of Chicago Landmark terra cotta facade, including investigation, construction documents, and construction observation
• Garfield Park Administration Building - Chicago, IL: Historic terra cotta facade investigation and restoration, including construction administration

 

Repair and Rehabilitation Design

• United States Department of State - Santiago, Chile; Bujumbura, Burundi; and Prague, Czech Republic: Construction period services for roof installations
• 1000 North Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, IL: Plaza waterproofing repair design and construction services
• Yankee Hill Apartments - Milwaukee, IL: Plaza waterproofing and brick masonry repair design and construction services

Professional Affiliations

American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE)
Building Stone Institute (BSI)

Registrations

Architect in AZ, IL, IN, and WI

Education

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, 2001
Master of Architecture, Structures Option, 2003