The Hotel Georgia is a Vancouver landmark. The 12-storey building opened in 1927 and since then has hosted royalty and scoundrels - and a host of famous entertainers. The hotel is registered as a protected property by the City of Vancouver. It is currently undergoing a major restoration as a five star hotel within a new urban mixed use development which also includes 8 levels of underground parking, a 49-storey residential and office tower with such features as geothermal heating and photovoltaic installations.

The project provides an interesting illustration from which to discuss the many challenges which the owner and consultant team must resolve to successfully restore and renovate a historic building to a new and viable life in a region characterized by a wet maritime climate and severe seismic requirements. These challenges include:

• Achieving economic viability of the restoration and ways to overcome some of the costs
• The suitability of the building for the intended use
• Defining the need for seismic upgrade and seismic restraint and achieve it in a manner which minimizes Its effect on the heritage character
• Preserving and using heritage interiors while meeting the needs of modern hotel

The combination of Building Science and logic drives design decisions:

• Providing seismic competence to heritage structures and cladding
• Addressing brick displacement caused by corrosion jacking at shelf angles
• Providing thermal and acoustic comfort appropriate for a five star hotel
• Providing appropriate protection against water penetration in Vancouver's maritime climate
• Availability of required skilled trades and ways to deal with this problem if they are not available by integrating new with old
• Enhancing sustainability benefits by preserving heritage fabric and incorporating new technologies (Green roof, geothermal, etc.)
• Surprises along the way ‐ some good and some not!