New England Hebrew Farmer's of the Emanuel Society

Posted: November 20, 2020

The FIRST of 10 feature projects to celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary, and one of our first projects after we opened our doors 10 years ago was the New England Hebrew Farmer’s of the Emanuel Society archeological site in Chesterfield, CT where we performed a Conditions Assessment of the remaining building foundation ruins. As we were completing our report, a very unique and exciting archeological discovery was made on the site in the form of a Jewish ritual bath called a “Mikveh” dating from 1914. Catch the excitement! https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2013-06-21-hc-uconn-jewish-farmers-0623-20130621-story.htm

Cheers to 10 Years!

Posted: November 19, 2020

Cheers to 10 years!  Even though 2020 has had its challenges, we are very thankful to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary at Cirrus Structural Engineering. As part of the Thanksgiving season, we reach out in gratitude to all of our colleagues and clients who have made this ongoing journey fun and exciting. Over the next 10 days we will be posting some of our most memorable projects during our decade-long venture.

More updates coming to our blog and social media!

Posted: July 7, 2020

We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes gathering and writing content for you all. We’ll be posting some new content and updates shortly so stay tuned!

Welcome to our new website and blog!

Posted: April 25, 2019

If you’re interested in anything related to structures, especially historic buildings, this is a great place for you.  In our blog, also known as “Through the Eyes of a (Preservation, Forensic and Curious) Engineer”, we offer you a glimpse into our work and share all the fascinating pieces and parts of structural engineering that we’ve collected and continue to discover.

After all, engineering isn’t just about numbers and formulas – what we do here at Cirrus is much more than that. It requires a good sense of our local history, culturally and physically, as well as figuring out how every part fits and works together, from the specific piece to the overall environment, and then bringing that understanding to you.

We invite you on our journey as we share the unique perspective we get to experience as structural engineers.  Thanks for reading!

Chapel Cloister In The Spring

Posted: April 24, 2019

Walking by the Trinity College Chapel in Hartford, CT on this beautiful spring day was a special treat, and the Northwest Cloister was stunning under the blooming tulip trees.

The Chapel has been admired for its beauty since 1929-32 when it was constructed.

There were three men – architect Philip H. Frohman, donor William G. Mather, and Trinity president and chaplain Rev. Dr. Remsen B. Ogilby – who led the effort to design and build Trinity Chapel, but there is a seldom heard story about the contribution of the builders themselves.

The workmen were so invested in their task and the beauty they were creating, that they held regular services in the Crypt Chapel, the first portion to be completed. When the Great Depression depleted Mather’s finances and he was unable to fund the minimum required to protect the unfinished building, it was the workmen who stepped up. Donating a considerable share of their labor, they saw to the completion of the Chapel. Once his finances were restored, Mather paid them in full. This group of men, who formed the Chapel Builder’s Alumni Association, have their names carved beneath the last stone to be set, as well as in the south cloister. They continued to meet at the Chapel every year to inspect their work and worship, long after their job was done.

The Magic of Guastavino

Posted: February 2, 2019

In addition to the architectural splendor, Grand Central’s Guastavino vaults renewed our sense of wonder as we played with the sound reverberations during a recent conference.

The next time you and a friend are passing through the vaults, each stand in opposite corners and speak in a normal tone. When you do this, regardless of how many people are crossing this intersection, you can hear and speak to the other person you as clearly as if you were standing next to them.