--- title: "Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls – Keast & Hood" description: "Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls (c) Tom Crane The historic 1802 house has a long history of prominent tenants. Through a series of poorly executed renovations and modifications, the house became distressed. By 1" lang: en json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls", "url": "https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/portfolio-item/roxboro-house-philadelphia-university", "description": "Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls (c) Tom Crane The historic 1802 house has a long history of prominent tenants. Through a series of poorly executed renovations and modifications, the house became distressed. By 1", "image": "https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/media/imported/2024-11-140905-01-8x10-1.jpg", "creator": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Keast & Hood" } } --- [![Keast & Hood Structural Engineers](https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/__l5e/assets-v1/63f6ea4d-7417-4ea8-ae63-b974b4bc82b0/kh-logo-blue.svg)](/) [Home](/) [Expertise](/our-services) [New Construction Efficient, elegant structural systems for ambitious new buildings. ](/our-services/new-construction)[Historic Preservation Careful intervention that keeps landmark buildings standing and in use. ](/our-services/historic-preservation)[Renovations | Additions | Adaptive Reuse Renovations, additions and adaptive reuse that unlock existing structures. ](/our-services/renovation)[Building Envelope Facade, roof and waterproofing assessment for durable enclosures. ](/our-services/building-envelope)[Structural Investigation | Intervention Investigation, testing and repair strategies for troubled structures. ](/our-services/structural_investigation_intervention)[Sustainability Low-carbon structural design guided by our SE2050 commitment. ](/our-services/sustainability) ### 70 years of structural expertise From landmark preservation to net-zero new construction, see how our engineering shapes each project. [View all projects](/projects) [Projects](/projects) [About Us](/aboutus) [People Meet the engineers behind the work. ](/aboutus/people)[Legacy Seven decades of landmark projects. ](/aboutus/legacy)[News + Articles Firm news, awards and insights. ](/category/news)[Social Feed The latest from our studio. ](/social-feed) ### Join our team We are always looking for curious engineers who love buildings. [See open roles](/careers) [Careers](/careers) [Contact](/contact-us) # Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls ![Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls](https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/media/imported/2024-11-140905-01-8x10-1.jpg) (c) Tom Crane The historic 1802 house has a long history of prominent tenants. Through a series of poorly executed renovations and modifications, the house became distressed. By 1998, when the University purchased the property, the Federal-style home had fallen into severe disrepair partially due to moisture infiltration. Keast & Hood was engaged to provide a structural evaluation of the historic house in 2006 which resulted in urgent stabilization. Non-destructive thermal analysis was employed to understand the conditions and issues of the building envelope. Following the study, the university invested in  preserving and adaptively reusing this important structure as a library and center for public service. Structural scope consisted of  the removal of rear additions, reconstruction of the original rear porch, and construction of a new elevator tower with a cantilevered steel wrap-around egress stair. Additional work included careful repairs to timber framing and masonry foundations while retaining much of the historic fabric. Meticulous team coordination allowed seamless integration of structural components with the historic aesthetic of the building.  Principal Constantine G. Doukakis, PE (retired) Project Manager John R. Davis, PE Client Preservation Design Partnership Location Philadelphia, PA Project Type Academic | Cultural | Historic Project Scope Historic Preservation | Adaptive Reuse Status Completion: 2014 Cost $3.2 Million ![Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls](https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/media/imported/2024-11-TowerElevation.jpg) ![Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls](https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/media/imported/2024-11-140905-04-8x10-1.jpg) ![Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls](https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/media/imported/2024-11-Photo-Mar-11-10-25-32-AM.jpg) ![Arlen Specter Center For Public Service | Thomas Jefferson University East Falls](https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/media/imported/2024-11-Roxboro-House-in-2007-Exterior-scaled.jpg) [All Projects](/projects) ![Keast & Hood Structural Engineers](https://keast-hood.itigniter.com/__l5e/assets-v1/80bc79b1-0211-4ea5-8b9b-47b698c8eca0/kh-logo-reverse.svg) A certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), Small Business Enterprise (SBE), and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) delivering structural engineering solutions for over 70 years. 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