Oscar Hoffman Building

Scope of Work
Consulting
Berggren Architects provided preservation consulting during the renovation of the Hoffman Building

Location
Ashland, NE

History
The Hoffman Building was built in 1917 by Oscar and Clara Hoffman.

Completion
This project was completed in 2015.
The Challenge
The historical Hoffman Building in Ashland, Nebraska was bought by Linoma Software in 2012 to be the site of their corporate headquarters. Architectural Design Associates was retained to rehabilitate this historic space for use as an office.
Berggren Architects was brought onto the project to provide historic preservation consulting for the acquisition of tax credits through the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Our team would be responsible for administering requirements for historically sensitive rehabilitation according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, providing the necessary paperwork for tax benefits, and listing the building on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Strategy
Some clients are hesitant to commit time and money towards the certification process. Our team argues that the federal tax credits, amounting to 20% of the rehabilitation costs, are well worth it.
Only the character-defining parts of the building relevant to the public, which comprise mostly the building exterior and the auditorium space, need to follow rehabilitation guidelines. The rest may be rehabilitated to the owner’s discretion.
Preservation work includes the restoration of windows, doors, floors, and ceilings. The multi-light glass, including the west transom, were also preserved. The renovations include the addition of an elevator and two new staircases.
The Results
The Hoffman Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 and its rehabilitation efforts were approved by the Nebraska SHPO for tax credits.
The client successfully converted the building into an office space while maintaining its historic character. Office spaces and modular workstations were housed in the auditorium, making use of its abundant natural light.
More about the
Arts & Cultural Centers
Category
Since the 1980s, we’ve worked with some of the nation’s leading conservators to assess museum facilities across the Midwest. With decades of experience, we have the sensitivity necessary to preserve and protect the priceless collections held in museums across the country.
Our team has experience detailing the optimal environments for all types of collections which hold all forms of artwork, artifacts, documents of antiquity, and objects of natural history. We have provided post-assessment services for many museums, including grant-funded reassessments and corrective construction projects.
Our Process

We listen to you
We are preservation architects, let’s get together and talk about your project. Once we know your ideas, we can start your project in the right directions.

We involve you in the planning

We make it happen
What We Offer

Restoration
We offer restoration and preservation of your historic structures. Using extraordinary materials and craftsmanship, our historic structures are a lasting tribute to the people for whom they were built.

Consulting
We offer consulting services to both general clients and professional clients in sharing our knowledge and expertise in the area of historic preservation. Our master planning and preservation planning prepares our clients to be better able to plan for the life of their historic structures and districts.

New Construction
We know the meaning of sustainability because of our in-depth work with structures which have stood the test of time. We offer sustainable and green new construction which is historically sympathetic, including in the form of additions.
Our Team

Jerry L. Berggren, AIA

Garry Martin

Farheen Sirajuddin

Janet Jeffries

Alexi Caines

Kameron Dadgostar

Leroy Svatora, AIA

Maegan Ludena-Llanos

Grace Shepherd

Sharon Guchu
