City Vista Gets a Facelift

In 2022, Western’s San Antonio Branch completed the restoration of Trinity University’s City Vista Apartments

Sitting just across the street from Trinity University’s Main Campus, the five-story City Vista Apartments provide luxury housing for the university’s upperclassmen. Constructed in 2015, the 141-unit building recently underwent a complete façade restoration led by Western Specialty Contractors’ San Antonio branch in partnership with RVK Architecture and Breda Construction.

The Challenge: Addressing Façade Issues

By 2021, City Vista Apartments faced numerous challenges with its façade, including:

• Balcony wall leaks
• Concrete spalling on balcony decks
• Water intrusion at stucco wall panels
• Sealant failure throughout the façade
• Leaks in brick sections of the building

Western’s team worked closely with RVK Architecture to develop a comprehensive plan to address these issues. Solutions were crafted using a combination of the team’s past experience and on-site recommendations from product manufacturers.

Overcoming Access and Safety Hurdles

The project began in October 2021, with a hard deadline of the 2022 Fall semester. One of the biggest obstacles was gaining access to the façade, as the building’s position amidst surrounding roadways left no option but to scaffold the structure.

To stay on schedule, the team divided the work into eight scaffolded phases. Each phase required careful coordination among Western, Breda Construction, and the scaffolding provider.

Safety remained a top priority throughout the project. A notable challenge arose when portions of the repairs needed to be completed beneath high-voltage powerlines. Thorough planning with the local service provider ensured the lines were de-energized during work, minimizing downtime and risk. Western’s safety department conducted regular site visits to verify compliance with safety standards.

The Restoration Process

Over the course of 11 months, Western’s dedicated crew of 10 completed a range of restoration activities, including:

• Sealant Work: Installing 58,000 linear feet of new sealants to address water infiltration.
• Stucco Repairs: Applying 90,000 square feet of elastomeric coating over stucco surfaces.
• Balcony Decks: Installing new flashing at wall-to-deck connections, blending patched stucco with the original, and applying a two-coat pedestrian coating system to 11,000 square feet of balcony surfaces.
• Additional Repairs: Applying silane sealer to brick masonry, epoxy leveling at balcony railing penetrations, retrofitting flashing at brick lugs, and installing air barriers in key areas.

The Results

Western successfully completed the project on time and under budget, restoring City Vista Apartments’ aesthetic appeal and functionality.

A Collaborative Effort

This project’s success was the result of a strong partnership between Trinity University, Breda Construction, RVK Architecture, and Western Specialty Contractors. We’re proud to have contributed to the restoration of this vital campus building and are grateful for the trust placed in us to bring this vision to life.

About Western Specialty Contractors

Family-owned and operated for over 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in facade and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures, including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational, and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide. It employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors’ Sheet Metal Division, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com/kansas-city/