Preservation Architect

Letter from the Historic Resources Committee 2008 Chair
Preserving the Modern
Welcome to the Summer issue of Preservation Architect. It is a full issue, and comes at a busy time, just after convention and as we enter the second half of the year. I think you will find many opportunities herein to connect with relevant issues, and believe you will enjoy the read. The committee is always looking for active participation from members and components, so please contact us if you have ideas or want to volunteer!

To provide an opposing viewpoint to one of our featured articles, Carroll William Westfall’s “Why Preservation Cannot Save Us from Modernism, and Why Classicism Can,” I wanted to write a short piece on preserving modernism, as it was the impetus for my becoming co-chair of the upcoming jointly-sponsored conference with the Committee on Design in Copenhagen, Denmark (please see below for more details). I find that many in the preservation community are struggling with preserving buildings from our recent past, i.e., those that are called Mid-Century and are now coming of age to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The relative youth of some of these buildings and their often “stripped down” appearance has taken awhile for some to appreciate, and others still have doubts as to their contribution to significant architecture.
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HRC joins the Committee on Design for Danish Modern: Then and Now in Copenhagen
August 31- September 5, 2008
Please click here for more registration details.

Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference
Restore Media, LLC and AIA Historic Resources Committee
September 18 - 20, 2008
Chicago, IL
Please join the AIA HRC for its Preservation Breakfast, and be sure to attend the AIA HRC-branded sessions and workshops, such as the workshop (W09) Lean & Green: A Master Class on Early 20th Century Planning Principles. Recognize the work of some of America’s foremost early 20th century planners, analyze the importance of the work creating Civil Design, and appreciate the importance of urban plans for greenway systems, walks, and drives that form parks that become public amenities. For more information, please click here.

Call for Nominations!
Deadline: August 1, 2008

The AIA Historic Resources Committee (HRC) is now soliciting applications for the 2009 appointment to the Advisory Group of the Committee. All HRC members are encouraged to consider this opportunity to serve in this leadership capacity for the HRC and the preservation profession.

One new member is appointed to the HRC Advisory Group (AG) each year, to replace one person completing his or her service. The usual term of AG membership is five years, rotating to vice-chair in the fourth year and to chair in the fifth year. This appointment is to commence in 2009, with reappointment by the president of the AIA considered annually through 2013.

Each AG member is assigned a liaison role with one or more HRC subcommittees.

AG members also participate in monthly AG conference calls and in periodic calls with their assigned subcommittee(s). In addition, each AG member is expected to participate in HRC-sponsored conferences, symposia, and workshops as well as certain AIA Knowledge Community events. The Institute provides partial funding to participate in these activities. Please visit the HRC webpage for the HRC 2008-09 Calendar of Events.

Please read the selection criteria used by the Advisory Group to appoint a new candidate, and once you make the decision to apply, submit the following materials by email to Kathleen Lane by August 1, 2008:

A current curriculum vitae, no longer than one page
A brief (no longer than one page) statement of interest in joining the HRC Advisory Group, including a summary of past participation in the Committee and a description of any special goals if selected to the AG

The president of the AIA reviews the AG’s nomination and make his appointment to the AG before year’s end. The official appointment begins January 1, 2009.

HRC Members and French Preservation Architect Inducted into AIA College of Fellows

Four long-time members and leaders of the AIA Historic Resources Committee and one French preservation architect were recently elected to the AIA College of Fellows and inducted into the College during the AIA 2008 National Convention in Boston, MA.

The AIA College of Fellows, founded in 1952, comprises members of the Institute who are elected to Fellowship by a jury of their peers. Fellowship is one of the highest honors the AIA can bestow upon a member, as elevation to Fellowship not only acknowledges the achievements of the architect as an individual, but also recognizes to both the public and the profession those architects who have made significant contributions to architecture and society. The purpose of the College of Fellows is to stimulate a sharing of interests among Fellows, to promote the purposes of the Institute, to advance the profession of architecture, and to be of ever-increasing service to society.

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New NTHP Grant and Technical Assistance to Encourage Community Center Schools
Concerned about the abandonment of older neighborhood schools and the siting of new schools outside of communities, the National Trust is offering an opportunity for organizations and coalitions in up to five states to analyze their state’s current policies and develop an educational outreach program with policy recommendations to help citizens and officials make informed choices when spending their limited dollars on school facilities. Proposal deadline is July 14, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

In Memoriam: Robert D. Gaede, FAIA [1920-2008]
Robert C. Gaede, FAIA, was Cleveland’s “senior statesman” for historic preservation. Bob dedicated his life to architecture and to the pursuit of creating communities, large and small, where people want to live. He was an Honorary Life Trustee of the Cleveland Restoration Society, and served as Editor of its publication, Façade, for 28 years. Bob was a consummate old-style gentleman with a gift for beautiful words. He saved many endangered landmarks through his engaging prose and kind demeanor, always backed by solid architectural ideas and hand-drawn illustrations. He built a successful practice in architecture, in both new design and in historic rehabilitation. He volunteered extensively over his lifetime for non-profit organizations and under-funded preservation causes.

Why Preservation Cannot Save Us From Modernism, and Why Classicism Can
By Carroll William Westfall
Present-day preservation is a modernist enterprise, and like modernism, it is antithetical to the classical. It uses a present-day modernist understanding of the past to evaluate the legacy of the past. It seeks to insulate what it values from any interference in the future. It seeks stasis, not the dynamic change that expands tradition. It rejects the dynamic interchange between the changing and the enduring that lies at the heart of classicism.
Please click here to continue, and be sure to check the Fall edition of Preservation Architect for Ashley Robbins's response to this article!

NTHP Sustainable Preservation Coalition: April 2008 Update
By James J. Malanaphy III, AIA
On Monday, April 21, members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) Sustainable Preservation Coalition received an update from National Trust staff on several of the initiatives on the coalition, including cooperative efforts with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to encourage greater understanding of the benefits of preservation and rehabilitation of the existing building stock – in particular historic buildings - as a green building practice, and to develop methods and metrics to reflect these values in LEED rating systems.
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The HRC at the AIA National Convention
The Historic Resources Committee was well represented, with a number of excellent offerings, at the AIA Convention in Boston. Please click here for a report on the HRC's activities at Convention, as well as an update on the Committee's plans for the future.

HRC Events at the 2008 National Preservation Conference
By James J. Malanaphy III, AIA
If you are planning to attend the annual National Preservation Conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Tulsa, Oklahoma this year, be sure to keep room in your schedule for events sponsored by the HRC! HRC members will be on hand to conduct workshops addressing three different preservation topics.
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HRC-Allied Programs and Events
The AIA HRC runs a regularly updated list of scheduled HRC-allied events, as well as a list of allied organizations' awards programs. Visit the HRC website for more information!

HRC Book List
The AIA Historic Resources Committee has compiled, and continuously expands, a book list based on the recommendations of HRC members around the country. If you know of a book that should be on the list, we encourage you to send your recommendations to Raymond Plumey, FAIA.

Call for Submissions to Preservation Architect
This issue of Preservation Architect stands before you as a high-quality source of information that reaches more than 6,000 HRC members. Countless others browse through with much anticipation and good recognition of new and timely information relative to historic preservation. We strive to be diverse, trendy, and up-to-date with our product, and we certainly need your help in sustaining our goals.

Did you know that you can contribute to our quarterly electronic newsletter by submitting an interesting article from your region? Yes, you can! We accept unsolicited articles of interest to the HRC membership. Yes, there is a review process, and yes, we have submission guidelines. You can start by going to the HRC website and clicking on “Tips for Submissions.” You may contact the AIA staff, or Don Swofford, FAIA, the HRC Communications and Publications Subcommittee chair, if you have any questions or comments. We look forward to receiving your submission!