Angela Wolf Scott, AIA

With an eye on the past, Angela Wolf Scott, AIA, works to advance architecture’s future by sharing her deep knowledge and enthusiasm for historic preservation. By seeing historic buildings as cultural, environmental, and financial resources, she has helped her firm continue to set a high bar for preservation while maintaining the integrity of our cultural heritage.

In Wolf Scott’s daily practice as a principal and CFO of Minneapolis-based MacDonald & Mack Architects, she works predominantly with buildings that have garnered national historic designation. Since 2010 Wolf Scott has worked with the city’s Eliel and Eero Saarinen–designed Christ Church Lutheran on a number of evolving projects. Beginning with the restoration of the church’s 88-foot tower—which was desperately needed as its mortar and brick were falling on the church and nearby sidewalks—she was the author and chief investigator for its historic structure report. A compilation of the church’s spaces, materials, and treatment recommendations, the report is a living document that guides its long-term maintenance and bolsters its fundraising efforts. In addition, Wolf Scott uncovered the source of recurring problems—a flaw in the original drawings—which led a restoration of its courtyard, and oversaw conservation of the sleek, mirror-finished baptismal font designed by Eliel Saarinen.

Wolf Scott has led design teams in the preservation of five state monuments in Minnesota. The most intricate of the lot, Fort Ridgely State Monument, erected in 1895, required a complete foundation replacement when excavation revealed it was no longer sound. The monument’s six zinc plaques exhibited signs of cracking, likely due to improper anchoring, and Wolf Scott’s team worked with the Midwest Art Conservation Center to conserve them and develop a custom anchoring system. The entire monument was repointed and now features joint profiles that more accurately match the historic design.

An ardent student and devout educator, Wolf Scott seeks opportunities to increase her knowledge of historic preservation and share what she knows with others. As an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota College of Design, she teaches its Preservation + Sustainability course, demonstrating the integral link between two seemingly discrete areas of practice. At the Docomomo 2015 national symposium in Minnesota, themed “Modernism on the Prairie,” Wolf Scott organized a tour of Marcel Breuer’s Saint John’s Abbey Church, and as a member of the symposium planning committee expanded the tour into a full day of educational sessions centered on the conservation and preservation of modern religious structures.

With a remarkable understanding of archaic systems and long-lost construction methods, Wolf Scott has received the admiration and respect of her peers. More importantly, her humble approach to projects never solicits accolades for herself and results in her clients appearing as the true champions of preservation.