UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

Preservation Advocacy Day
March 7-8, 2012 | Hotel Fairfax | Washington, DC. More Information.

Pioneers in Preservation Lecture Series
March 21, 2012 | Clemson University | Charleston, SC.
By Ashley Robbins Wilson, AIA | Chair, AIA-HRC Preservation Education Subcommittee

The 2012 Pioneers in Preservation lecture will be with W. Brown Morton III, Hon. AIA in Charleston, South Carolina on March 21st. The lecture is sponsored by the AIA HRC and the Clemson University/College of Charleston Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. More Information.

Wood in the 21st Century Symposium
Design and Preservation of Contemporary & Historic Architecture
Saturday, March 24 – Sunday, March 25, 2012 | MIT Campus | Cambridge, MA. More Information.

Society of Architectural Historians
April 19-22, 2012 | Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center | Detroit, MI. More Information.

American Institute of Architects National Convention
Design Connects
May 17-19, 2012 | Walter E. Washington Convention Center | Washington, DC. More Information.

US ICOMOS 2012 International Scientific Symposium
Confluence of Culture: World Heritage in the Americas
May 31-June 2, 2012 | University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX.

The University of Texas at San Antonio will be an academic host to the 15th Annual US/ICOMOS International Scientific Symposium 2012, "Confluence of Culture: World Heritage in the Americas". Center for Cultural Sustainability Director William Dupont serves on the Board of US/ICOMOS and is a Co-Chair of the Symposium along with Suzanne Deal Booth of Austin. This event will take place May 31 to June 2, 2012.  More Information.

APT Charleston 2012
Cornerstones: Collaborative Approaches to Preservation
September 29–October 4, 2012 | Francis Marion Hotel | Charleston, SC. More Information.

2012 National Preservation Conference
Beyond Boundaries
October 31 – November 3, 2012| Spokane, WA. More Information.

IN THE NEWS

Letter from the 2011 HRC Chair
By H. Thomas McGrath Jr., FAIA, 2011 Chair AIA Historic Resources Committee

Dear Historic Resources Committee Members:

This is my fourth and final letter written as your 2011 Historic Resources Committee Chairman.  The following are excerpts from the year-end report we recently submitted that summarizes the accomplishments and activities your Advisory Group accomplished in 2011. Read more.

Historic American Building Survey: FY2011 Report
By Catherine C. Lavoie| Chief, Historic American Building Survey

This has been a challenging year for HABS, facing ever-decreasing federal budgets, and the downturn in the economy that has affected our ability to generate projects.  Much of our work this year came from federal agencies responding to Section 106 or 110, or those benefiting from “stimulus” money, namely the National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.  As in the past, HABS undertook a few unfunded projects of sites and structures with history and photography (no drawings), in an effort to ensure that the collection remains representative of all types and styles of architecture, and to record to endangered structures. Read more.

AIA-HRC Historic Sites Advocacy Team: Assistance Available
By Sharon C. Park, FAIA | Past Chair AIA-HRC Historic Sites Advocacy Team

The Historic Sites Advocacy Team (HSAT) is a subcommittee of the AIA’s Historic Resource Committee (HRC) and is charged with responding to requests for assistance on endangered historic properties. The team is committed to identifying, understanding and helping to preserve the architectural heritage in this country and internationally. The AIA Policy on Support for Threatened Historic Resources was adopted in September of 2008. More information.

AIA HRC | ACSA Preservation as Provocation Student Competition
AIA HRC and the American Collegiate Schools of Architecture
By Ashley Robbins Wilson, AIA | Chair, AIA-HRC Preservation Education Subcommittee

The Preservation as Provocation Ideas Competition is scheduled to be announced this spring for the 2012/2013 academic year.  The selected site is an island with an abandoned 1808 brick fort, Castle Pinckney, and is located in the Charleston, South Carolina Harbor adjacent to the historic city.  Castle Pinckney was part of an elaborate defense system for Charleston and was used as a Union Prison camp during the Civil War.  Today, it stands abandoned and the competition is a chance for students to suggest new heritage and eco-tourism uses for this historic place.  Be on the lookout for the official launch this spring. Read more.

AIA-HRC Pioneers in Preservation Lecture Series - Call for Names
By Ashley Robbins Wilson, AIA | Chair, AIA-HRC Preservation Education Subcommittee

Thanks to the many AIA members that submitted names of their preservation mentors.  The Preservation Education subcommittee is maintaining an active list of preservation architects that we would like to interview.  If you know someone whose career influenced yours and countless others, please pass their name to us.  We are seeking names of architects whose dedication has propelled the preservation movement forward and whose achievements in historic preservation shape the profession.  While at this point, we are interviewing one candidate per year, there might be opportunities to create a round-table or other lecture format. Please forward additional names to Ashley Wilson at arobbin@clemson.edu

Ashley R. Wilson, AIA Appointed to AIA HRC Advisory Group
By James J. Malanaphy, AIA

The AIA HRC Advisory Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Ashley R. Wilson, AIA, as the newest member of the HRC Advisory Group. Read more.

FEATURES

Dear President Obama
Reprinted with Permission from CLEM LABINE’S TRADITIONAL BUILDING Feb. 2009
By Judy Hayward | Director of Education, Restore Media

I BET YOU HAD NO IDEA HOW MUCH HOPE YOU INSPIRED WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE LOSS OF historic sites as a serious problem in your address to U.S. Governors in December 2008.The preservation community was grateful to learn that historic preservation was already on your radar screen. The news of your statement spread like wildfire over the internet. Thank you for standing up for one critically important part of the work we do. With that recognition in mind, this essay started as a “Dear Mr. President” letter, where I thought I might be so bold as to suggest a preservation agenda for YOU. Instead, it has evolved into some humble reflections on what WE can do TOGETHER toward building a stronger nation. Read More.

Louis I. Kahn Bath House and Day Camp receives Honor Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
By Meredith Arms Bzdak, PhD and Michael J. Mills, FAIA | Partners, Mills + Schnoering Architects, LLC

The National Trust for Historic Preservation presented a Preservation Honor Award to the Louis I. Kahn Bath House and Day Camp restoration project in Ewing Township, New Jersey on October 20th, 2011, in Buffalo, New York. Read more.

PRESERVATION KNOWLEDGE AND NETWORKS

Willowbank School of Restoration Arts
By Julian Smith | Executive Director, Willowbank National Historic Site and School

Willowbank School of Restoration Arts is a small independent program in heritage conservation, designed to break down the barriers between theory and practice and resurrect the traditional idea of the master builder/master conservator.  Willowbank is a 13-acre National Historic Site, a School of Restoration Arts, and a Centre for Cultural Landscape. The estate is an important home base and laboratory. It is located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, just 45 minutes north of Buffalo. Read more.

The ACHP announces its 2012 Section 106 Course Schedule
By Cindy Bienvenue | Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

From Anchorage to Atlanta, ACHP staff instructors will visit 11 cities nationwide next year to offer Section 106 training. Join us for interactive courses that feature practical guidance and opportunities to apply what you learn to case-based exercises. The Section 106 Essentials covers the regulatory fundamentals needed to carry out or participate in a federal historic preservation review, while the Advanced Seminar will help experienced practitioners improve consultation and agreement development skills. The ACHP is registered with the AIA/CES for The Section 106 Essentials (12 learning units). More information.

Apply Today: 2012 Sustainable Cities Design Academy (SCDA)
By Elizabeth Blazevich | Program Director, Sustainable Cities Design Academy, American Architectural Foundation

Deadline: December 30, 2011. AAF encourages public-private partnership project teams to apply. Successful applicants will join AAF for one of two design workshops: April 11-13, 2012, San Francisco, or July 18-20, 2012, Baltimore. SCDA connects project teams and multi-disciplinary sustainable design experts through highly interactive design workshops that help project teams advance their green infrastructure and community development goals. To support a diverse portfolio of SCDA projects, United Technologies Corporation (UTC) generously underwrites participants' attendance costs. More Information.

The National Trust’s Seattle-based Preservation Green Lab
By Rachel Bowdon | National Trust for Historic Preservation

Since 2009, the Seattle-based Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation has worked with several city and states on policy solutions that leverage the value of existing buildings toward achieving sustainability goals. And more and more, people are taking notice of the Green Lab’s groundbreaking work. Read more.

December 9, 2011 Preservation Action Legislative Update
By James Malanaphy, AIA| Executive Board Member Preservation Action

View December 9, 2011 Preservation Action Legislative Update. Become a member of Preservation Action. Support Preservation Action’s national grassroots lobbying effort. Help us get the word out when action is required. Help us keep conservation of our cultural heritage a national priority. Individual membership is only $20. Please join today.

US/ICOMOS | World Heritage and the Role of the United States
ICOMOS 17th General Assembly | November 17 –December 2, 2011 | Paris, Franc
By George C Skarmeas, PhD, AIA | Chair, US / ICOMOS Board

At the end of November, over one thousand heritage experts representing over 90 countries met at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on the occasion of the XVII Congress of ICOMOS. The birth of ICOMOS dates back to 1964, when the Second Congress of Architects and Specialists of Historic Buildings met in Venice and adopted 13 resolutions.  The first was the International Restoration Charter, or as we all know it today, the Venice Charter.  The second resolution called for the creation of the International Council on Monuments and Sites [ICOMOS]. Read more.

2012 Association Preservation Technology Conference Report
Heritage on the Edge: Sustaining Buildings, Landscapes and Communities | Victoria, British Columbia Canada
By Yolita E. Rausche, Assoc. AIA | Principal, Rausche Historic Preservation, LLC

APT hosted another and very special well attended conference in Canada, with almost 400 attendees from around the world, who came to hear how historic preservation and sustainability go hand in hand.  The issues confronting both areas are very similar and symbiotic. Read more.

AIA HRC Sponsored Events | 2011 Traditional Building Conference Series
Sustainable Building: Design, Craft and Tradition
November 30 – December 2, 2011 | AIA DC Headquarters | Washington, DC
By James Malanaphy, AIA

There were more than 50 HRC members in attendance at the last of the four 2011 Traditional Building Conference Series in Washington DC. All told there looked to be close to 150 professionals in attendance. Because of late additions to the program, the attendees earned more than the originally advertised 10 AIA Learning Units during the highly educational and rewarding two-day symposium. Conference sessions were held in the newly renovated offices of AIA DC. Conference sessions included a federal agency panel discussion led by 2011 HRC Chair, H. Thomas McGrath, FAIA and a Historic Building Assessment field session at the Octagon Museum led by James Malanaphy, AIA. Restore Media and the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art collaborated to produce this excellent conference. Look for the conference summary in the near future on the Traditional Building Conference website

Southeast Chapter Society of Architectural Historians Annual Meeting
By Ashley Wilson, AIA, Clemson/College of Charleston MSHP Program

The Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (SESAH) held the 29th annual conference in Charleston, South Carolina October 26-29.  Sixty papers were presented over the course of two days as well as a lecture by Charleston Mayor Joe Riley on public housing in Charleston and a keynote address by Witold Rybczynski on his most recent book, The Biography of a Building: How Robert Sainsbury and Norman Foster Built a Great Museum. The conference was hosted by the faculty, staff and students of the Clemson/College of Charleston Graduate Program in Historic Preservation.  Community partners included Historic Charleston Foundation, and the Preservation Society of Charleston. Read more.

SCUP Campus Heritage Symposium
Wendy Hillis, AIA| Campus Historic Preservation Officer, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

On November 4th and 5th, 140 architects, planners and university officials gathered in Washington DC for the first Campus Heritage Symposium offered by the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) with the support from the Getty Foundation. Read more.

2011 National Preservation Awards
By Leah Suhrstedt | Grants and Awards Coordinator, Preservation Division, National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation presented the 2011 National Preservation Awards during its 2011 National Preservation Conference held in Buffalo, NY, October 19-22, 2011. Read more.

Film Review The Greenest Building Film Documentary
Wagging Tale Productions
By James Malanaphy AIA

The Greenest Building, – written, directed and produced by Jane Turville, of Wagging Tale Productions is exactly what the preservation movement - and the environmental movement– have been waiting for, for a very long time. It is an honest in depth investigation of the relationship between the built environment and the natural environment and each movement’s contribution to our present idea of sustainable development. The Greenest Building, and the recent book, Sustainable Preservation, by Jean Carroon, FAIA, is highly recommended for use at all American schools of architecture – especially those professing an interest in teaching sustainable development practices. They also deserve a prominent place on every serious minded preservation professional’s book shelf. If your practice deals with existing buildings - you will want to have this film to show your client. Read more.

HRC MEMBER COMPONENT NEWS

Firm Profile: Mills + Schnoering Architects, LLC
By Meredith Arms Bzdak, PhD and Michael J. Mills, FAIA | Partners, Mills + Schnoering Architects, LLC

Founded in April of 2011 by former principals of FMG, Mills + Schnoering Architects, LLC (M+Sa) is a full service architectural practice with broad experience in planning, design, and historic preservation. The firm offers expertise in the design of cultural facilities, judicial facilities, campus planning, and the preservation, restoration, and adaptive use of historic buildings and sites. Key members of our practice have an over 30 year history in the preservation of historic architecture; and are fully committed to the preservation of built heritage and the conservation of material culture embodied in that heritage. Read more.

Chicago Preservation Christmas Party
January 12, 2012 | 5PM – 9PM | Emerald Loop Bar and Grill, 216 N. Wabasha Ave. | Chicago, IL
By Bob Score AIA | APT Western Great Lakes Region and AIA Chicago Historic Resources Committee

Please join us for an evening of socializing with fellow members of our local preservation organizations – APT Western Great Lakes Region, AIA Chicago Chapter Historic Resources Committee, DOCOMOMO Chicago Midwest Chapter, and the Construction History Society of America. Attendees will learn what has been accomplished by each organization in 2011 and what each is planning for 2012. More Information.

AIA New Jersey Guidebook Published
AIA New Jersey Historic Resources Committee
AIA New Jersey is proud to announce the publishing of the AIA-NJ 150 Best Buildings and Places as a book. During the celebrations of AIA's 150th Anniversary, AIA New Jersey members nominated buildings, places, and structures from around the state to make the official top 150 listing. That list, released in 2007, has now been put into book form, with pictures and descriptions of each location. Read more.

AIA Historic Resources Committee Sponsors
AIA Historic Resources Committee

The AIA Historic Resources Committee thanks the following sponsors of programs in 2011:

Unico, Inc., a leading manufacturer of small-duct, high-velocity central heating and air conditioning.

Marvin Windows, Marvin Windows and Doors offers endless customization options & design flexibility with energy efficient windows, patio doors & sliding doors.

Restore Media, Restore Media, LLC, is the producer of the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference, and the publisher of Clem Labine's Traditional Building, Clem Labine's Period Homes, BuildingPort.com, Traditional Product Reports, Traditional Product Galleries, Traditional Building Portfolio, and tradweb - the Directory of Custom Building and Restoration Services.

HRC Preservation Architect

Preservation Architect is prepared by the Communications Subcommittee of the AIA Historic Resources Committee. James Malanaphy, AIA, is Editor, and 2011 sub-committee chair and Carolyn Kiernat, AIA, is the 2011 Advisory Group liaison. 2011 HRC communications subcommittee members are Peyton Hall, FAIA; Kwendeche, AIA; Wendy Hillis, AIA; Michael Mills, FAIA; Ashley Robbins Wilson, AIA; Don Swofford, FAIA; and Amanda Gann, Assoc. AIA (AIAS liaison) New members, submittals and inquiries are welcome. Contact Preservation Architect.

The American Institute of Architects 1735 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20006