Preservation NewsSpring & Summer 2013

C O L U M B I A U N I V E R S I T Y

GSAPPHistoricPreservation

From the Director

Historic Preservation ProgramGraduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Columbia University in the City of New York413 Avery Hall, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue

New York, NY 10027http://www.arch.columbia.edu/programs/historic-preservation

hp@arch.columbia.edu

Faculty and StaffTrisha Logan

Assistant DirectorHistoric Preservation & Urban Planning

Charlotte EgertonManager of Marketing and RecruitmentHistoric Preservation & Urban Planning

Leigh SmithProgram Assistant

Historic Preservation & Urban Planning

Andrew S. DolkartDirector of the Historic Preservation ProgramJames Marston Fitch Associate Professor of Historic Preservation

Jorge Otero-PailosAssociate ProfessorDirector of History and Theory

George WheelerAssociate ProfessorDirector of Conservation

Faculty Updates“Dirt, Dust and Ruins,” an exhibition of Professor Jorge Otero-Pailos’ work, is on show at The Tin Sheds Gallery of the University of Australia from March 12 to May 31, 2013. The exhibition features Professor Otero-Pailos’ new installation titled “The Ethics of Dust: Carthago Nova, 2012” which was derived from the cleaning of an ancient roman silver and lead mining site in the south of Spain. This region was significant for producing the wealth and currency that drove an empire and also created some of the first atmospheric pollution that has been detected in core samples from Greenland. While the empire is long gone, its pollution persists not just alongside its monuments but also on them and as part of them. Jorge Otero-Pailos also was the keynote speaker in May at the National Architecture Conference in Melbourne, Australia for the Australian Institute of Architects.

Charles Birnbaum’s feature, “Why Not Cultural Systems” is included in the latest issue of Harvard Design Magazine, No. 36: Landscape Architecture’s Core?

In March, Theodore Prudon prepared and presented a position paper titled “Education and Training in the Conservation of Modern Architecture” together with Jeffrey Cody at the Colloquium to Advance the Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage organized by and held at the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. That same month he was the keynote speaker that the annual conference of Docomomo Brazil in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with a speech titled “The Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage 20 Years Later”. In April he chaired the Annual Symposium “Modern Matters” of Docomomo US in Sarasota, Florida.

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has been awarded one of America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations Implementation Grants for its long-term exhibition “City at Sea: USS Intrepid.” Jessica Williams, the Museum’s Curator of History and an HP faculty member, developed this project to bring to life, for museum visitors, restored historic spaces on board the retired aircraft carrier. The funding from NEH will allow the museum to introduce dynamic interpretive content within restored historic spaces aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid, including the mess and galley, anchor chain room, combat information center, and pilot ready room. The interpretive content developed for the exhibition will also be available in a web-based exhibition.

On April 1 and 2, Belmont Freeman delivered lectures at Cornell University and Ithaca College entitled “Architecture and the Cuban Revolution: Constructing a New Modernist Identity.” His talks examined the remarkable avant-garde design produced in Cuba during the first, heroic phase of the Revolution and how today’s politicized preservation issues are shaping the story of modernism in Cuba. In May he is leading a second tour of Cuba for the Society of Architectural Historians. His firm, Belmont Freeman Architects, recently completed the Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center on West 60th Street in Manhattan; a project that entailed the renovation of and addition to a historic 1906 public bathhouse. The firm’s phased restoration of The Four Seasons restaurant continues with more construction work planned for the summer months.

Daniel Allen will be accepting a Merit Award from Residential Architect Magazine at the AIA Convention in Denver on June 21. The award is for the restoration of a limestone townhouse at 18 East 82nd, built in 1900.

Christopher Neville’s recent project with the Lower East Side Tenement Museum has won the American Alliance of Museums’ 2013 MUSE Award for outstanding achievement in museum media. The Shop Life exhibit -- incorporating an interpretive media installation created by Potion Design -- explores 125 years of immigrant family businesses in a series of newly stabilized and restored historic spaces. GSAPP faculty Andrew Dolkart and Mary Jablonski also contributed to the project.

Every May, as we graduate students who seem to have arrived in the Historic Preservation Program just yesterday, I look back at the past year with amazement at what has been accomplished and how the students have matured in their thinking about preservation issues. We just graduated twenty-eight students who, I guarantee, will be changing the course of preservation over the next decades. At graduation, one of our students, Emily Rinaldi, won an all school writing award for her thesis on the controversies surrounding the preservation of Confederate war memorials and three students, Richard Lowry, Jennifer Whisenhunt, and Jonathan Taylor, won preservation thesis prizes. This spring we completed three successful studios – Monty Freeman led a design studio with students planning a visitor center for the FDR Four Freedoms Memorial on Roosevelt Island located within the landmark ruins of James Renwick’s Smallpox Hospital; Ward Dennis’s studio looked at preservation after Hurricane Sandy, and I worked with students on the issue of preserving New York City’s post-war public schools. We have significantly expanded our course offerings and faculty (we had over thirty professors this year!) And introduced several exciting new classes this spring, including those dealing with real estate and preservation, house museums, furniture conservation, and replacement materials. It was a great year and we are now looking forward to welcoming 26 new students in September.

Andrew S. DolkartDirect of the Historic Preservation Program

Otero-Pailos at work on his exhibition, “Dirt, Dust and Ruins.”

From the Director

Historic Preservation ProgramGraduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Columbia University in the City of New York413 Avery Hall, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue

New York, NY 10027http://www.arch.columbia.edu/programs/historic-preservation

hp@arch.columbia.edu

Faculty and StaffTrisha Logan

Assistant DirectorHistoric Preservation & Urban Planning

Charlotte EgertonManager of Marketing and RecruitmentHistoric Preservation & Urban Planning

Leigh SmithProgram Assistant

Historic Preservation & Urban Planning

Andrew S. DolkartDirector of the Historic Preservation ProgramJames Marston Fitch Associate Professor of Historic Preservation

Jorge Otero-PailosAssociate ProfessorDirector of History and Theory

George WheelerAssociate ProfessorDirector of Conservation

Faculty Updates“Dirt, Dust and Ruins,” an exhibition of Professor Jorge Otero-Pailos’ work, is on show at The Tin Sheds Gallery of the University of Australia from March 12 to May 31, 2013. The exhibition features Professor Otero-Pailos’ new installation titled “The Ethics of Dust: Carthago Nova, 2012” which was derived from the cleaning of an ancient roman silver and lead mining site in the south of Spain. This region was significant for producing the wealth and currency that drove an empire and also created some of the first atmospheric pollution that has been detected in core samples from Greenland. While the empire is long gone, its pollution persists not just alongside its monuments but also on them and as part of them. Jorge Otero-Pailos also was the keynote speaker in May at the National Architecture Conference in Melbourne, Australia for the Australian Institute of Architects.

Charles Birnbaum’s feature, “Why Not Cultural Systems” is included in the latest issue of Harvard Design Magazine, No. 36: Landscape Architecture’s Core?

In March, Theodore Prudon prepared and presented a position paper titled “Education and Training in the Conservation of Modern Architecture” together with Jeffrey Cody at the Colloquium to Advance the Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage organized by and held at the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. That same month he was the keynote speaker that the annual conference of Docomomo Brazil in Porto Alegre, Brazil, with a speech titled “The Practice of Conserving Modern Heritage 20 Years Later”. In April he chaired the Annual Symposium “Modern Matters” of Docomomo US in Sarasota, Florida.

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum has been awarded one of America’s Historical and Cultural Organizations Implementation Grants for its long-term exhibition “City at Sea: USS Intrepid.” Jessica Williams, the Museum’s Curator of History and an HP faculty member, developed this project to bring to life, for museum visitors, restored historic spaces on board the retired aircraft carrier. The funding from NEH will allow the museum to introduce dynamic interpretive content within restored historic spaces aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid, including the mess and galley, anchor chain room, combat information center, and pilot ready room. The interpretive content developed for the exhibition will also be available in a web-based exhibition.

On April 1 and 2, Belmont Freeman delivered lectures at Cornell University and Ithaca College entitled “Architecture and the Cuban Revolution: Constructing a New Modernist Identity.” His talks examined the remarkable avant-garde design produced in Cuba during the first, heroic phase of the Revolution and how today’s politicized preservation issues are shaping the story of modernism in Cuba. In May he is leading a second tour of Cuba for the Society of Architectural Historians. His firm, Belmont Freeman Architects, recently completed the Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center on West 60th Street in Manhattan; a project that entailed the renovation of and addition to a historic 1906 public bathhouse. The firm’s phased restoration of The Four Seasons restaurant continues with more construction work planned for the summer months.

Daniel Allen will be accepting a Merit Award from Residential Architect Magazine at the AIA Convention in Denver on June 21. The award is for the restoration of a limestone townhouse at 18 East 82nd, built in 1900.

Christopher Neville’s recent project with the Lower East Side Tenement Museum has won the American Alliance of Museums’ 2013 MUSE Award for outstanding achievement in museum media. The Shop Life exhibit -- incorporating an interpretive media installation created by Potion Design -- explores 125 years of immigrant family businesses in a series of newly stabilized and restored historic spaces. GSAPP faculty Andrew Dolkart and Mary Jablonski also contributed to the project.

Every May, as we graduate students who seem to have arrived in the Historic Preservation Program just yesterday, I look back at the past year with amazement at what has been accomplished and how the students have matured in their thinking about preservation issues. We just graduated twenty-eight students who, I guarantee, will be changing the course of preservation over the next decades. At graduation, one of our students, Emily Rinaldi, won an all school writing award for her thesis on the controversies surrounding the preservation of Confederate war memorials and three students, Richard Lowry, Jennifer Whisenhunt, and Jonathan Taylor, won preservation thesis prizes. This spring we completed three successful studios – Monty Freeman led a design studio with students planning a visitor center for the FDR Four Freedoms Memorial on Roosevelt Island located within the landmark ruins of James Renwick’s Smallpox Hospital; Ward Dennis’s studio looked at preservation after Hurricane Sandy, and I worked with students on the issue of preserving New York City’s post-war public schools. We have significantly expanded our course offerings and faculty (we had over thirty professors this year!) And introduced several exciting new classes this spring, including those dealing with real estate and preservation, house museums, furniture conservation, and replacement materials. It was a great year and we are now looking forward to welcoming 26 new students in September.

Andrew S. DolkartDirect of the Historic Preservation Program

Otero-Pailos at work on his exhibition, “Dirt, Dust and Ruins.”

Commencement 2013On Wednesday May 22nd, twenty-eight of the newest preservationists graduated from the oldest Historic Preservation program. The Class of 2013 is an incredibly talented and lively group of individuals and it will difficult to imagine GSAPP without them. However, we are thrilled to watch their careers develop and witness the strides they make as preservationists, conservators, planners, architects, and more. At graduation, several students won prizes for their thesis work, or for other accomplishments, as listed on the opposite page. It is also encouraged to read this year’s theses, which will be available online via Academic Commons this summer.

Congratulations to the Class of 2013!

Best Thesis in Architectural History and TheoryJonathan Douglas Taylor“Tapestry Brick Dwellings: The Emergence of a Residential Type in Brooklyn.” Advisor: Andrew S. Dolkart

Best Thesis in Architectural ConservationRichard M. P. Lowry“In Defense of Natural Cement: A Critical Examination of the Evolution of Concrete Technology at Fort Totten, New York”Advisor: Norman Weiss

Best Thesis in the Theory and Interpretation of PreservationJennifer Whisenhunt“Memories in Transition: Churches, Wear and Reconstruction”Advisor: Theo Prudon

Peer to Peer AwardThis award is given in recognition of outstanding service to classmates, faculty, and school. Mayank Patel

GSAPP Writing PrizeThis school-wide award is for an outstanding essay, paper, or thesis on the history or theory of architecture written for a class during his/her time at GSAPPEmily Rinaldi“Threatened by History: The Problems in Preserving the Postbellum Commemorative Landscape”Advisor: Liz McEnaney

Graduate Kinne Fellowships These awards are granted on the merit of proposals submitted for travel abroad incorporating the study of architecture, including planning and other specialized aspects of architecture.

Noguchi in Japan: An Exploration of Isamu Noguchi’s Public Works in Japan Alexandra Kirby

Sandstone Quarries of the Maritime Provinces of Canada Mayank Patel

Graduation Prizes

Top Left: Graduates entering the morning ceremony. Top Right: Alafia Akhtar and Dena Kefallinos. Bottom Left: Nicole Ambrose and Hilary Grossman. Bottom Right: Ryan Walsh, Mayank Patel, Fernanda Sotelo, and Julie Kroon. Opposite page left: Lisa Swyers and Andrew Dolkart. Right: Chad Shores, Mary Park, and Richard Lowry.

Commencement 2013On Wednesday May 22nd, twenty-eight of the newest preservationists graduated from the oldest Historic Preservation program. The Class of 2013 is an incredibly talented and lively group of individuals and it will difficult to imagine GSAPP without them. However, we are thrilled to watch their careers develop and witness the strides they make as preservationists, conservators, planners, architects, and more. At graduation, several students won prizes for their thesis work, or for other accomplishments, as listed on the opposite page. It is also encouraged to read this year’s theses, which will be available online via Academic Commons this summer.

Congratulations to the Class of 2013!

Best Thesis in Architectural History and TheoryJonathan Douglas Taylor“Tapestry Brick Dwellings: The Emergence of a Residential Type in Brooklyn.” Advisor: Andrew S. Dolkart

Best Thesis in Architectural ConservationRichard M. P. Lowry“In Defense of Natural Cement: A Critical Examination of the Evolution of Concrete Technology at Fort Totten, New York”Advisor: Norman Weiss

Best Thesis in the Theory and Interpretation of PreservationJennifer Whisenhunt“Memories in Transition: Churches, Wear and Reconstruction”Advisor: Theo Prudon

Peer to Peer AwardThis award is given in recognition of outstanding service to classmates, faculty, and school. Mayank Patel

GSAPP Writing PrizeThis school-wide award is for an outstanding essay, paper, or thesis on the history or theory of architecture written for a class during his/her time at GSAPPEmily Rinaldi“Threatened by History: The Problems in Preserving the Postbellum Commemorative Landscape”Advisor: Liz McEnaney

Graduate Kinne Fellowships These awards are granted on the merit of proposals submitted for travel abroad incorporating the study of architecture, including planning and other specialized aspects of architecture.

Noguchi in Japan: An Exploration of Isamu Noguchi’s Public Works in Japan Alexandra Kirby

Sandstone Quarries of the Maritime Provinces of Canada Mayank Patel

Graduation Prizes

Top Left: Graduates entering the morning ceremony. Top Right: Alafia Akhtar and Dena Kefallinos. Bottom Left: Nicole Ambrose and Hilary Grossman. Bottom Right: Ryan Walsh, Mayank Patel, Fernanda Sotelo, and Julie Kroon. Opposite page left: Lisa Swyers and Andrew Dolkart. Right: Chad Shores, Mary Park, and Richard Lowry.

Studio II Projects Preserving Post-War Public Schools in Manhattan

New Life within the Ruins: Roosevelt Island Visitor CenterPost-Sandy Preservation: Response, Recovery and Resiliency

This spring Andrew Dolkart’s studio group embarked on a comprehensive survey of post-war public schools built in Manhattan between 1945 and the mid-1970s. Beginning with the schools of this period below 59th Street, the students quickly expanded the scope of their research to encompass the entire island of Manhattan, ultimately documenting basic information for all 88 Manhattan schools of this period. In addition to documenting each post-war public school from this period and evaluating significance, the students completed contextual research about the period to determine the factors that led to public schools of this era being designed in the new, modern style. A confluence of factors led to a rise in school construction during this period, including the post-war baby boom, extensive urban renewal projects which redesigned targeted New York City neighborhoods and drastically increased the population density in those areas, coupled with an insufficient building stock and an effort to racially integrate schools. The new schools presented an opportunity to test new ideas in educational theory and architectural design. To supplement the Board of Education’s productivity and design ideas, private architects were hired to design about half of the new schools, including those of local significance such as Kelly & Gruzen and of national significance, such as Paul Williams. After much deliberation, eight schools were selected as potential New York City individual landmarks, while a larger group of significant schools will be included in a National Register non-contiguous district nomination. Viewed as a pilot project, the studio group is hopeful that this research will be carried out in the other boroughs in the near future, so that a complete review of the city’s midcentury public school architecture can be undertaken. A website, www.postwarschools.com, serves as a further vehicle for raising awareness of the special character of these buildings. Rachel Levy, MSHP & MSUP 2015

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy pummeled the tri-state region with driving winds, wave action and storm surges. As first year Historic Preservation students at Columbia University, our fall semester was just briefly interrupted by the initial havoc. However, the lingering effects in the subsequent weeks and months left an impression with students, faculty, and many in the preservation field, prompting the question: how can we play a more significant role in these types of natural disasters? Soon after, our spring semester Studio II offered an opportunity to delve into this line of questioning. Led by Ward Dennis, our group began by assessing New York’s major storm history, confirming that Hurricane Sandy was not an isolated incident, and that much of our built environment was threatened by such occurrences. As

preservationists, we found a notable void in documentation for undesignated but historically or culturally significant structures, making identification of “at risk” resources difficult, if not impossible. This initiated one of our main goals, to map as many undesignated historic resources in the New York City area that we could locate. With this reference tool in hand, we selected two case study areas, the Rockaways and Red Hook, where we more closely analyzed the effects of the storm on specific building types, and examined the response, recovery, and resiliency phases of action with preservation implications. In addition, we met with representatives from preservation firms, local organizations, and federal agencies to better understand existing response efforts, and investigated the funding and policy tools available in other historic cities. Our resulting research is a beginning step toward preservationists harnessing and developing tools to better inform policy, preparedness, communication, and action for the seemingly inevitable future storms. While ambitious in scope, our Studio II topic presented a timely and forward-looking project, unique in a field that is most often looking back. Karen Stone, MSHP 2014

Faced with the role of designing a visitor center for the recently opened Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, the given project tested our architectural skills as well as our conservation initiatives. Our proposals were located adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial designed by famed architect Louis Kahn and incorporated the ruins of the Smallpox Hospital designed by James Renwick in 1856. Having come from a purely architectural background where I had always been faced with completely new construction, the challenge of working with an existing building was intriguing, especially one that was in decay. Our group of designers tackled the challenge in various ways. Some designs engaged the ruins, using the existing walls as support for the new intervention, while others left it in its natural state with minor structural impediments. These project proposals are being used by the park in order to gain acknowledgement from the preservation community, acting as a precedent for future design schemes, as well as from the community at large. Looking back on the semester brings excitement and anticipation to me about the future. This studio project, specifically, solidified the path to my ultimate career goals, and I look forward to learning and improving even more next year. Chelsea Brandt, MSHP 2014

Studio II is a much anticipated course for first-year students as it provides an opportunity to delve into a real-life preservation problem. Divided into three groups, the students work together as a team, combining their various backgrounds into the development of creative solutions. This spring, the groups tackled three timely preservation issues confronting New York City, and representatives from each studio group have shared their experiences with us. Visit the program website to view the full studio reports.

At left: Flooding around Red Hook historic resources, credit: Brownstoner blog. Above and at right opposite page: P.S. 34 in Manhattan, Franklin Delano Roosevelt School. Opposite page lower image credit: New York Magazine. Below: Smallpox hospital ruins and Chelsea Brandt’s design for a new visitor center utilizing the ruin.

Studio II Projects Preserving Post-War Public Schools in Manhattan

New Life within the Ruins: Roosevelt Island Visitor CenterPost-Sandy Preservation: Response, Recovery and Resiliency

This spring Andrew Dolkart’s studio group embarked on a comprehensive survey of post-war public schools built in Manhattan between 1945 and the mid-1970s. Beginning with the schools of this period below 59th Street, the students quickly expanded the scope of their research to encompass the entire island of Manhattan, ultimately documenting basic information for all 88 Manhattan schools of this period. In addition to documenting each post-war public school from this period and evaluating significance, the students completed contextual research about the period to determine the factors that led to public schools of this era being designed in the new, modern style. A confluence of factors led to a rise in school construction during this period, including the post-war baby boom, extensive urban renewal projects which redesigned targeted New York City neighborhoods and drastically increased the population density in those areas, coupled with an insufficient building stock and an effort to racially integrate schools. The new schools presented an opportunity to test new ideas in educational theory and architectural design. To supplement the Board of Education’s productivity and design ideas, private architects were hired to design about half of the new schools, including those of local significance such as Kelly & Gruzen and of national significance, such as Paul Williams. After much deliberation, eight schools were selected as potential New York City individual landmarks, while a larger group of significant schools will be included in a National Register non-contiguous district nomination. Viewed as a pilot project, the studio group is hopeful that this research will be carried out in the other boroughs in the near future, so that a complete review of the city’s midcentury public school architecture can be undertaken. A website, www.postwarschools.com, serves as a further vehicle for raising awareness of the special character of these buildings. Rachel Levy, MSHP & MSUP 2015

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy pummeled the tri-state region with driving winds, wave action and storm surges. As first year Historic Preservation students at Columbia University, our fall semester was just briefly interrupted by the initial havoc. However, the lingering effects in the subsequent weeks and months left an impression with students, faculty, and many in the preservation field, prompting the question: how can we play a more significant role in these types of natural disasters? Soon after, our spring semester Studio II offered an opportunity to delve into this line of questioning. Led by Ward Dennis, our group began by assessing New York’s major storm history, confirming that Hurricane Sandy was not an isolated incident, and that much of our built environment was threatened by such occurrences. As

preservationists, we found a notable void in documentation for undesignated but historically or culturally significant structures, making identification of “at risk” resources difficult, if not impossible. This initiated one of our main goals, to map as many undesignated historic resources in the New York City area that we could locate. With this reference tool in hand, we selected two case study areas, the Rockaways and Red Hook, where we more closely analyzed the effects of the storm on specific building types, and examined the response, recovery, and resiliency phases of action with preservation implications. In addition, we met with representatives from preservation firms, local organizations, and federal agencies to better understand existing response efforts, and investigated the funding and policy tools available in other historic cities. Our resulting research is a beginning step toward preservationists harnessing and developing tools to better inform policy, preparedness, communication, and action for the seemingly inevitable future storms. While ambitious in scope, our Studio II topic presented a timely and forward-looking project, unique in a field that is most often looking back. Karen Stone, MSHP 2014

Faced with the role of designing a visitor center for the recently opened Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, the given project tested our architectural skills as well as our conservation initiatives. Our proposals were located adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial designed by famed architect Louis Kahn and incorporated the ruins of the Smallpox Hospital designed by James Renwick in 1856. Having come from a purely architectural background where I had always been faced with completely new construction, the challenge of working with an existing building was intriguing, especially one that was in decay. Our group of designers tackled the challenge in various ways. Some designs engaged the ruins, using the existing walls as support for the new intervention, while others left it in its natural state with minor structural impediments. These project proposals are being used by the park in order to gain acknowledgement from the preservation community, acting as a precedent for future design schemes, as well as from the community at large. Looking back on the semester brings excitement and anticipation to me about the future. This studio project, specifically, solidified the path to my ultimate career goals, and I look forward to learning and improving even more next year. Chelsea Brandt, MSHP 2014

Studio II is a much anticipated course for first-year students as it provides an opportunity to delve into a real-life preservation problem. Divided into three groups, the students work together as a team, combining their various backgrounds into the development of creative solutions. This spring, the groups tackled three timely preservation issues confronting New York City, and representatives from each studio group have shared their experiences with us. Visit the program website to view the full studio reports.

At left: Flooding around Red Hook historic resources, credit: Brownstoner blog. Above and at right opposite page: P.S. 34 in Manhattan, Franklin Delano Roosevelt School. Opposite page lower image credit: New York Magazine. Below: Smallpox hospital ruins and Chelsea Brandt’s design for a new visitor center utilizing the ruin.

Inquiry:HP Recap

Semester Happenings

Kate Reggev, dual HP/M. Arch candidate, was awarded the Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship through the Society of Architectural Historians and HABS. This summer Kate will be looking at midcentury vernacular architecture in the DC area, including motels and diners. Congratulations, Kate!

Preservation Action Lobby Day

On Tuesday, April 16th, the members of the Brick, Stone and Terracotta class took a joint field trip with the American Architecture II class to the Stony Creek Quarry in Branford, Connecticut. We met with Darrell Petit who took the students around the quarry and explained how it operates. The quarry has supplied the granite for a wide variety of projects, such as the George Washington Bridge, the New York Telephone Company Building, Penn Station, the Smithsonian Institute, the Statue of Liberty, and even Columbia University. The classes arrived amid huge, 2500 pound blocks of Stony Creek granite, numbered and ready to be shipped off to their job sites. Standing next to them, it was amazing to observe the various textures and colors of the stone, as well as the vertical drill marks from their detachment from the larger stone formation. Just steps away, one could stand on a cliff overlooking more ongoing quarry work; trucks worked through piles of stone, weaving in and out of larger pieces that lay all around the area.

Darrell took the students down into the quarry itself through a path lined with large blocks of the granite. He reminded us that they were literally about to “walk down into the earth.” The experience was somewhat surreal as the sandy path curved its way down into a multi-layered hole in the ground lined with the granite. It was breathtaking to see the cliffs of granite that lined the large pit and realize the thousands of years that went into the natural creation of such a place. Many of the layers were lined with drill marks while others showed signs of natural breaks. The drill remained hard at work while the tour continued and the students were even able to be shown a layer currently being removed from the cliff. Each member of the class took home a few samples of the beautiful granite in order to be reminded of an unforgettable experience. Alyssa Greico, MS HP ‘13

Second-year students Chad Shores, Anna Broverman, Jennifer Whisenhunt and Rebecca Kinsley traveled to Washington, DC this February to participate in Preservation Action’s Lobby Day. Assistant Director of the Historic Preservation program, Trisha Logan, serves on the board of the organization and was instrumental in including Columbia students in the event this year. Each student lobbied for preservation legislation within their own home state, meeting with their respective representatives. It was an incredible opportunity to advocate for preservation outside of the classroom, and we hope students will make this and annual trip.

Inquiry:HP student organizers Ali Kirby, Mayank Patel, and Chad Shores kept themselves busy this semester planning an impressive line-up for our lecture series. Speakers included those with strong Columbia connections, like alumni Will Tippens (Related Midwest) and Barbara Campagna (Barbara A. Campagna/Architecture + Planning), and adjunct faculty member Matt Reiley (Central Park Conservancy). Others traveled further and spoke with a more global focus, including Francesco Bandarin of UNESCO and Kateryna Goncharova of the Ukrainian State Institute for Preservation of Historic and Architectural Sites. Following the admitted student Open House on April 9, we were delighted to host Benjamin Mouton, Architecte en Chef des Monuments Historiques Français, who spoke about the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral (pictured above with moderator, Jorge Otero-Pailos). These lectures provide supplemental learning experiences for students, but also attract alumni and the general public.

Columbia’s Historic Preservation program prides itself on the numerous elective offerings each semester, which allow students to sample various techniques and approaches to preservation. This list constantly strives to keep up with trends in the field by expanding each year. This semester, we were excited to offer five new courses – Furniture Conservation with John Childs, The Future of House Museums with Franklin Vagnone, Historic Replicas with Matt Reiley, National Register with Andrew Dolkart, and Real Estate for Preservationists with Jim Lima and Cas Stachelberg. In the Historic Replicas course, students Charles Thompson and Alafia Akhtar were guided by instructor Matt Reiley in hands-on creation of replacement materials for use in restoration, as pictured right.

New Courses, New Expertise

Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship

Inquiry:HP Recap

Semester Happenings

Kate Reggev, dual HP/M. Arch candidate, was awarded the Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship through the Society of Architectural Historians and HABS. This summer Kate will be looking at midcentury vernacular architecture in the DC area, including motels and diners. Congratulations, Kate!

Preservation Action Lobby Day

On Tuesday, April 16th, the members of the Brick, Stone and Terracotta class took a joint field trip with the American Architecture II class to the Stony Creek Quarry in Branford, Connecticut. We met with Darrell Petit who took the students around the quarry and explained how it operates. The quarry has supplied the granite for a wide variety of projects, such as the George Washington Bridge, the New York Telephone Company Building, Penn Station, the Smithsonian Institute, the Statue of Liberty, and even Columbia University. The classes arrived amid huge, 2500 pound blocks of Stony Creek granite, numbered and ready to be shipped off to their job sites. Standing next to them, it was amazing to observe the various textures and colors of the stone, as well as the vertical drill marks from their detachment from the larger stone formation. Just steps away, one could stand on a cliff overlooking more ongoing quarry work; trucks worked through piles of stone, weaving in and out of larger pieces that lay all around the area.

Darrell took the students down into the quarry itself through a path lined with large blocks of the granite. He reminded us that they were literally about to “walk down into the earth.” The experience was somewhat surreal as the sandy path curved its way down into a multi-layered hole in the ground lined with the granite. It was breathtaking to see the cliffs of granite that lined the large pit and realize the thousands of years that went into the natural creation of such a place. Many of the layers were lined with drill marks while others showed signs of natural breaks. The drill remained hard at work while the tour continued and the students were even able to be shown a layer currently being removed from the cliff. Each member of the class took home a few samples of the beautiful granite in order to be reminded of an unforgettable experience. Alyssa Greico, MS HP ‘13

Second-year students Chad Shores, Anna Broverman, Jennifer Whisenhunt and Rebecca Kinsley traveled to Washington, DC this February to participate in Preservation Action’s Lobby Day. Assistant Director of the Historic Preservation program, Trisha Logan, serves on the board of the organization and was instrumental in including Columbia students in the event this year. Each student lobbied for preservation legislation within their own home state, meeting with their respective representatives. It was an incredible opportunity to advocate for preservation outside of the classroom, and we hope students will make this and annual trip.

Inquiry:HP student organizers Ali Kirby, Mayank Patel, and Chad Shores kept themselves busy this semester planning an impressive line-up for our lecture series. Speakers included those with strong Columbia connections, like alumni Will Tippens (Related Midwest) and Barbara Campagna (Barbara A. Campagna/Architecture + Planning), and adjunct faculty member Matt Reiley (Central Park Conservancy). Others traveled further and spoke with a more global focus, including Francesco Bandarin of UNESCO and Kateryna Goncharova of the Ukrainian State Institute for Preservation of Historic and Architectural Sites. Following the admitted student Open House on April 9, we were delighted to host Benjamin Mouton, Architecte en Chef des Monuments Historiques Français, who spoke about the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral (pictured above with moderator, Jorge Otero-Pailos). These lectures provide supplemental learning experiences for students, but also attract alumni and the general public.

Columbia’s Historic Preservation program prides itself on the numerous elective offerings each semester, which allow students to sample various techniques and approaches to preservation. This list constantly strives to keep up with trends in the field by expanding each year. This semester, we were excited to offer five new courses – Furniture Conservation with John Childs, The Future of House Museums with Franklin Vagnone, Historic Replicas with Matt Reiley, National Register with Andrew Dolkart, and Real Estate for Preservationists with Jim Lima and Cas Stachelberg. In the Historic Replicas course, students Charles Thompson and Alafia Akhtar were guided by instructor Matt Reiley in hands-on creation of replacement materials for use in restoration, as pictured right.

New Courses, New Expertise

Sally Kress Tompkins Fellowship

Alumni CornerEmilie Evans graduated with a Masters in Historic Preservation and Urban Planning from GSAPP in 2011. Since then, she taught a mini-course in the Historic Preservation program, “Oral History and the Built Environment” while working as the Visitor Services Manager at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Last month, Emilie moved to Detroit for a one-year position as a Preservation Specialist with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network. As she begins this new chapter in her career, Emilie took the time to catch up with us and reflect on her time at GSAPP.

Your career in preservation has been incredibly multidimensional. Tell us a little more about how your backgrounds in urban planning and oral history have shaped your professional life.

Oral history, urban planning and historic preservation can work together to strengthen and help advocate for the historic built environment as cities grow and change. My planning and oral history backgrounds, in addition to preservation, have helped to shape my professional experiences and fortify this understanding. At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, my position allowed me the opportunity to have exposure to sectors such as industrial preservation, planning and development, adaptive reuse, and oral history—all of which work together to convey the historic significance and vibrancy of the economical epicenter the Yard is today. Teaching an oral history mini-course at Columbia has been an incredible opportunity to communicate the importance of the medium as a tool for understanding the significance of place as well as giving students the chance to learn and practice a hands-on skill. The Preservation Specialist position in Detroit will allow me to further apply my interests and background in an environment at the forefront of preservation and planning challenges.

Your graduate thesis looked at preservation issues in shrinking cities, specifically Buffalo and Cleveland. How will you apply this knowledge when you begin working in Detroit, another shrinking city?

Detroit necessitates innovative preservation techniques to urgently address the issues that rightsizing—or how a city looks to restructure itself around a shrinking population and accompanying challenges—has on the physical environment. Detroit is larger than Buffalo and Cleveland and has a unique set of circumstances, and while I plan to pull from my thesis

research to inform my work, the tools developed for Detroit will be tailored to the city itself. That said, as I and others begin to tackle preservation-planning issues on the ground, the goal is that many of these tools will have transferability to other cities facing similar issues. I am proud to be working for two organizations—the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network—that are taking this issue seriously. My thesis work has directly affected my career path, and I would advise students not to discount the potential of their research to help direct one’s professional trajectory.

What is one of the most unforgettable experiences you had while at GSAPP?

The opportunity to gain on-the-ground preservation, planning and oral history experience in Amman, Jordan. A small team of preservation graduate students and I worked on a documentation report for the house of the first prime minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In addition to understanding the house in a historical and planning context as well as undertaking a conditions assessment, we had the chance to conduct an oral history with the last surviving child of the prime minister. The oral history was instrumental in helping to piece together some of the final mysteries surrounding the building’s story. The resulting report was published and adopted by the municipality of Amman. It was an amazing project to be a part of.

What advice do you have for current GSAPP students that will help them get the most out of their education?

Say yes to every opportunity you can while still maintaining a reasonable workload. It’s a difficult balance to achieve, but make the most of the opportunities grad school offers: Take classes that peak your interest; accompany professors to their job sites when possible; vie for unique internships (and not just the ones in New York) that will set you apart; and get exposure for your work by submitting papers to conferences. Graduate school provides the chance to have broad exposure to preservation and related fields in short intervals measured in semesters and summers—make the most of that. And network! Use your student status advantageously; it’s an opportunity to reach out to and learn from people you might not otherwise get exposure to. Go to lectures, public meetings, exhibitions and conferences. Go up to people and introduce yourself. Ours is a small community, and you never know who will be your next colleague, boss or mentor.

As you move to Detroit, what do you anticipate missing most about the preservation community in New York City?

We have a wonderful array of preservation professionals in New York. The preservation community here is unique and relatively small, making it is easy to stay connected and aware of what others are working on. One of the great aspects of being a member of the Columbia preservation alumni community is that people with expertise across sectors are supportive of one another. I will remain connected and tuned in to New York’s preservation issues while bringing back a unique perspective from a city facing a very different set of challenges than we experience in this city.

Interested in publishing your thesis to the online repository,

Academic Commons?

Alumni should submit a completed Author Agreement form (found on the HP website), and a digital version of their thesis following the Digital Thesis Guidelines to the Historic Preservation Office, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue, 413 Avery, New York, New York 10027.

Speed NetworkingThis spring, the HP program held an inaugural Speed Networking event, bringing together students with local alumni. On Thursday April 4th, ten alumni representing various career paths in preservation met with thirty first and second year students. The ‘Speed’ part of the evening referred to the 15 minute sessions each student group had to converse with each alumni pairing. The format created an exciting and more casual experience for students. A special thank you to Sarah Sher, MS HP ‘11, who helped organize the event. If you are interested in participating in next year’s Speed Networking, or other alumni events, please contact Charlotte Egerton, cce2119@columbia.edu.

Second year students Anna Broverman, Brooke Young, Julie Kroon, and Emily Sinitski learn from alumni Barbara Zay, MS HP ’10, and Seri Worden, MS HP ’02, where their preservation degrees may lead them.

Above: Bait Ibrahim Hashem, the house of the first Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which we were working to document and preserve. At right: The team getting lunch together. From left to right, Professor George Wheeler, Laura Michela, Lisa Michela, Tom Rinaldi, Emilie Evans, Negin Meleki.

Alumni CornerEmilie Evans graduated with a Masters in Historic Preservation and Urban Planning from GSAPP in 2011. Since then, she taught a mini-course in the Historic Preservation program, “Oral History and the Built Environment” while working as the Visitor Services Manager at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Last month, Emilie moved to Detroit for a one-year position as a Preservation Specialist with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network. As she begins this new chapter in her career, Emilie took the time to catch up with us and reflect on her time at GSAPP.

Your career in preservation has been incredibly multidimensional. Tell us a little more about how your backgrounds in urban planning and oral history have shaped your professional life.

Oral history, urban planning and historic preservation can work together to strengthen and help advocate for the historic built environment as cities grow and change. My planning and oral history backgrounds, in addition to preservation, have helped to shape my professional experiences and fortify this understanding. At the Brooklyn Navy Yard, my position allowed me the opportunity to have exposure to sectors such as industrial preservation, planning and development, adaptive reuse, and oral history—all of which work together to convey the historic significance and vibrancy of the economical epicenter the Yard is today. Teaching an oral history mini-course at Columbia has been an incredible opportunity to communicate the importance of the medium as a tool for understanding the significance of place as well as giving students the chance to learn and practice a hands-on skill. The Preservation Specialist position in Detroit will allow me to further apply my interests and background in an environment at the forefront of preservation and planning challenges.

Your graduate thesis looked at preservation issues in shrinking cities, specifically Buffalo and Cleveland. How will you apply this knowledge when you begin working in Detroit, another shrinking city?

Detroit necessitates innovative preservation techniques to urgently address the issues that rightsizing—or how a city looks to restructure itself around a shrinking population and accompanying challenges—has on the physical environment. Detroit is larger than Buffalo and Cleveland and has a unique set of circumstances, and while I plan to pull from my thesis

research to inform my work, the tools developed for Detroit will be tailored to the city itself. That said, as I and others begin to tackle preservation-planning issues on the ground, the goal is that many of these tools will have transferability to other cities facing similar issues. I am proud to be working for two organizations—the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network—that are taking this issue seriously. My thesis work has directly affected my career path, and I would advise students not to discount the potential of their research to help direct one’s professional trajectory.

What is one of the most unforgettable experiences you had while at GSAPP?

The opportunity to gain on-the-ground preservation, planning and oral history experience in Amman, Jordan. A small team of preservation graduate students and I worked on a documentation report for the house of the first prime minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In addition to understanding the house in a historical and planning context as well as undertaking a conditions assessment, we had the chance to conduct an oral history with the last surviving child of the prime minister. The oral history was instrumental in helping to piece together some of the final mysteries surrounding the building’s story. The resulting report was published and adopted by the municipality of Amman. It was an amazing project to be a part of.

What advice do you have for current GSAPP students that will help them get the most out of their education?

Say yes to every opportunity you can while still maintaining a reasonable workload. It’s a difficult balance to achieve, but make the most of the opportunities grad school offers: Take classes that peak your interest; accompany professors to their job sites when possible; vie for unique internships (and not just the ones in New York) that will set you apart; and get exposure for your work by submitting papers to conferences. Graduate school provides the chance to have broad exposure to preservation and related fields in short intervals measured in semesters and summers—make the most of that. And network! Use your student status advantageously; it’s an opportunity to reach out to and learn from people you might not otherwise get exposure to. Go to lectures, public meetings, exhibitions and conferences. Go up to people and introduce yourself. Ours is a small community, and you never know who will be your next colleague, boss or mentor.

As you move to Detroit, what do you anticipate missing most about the preservation community in New York City?

We have a wonderful array of preservation professionals in New York. The preservation community here is unique and relatively small, making it is easy to stay connected and aware of what others are working on. One of the great aspects of being a member of the Columbia preservation alumni community is that people with expertise across sectors are supportive of one another. I will remain connected and tuned in to New York’s preservation issues while bringing back a unique perspective from a city facing a very different set of challenges than we experience in this city.

Interested in publishing your thesis to the online repository,

Academic Commons?

Alumni should submit a completed Author Agreement form (found on the HP website), and a digital version of their thesis following the Digital Thesis Guidelines to the Historic Preservation Office, 1172 Amsterdam Avenue, 413 Avery, New York, New York 10027.

Speed NetworkingThis spring, the HP program held an inaugural Speed Networking event, bringing together students with local alumni. On Thursday April 4th, ten alumni representing various career paths in preservation met with thirty first and second year students. The ‘Speed’ part of the evening referred to the 15 minute sessions each student group had to converse with each alumni pairing. The format created an exciting and more casual experience for students. A special thank you to Sarah Sher, MS HP ‘11, who helped organize the event. If you are interested in participating in next year’s Speed Networking, or other alumni events, please contact Charlotte Egerton, cce2119@columbia.edu.

Second year students Anna Broverman, Brooke Young, Julie Kroon, and Emily Sinitski learn from alumni Barbara Zay, MS HP ’10, and Seri Worden, MS HP ’02, where their preservation degrees may lead them.

Above: Bait Ibrahim Hashem, the house of the first Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which we were working to document and preserve. At right: The team getting lunch together. From left to right, Professor George Wheeler, Laura Michela, Lisa Michela, Tom Rinaldi, Emilie Evans, Negin Meleki.

Fall of 2014 is shaping up to be a busy one with the return of the Fitch Colloquium, the Association for Preservation Technology Conference held in NYC, and the National Trust Conference in

Indianapolis. Mark your calendars for these related events!

The Fitch ColloquiumPreservation East to West,

West to East: Engagements-Exchanges-Entanglements

Saturday November 23

SavE thE

datE(S)

Clockwise from top left: First-year students at Monty Freeman’s end of year celebration; Second-year students in Brooklyn with Ward Dennis; Graduate Brooke Young; Structures, Systems & Materials II tour of the Post Office with Theo Prudon; Mayank Patel on the Moscow trip in January; Mortor analysis in the Conservation lab with George Wheeler and Emily Sinitski

Association for Preservation Technology Conference

“Preserving the Metropolis”New York, NY

October 11 – 15GSAPP Alumni Reception

Friday, October 11More details to follow

National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual

ConferenceIndianapolis, IN

October 30 – November 2GSAPP Alumni Reception

Thursday, October 31More details to follow