Letter from the Chair
by Sharon Park, FAIA, 2008 Chair of the Historic Resources Committee

The Historic Resources Committee held a joint conference with the Committee on Design in Copenhagen to view its iconic mid-century architecture, as well as the dynamic new designs produced over the last ten years. One hundred and seventeen participants spent five days at the beginning of September on a program developed by the two AIA Knowledge Communities, in partnership with the Danish Architecture Center and the Danish Ministry of Culture. The Danes were extremely gracious and there were opportunities for significant interaction between the AIA architects and the Danish architects. Of particular note were the small group visits to seven distinguished firms for office tours and dinner, as well as a workshop morning for small group discussion on a variety of topics. AIA Presidential Citations were awarded to the Danish Architecture Center and the Ministry of Culture for their efforts to enhance the architectural excellence of Denmark. More

HABS Celebrates 75th Anniversary
This year, the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) of the National Park Service (NPS) celebrates its seventy-fifth year. The program was established in 1933 to create a public archive of America’s architectural heritage, consisting of measured drawings, historical reports, and large-format black-and-white photographs. HABS is supported through a tripartite agreement with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Library of Congress. According to the agreement, NPS manages the program and generates guidelines and standards, the Library of Congress maintains the collection and provides public accessibility, and the AIA offers technical support and advice. The program was initiated as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” administration, yet the AIA’s Committee on Preservation of Historic Buildings, and its chairman, Leicester B. Holland, also deserve a great deal of credit for its inception. More

Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference

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.

In Memoriam: Paul Spencer Byard, Esq. FAIA (1939-2008)
Paul Byard was a founding principal of Platt Byard Dovell White Architects. He began practicing architecture in 1977, after a career as a lawyer in which he served as Associate Counsel of the New York State Urban Development Corporation. There he was active in the development of low income housing, and helped to frame the legal basis of the current laws of preservation. His briefs in the Sailors Snug Harbor, Lutheran Church and Penn Central cases supported the process leading to the landmark decision to save Grand Central Terminal. He also served as General Counsel to the Roosevelt Island Development Corporation from 1970 until 1974, and was the principal author of the Lease and General Development Plan of Welfare Island.  Please click here to read a full obituary.

2008 Charles E. Peterson Prize Winners
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) of the National Park Service, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia and The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announce the 2008 Charles E. Peterson Prize, which annually recognizes the best set of measured drawings prepared to HABS standards and donated to HABS by students.

11th US/ICOMOS International Symposium
Nearly 200 people met in Washington, D.C. in early June, 2008, for the 11th US/ICOMOS International Symposium “US Participation in the Global Heritage Community.” As a follow-up to the Preserve America Summit, the US/ICOMOS Symposium included plenary and breakout sessions to both provide examples of US involvement with international projects and exchanges and allow participants the opportunity to make their own recommendations for strengthening US participation in the international heritage arena. More

Class of 2008 US/ICOMOS Interns
Since the US/ICOMOS International Intern Exchange Program was created in 1984, nearly 600 young preservation professionals and over 70 countries have participated in this program. The aim of the program is to promote an understanding of international preservation policies, methods and techniques and to enable interns to make professional contacts and to form personal friendships that will ensure a continuing dialogue between countries. More

Preservation: The Next Generation
by Ralph Muldrow and Ashley Robbins, AIA

This article is a response to an article by Dr. Carroll William Westfall, a professor of architectural and urban history at the University of Notre Dame, called “Why Preservation Cannot Save Us from Modernism, and Why Classicism Can.” We wish to thank Professor Westfall for his thought-provoking article, and our response recognizes its worth while debating some points proffered in the article concerning Historic Preservation. More

Master of Science in Historic Preservation
Clemson University/College of Charleston
by Ashley Robbins, AIA

The joint Clemson University/College of Charleston Master of Science in Historic Preservation degree is offered through Clemson’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities’ Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture and the College of Charleston’s Graduate School of the Arts. This unique collaboration results from the location of the program in Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most actively engaged preservation communities in the country. The 2008/2009 academic year is the fifth year of the new program, which was founded to meet the demand for a professional program in the southeastern region that specializes in working with historic buildings, landscapes, and the decorative arts. More

Summer Internship at the Clemson Conservation Center
by Helen Moore
Helen Moore, a 2008 graduate of the Clemson University/College of Charleston MSHP program, writes about her experiences working with an experimental device to test chloride levels on 19th century cast ironwork at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, South Carolina. The purpose of the research was to determine if this portable and non-destructive device could accurately gauge the amount of chloride in an iron sample, which would help determine proper treatment. More

Conservation Accreditation for Architects in the United Kingdom
by John Fidler
Around the world, architectural licensing bodies are beginning to look at life-long periodic assessments of professional competency in ways that already exist for physicians and pilots. In the United Kingdom, the national bodies for historic preservation, English Heritage and Historic Scotland, have been working with the professional institutes on a system of accreditation for those claiming specialist expertise in the conservation field. More

Lakeport Plantation
Lake Village, AR
An observation from Kwendeche, AIA
The Lakeport Plantation house, one of Arkansas’s premiere historic structures, is the only remaining Arkansas plantation home on the Mississippi River. It was constructed ca. 1859 for Lycurgus and Lydia Taylor Johnson, part of a political dynasty that extended from Virginia to Kentucky to Arkansas. Built with enslaved labor, the house retains its original architectural features and many of its decorative finishes. More

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 Raymond Plumey, FAIA, HRC Advisory Group liaison to the Communications Subcommittee, if you have any questions or comments. We look forward to receiving your submission!

The Communications Subcommittee is currently looking for new members. If interested, please email James Malanaphy, FAIA.

Component Spotlight: AIA Spartanburg, S.C.
In early 2007, AIA Spartanburg undertook an historic resources survey of the Glendale community. More than 140 properties were surveyed by a team of five historic preservation students from the University of South Carolina and leaders from the Design Arts Partnership and State Historic Preservation Office. The survey results were presented to the National Register review committee for South Carolina who determined that the central core of the mill village is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The team completed the project by taking measurements for drawings of the Glendale mill office, Methodist Church, and Bivings-Converse House. More

Create an AIA Soloso Profile Today!
The AIA's excellent new content management and social networking site, Soloso, is only as powerful as its members, so log in and create your profile today!

As a member, you have access to all of the in-depth content being continually uploaded, as well as the power to upload and share your own content. You can view other members' profiles, and use the site to market your own work as well. This is a great opportunity for all members!