Tulane Preservation Alumni Group Tulane Master of Preservation Studies Alumni Newsletter • Fall/Winter 2014
MPS wins state grant amidst busy fall semester The Tulane Master of Preservation Studies program had a busy fall semester as 15 new fulltime students, several double majors, certificate and part-time students began their studies and as a grant from the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office was awarded to MPS Director John Stubbs to pursue Phase II of the New Orleans Preservation Timeline Project. The New Orleans Preservation Timeline, a web-based tool that lists significant events, people, organizations and places in the history of New Orleans’ preservation movement, debuted in April 2014 at the Preservation Matters III conference, which was hosted by the Tulane School of Architecture and the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. The generous grant will allow for the expansion of the Timeline from 35 to 100 entries, as well as other site upgrades. The incoming first year students, all but one of whom came to the program from outside of New Orleans, had a rigorous Fall course load. New technology seminars were led by Cypress Building Conservation partner Michael Shoriak, a young and dynamic expert in digital documentation and building conservation techniques, and in a course called U.S. Field Studies and Advocacy, led by Danielle Del Sol, students visited a different preservation organization each week to experience the different ways that preservation practice plays out in the “real world.” The course culminated with a group trip to the National Trust for Historic Preservation conference in Savannah, Ga., where students attended a variety of sessions, from lectures to hands-on crafts workshops. The students traveled to plantations along River Road and to Natchitoches, La. and Natchez, Miss. with professors Gene Cizek and Cynthia Steward as part of Studio I: Building Conservation. Steward will also be busy with students come Spring semester as she leads a new course, the Economics and Practice of Preservation. MPS faculty have seen successes of past student project sites reap the benefits of increased awareness this fall. The Treme Market Branch building and St. Maurice Church, sites of Studio II student projects in 2012 and 2013, respectively, were both locations for P.3 (Prospect 3) art installations. And the Dew Drop Inn, the famed but long-neglected jazz site in Central City that program director John Stubbs examined with students in 2012, is now in the midst of revitalization with the help of Tulane City Center thanks in Current MPS students (left to right) Elizabeth large part to the attention the MPS students brought to the site. The new year is already shaping up to be robust, with an impressive number of Schultz, Carol Knight, Fallin Steffen and Trudy interested applicants vying for spot by the end of December for next Fall. The Andrzejewski pose with preservation economics MPS faculty wish all alumni a wonderful and prosperous new year, with yet more guru Donovan Rypkema at this year’s National Trust conference in Savannah, Ga. accomplishments in architectural heritage conservation.
Since katrina: mps student carol knight returns to finish her degree
“I’ll eventually go back and finish it.” I must have said that to myself a hundred times in the eight years that had passed since I watched New Orleans disappear into the rearview mirror of my Uhaul as I began my trek back to Maryland. I first came to New Orleans and the Tulane School of Architecture in 2003 with the intent of completing both a Master of Architecture as well as a Master of Preservation Studies. As I geared up for the Fall semester of 2005, news of a tropical depression began filtering through the headlines. Having been in New Orleans a few years, I had learned to tune out the hurricane doomsayers. The depression gained strength and was dubbed ‘Katrina’ as it bore down on Florida. Having watched the projected paths wobble between Texas and the panhandle, I ignored the chatter and enjoyed my daily commute bouncing down the streetcar line into the French Quarter. I had been dead set on staying in New Orleans, having experienced tortuous evacuations in years past. But, with unrelenting doubt hanging in the back of my mind, I pulled out of my driveway and headed towards the interstate in the darkness of the early Sunday morning hours. continued page 2
FROM THE DIRECTOR Progress and stepping up!—Always good words to hear, no? I am pleased to report more advancement on all fronts with Tulane’s Master of Preservation Studies program and many of its faculty. And, as always, there is real accomplishment among our students, 15 of whom graduate this December. This year’s MPS class has benefitted from two new and enhanced courses this Fall. One was offered by Danielle Del Sol, titled ‘U.S. Field Studies and Advocacy’ that included visits to most all preservation advocacy organizations in New Orleans. It also entailed travel for the first year class to the annual meeting of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Savannah, Ga. The second curricular development is a series of specialty workshops on Digital Methods for Preservation offered by conservation and digital technology expert Michael Shoriak that consisted of ten workshops on diverse aspects of digital documentation, analysis, and illustration techniques—all considered essential Director John H. Stubbs skills for Tulane’s MPS graduates in today’s profession. During the Spring ’15 semester, Michael Shoriak will continue with his specialty tutorials in support of newly appointed instructor Laura Blokker who now leads the program’s Preservation Technology stream. In addition, a completely new course titled the ‘Economics and Practice of Preservation’ will be led by Professor Cynthia Steward and will expose students to the business of preservation in all key respects and delve into the details of professional practice. Progress is also seen in the advancement of several of the adjunct MPS faculty in their principal jobs: Daniel Hammer has been elevated to Deputy Director of the esteemed Historic New Orleans Collection, Danielle Del Sol has become Editor of the Preservation Resource Center’s award-winning Preservation in Print, and Beth Jacob was made a Commissioner of the New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission. In October I was named to the design review board of the Old Metairie Commission and honored by Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism with the title ‘Ambassador’ for Poverty Point in Northeast Louisiana to help represent this country’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site. The latter momentous development of Poverty Point’s placement on the World Heritage List is representative of what appears to be a rising of awareness and commitment to cultural heritage protection in New Orleans and the region over past months. As we approach the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina that so affected the Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast area, it is heartening to see sure progress in both recovery and increased capacity in our preservation organizations. Best Regards,
John Stubbs Director, MPS Program knight continued from page 1
Every resident of New Orleans has Katrina stories, mostly tragic. Rather than reliving my experience, I will say, I was one of the lucky ones. Tulane University was scattered around the nation that Fall semester, and everyone would hobble through wherever they landed. It wouldn’t be until Spring that we would be together again. Students filtered in starting mid-December and began adapting to their new reality in New Orleans. For those of you who were here, you can recall the unreliability of electricity, the gas leaks, the trash, and the unmentionable smells that permeated daily life, but also the unrelenting desire to persevere. There was a sense of community among those that returned. Distinguished by what was coined ‘Katrina cough’, residents slowly trickled in to begin the arduous task of pulling their world together again. By the spring of 2006, I was wrapping up my M.Arch and organizing for the last few studios for my MPS degree. As Fall 2006 approached, though, life in New Orleans had deteriorated and I realized that remaining in New Orleans would be impossible. Services were still piecemeal, looting and gunshots still rang the midnight hours behind my apartment, and financial burdens continued to rise. I turned my efforts to finding a job. Eight years later, scanning through construction documents one afternoon, I decided: It was time. I began to rally for my return and to complete those last few classes. A phone conversation later, I was on a plane headed south to meet John Stubbs, the new director of the Preservation Studies program. The New Orleans I had left years ago still sat in the shadows of the rehabilitated streetscapes lining my drive back Uptown. Two out of three houses were abandoned and boarded up when I
left; now two out of three had been rehabilitated and were bustling with afternoon activity. The streetcars were rumbling back down St. Charles and the trees had healed and were once again shady and verdant. Some areas had come back quicker than others, and some still sat inert in sustainable uncertainty, but efforts still pushed forward citywide. After a quick meeting, I was back on the roster for Fall 2014 for my last few courses and, in a blink, settling into my new apartment only a few blocks from the old one. Standing and waiting for the streetcar was an odd reality that first day: now it was once again sliding down St. Charles Avenue like Katrina had never happened. I found the familiarity comforting. Passing ‘Touchdown Jesus,’ I hopped off and wrapped around the ‘perpetual no parking zone’ that miraculously survived. How is it that ‘No Parking’ signs always seem to survive disasters? First day of class déjà vu, somewhat more wrinkled and slightly grayed. Students seemed exponentially younger and I older then I remembered. The stairs of Richardson Memorial were once again adorned with students and professors chattering away about summer internships in a menagerie of countries. A quick game of dodge and swerve up the stairs past the stepped Tulane City Center and UrbanBuild posters that still left me in awe of my classmates’ achievements. Up and into Room 204, I was once again meeting my classmates, the MPS class of 2015. And here it began again. “Hi, I’m Carol…” then I heard it -- the theme song from ‘70s sitcom Welcome Back Kotter, now so appropriate for me: ‘Well the names have all changed since you hung around, but those dreams have remained and they’re turned around. Who’d a thought they’d lead ya, back here where we need ya Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.’
synthesizing the semester: studio I project brings it all home Climate Change Impacts on the Built Environment By Trudy V. Andrzejewski, MPS ‘15
Preservation & Accessibility
Studio I: Building Preservation tested a new format for this semester’s final project. Students developed five 11x17 posters on topics of their choice, with the requirement that a selection of sites we visited this semester be represented in some capacity. The final posters were presented in a traditional pin-up setting to an audience of faculty members and professionals involved in preservation across Louisiana. The project provided an open-ended opportunity for students to explore individual areas of interest like building materiality, sketching and site interpretation. Other students identified contemporary concerns in the field and proposed solutions for these issues. I pursued the latter. With an interest in exploring how cliAndrzejewski’s Studio I final presentation poster mate change impacts the historic built environment, I honed in on site visits like Madame John’s Legacy and Longue Vue House and Gardens, to explore opportunities for water infiltration in walking path surfaces, and the potential for using plants to curb salinization and deterioration of historic brick foundations. A second topic I explored was handicapped accessibility at historic sites. How do we manage sensitive design and preservation in the midst of developing technologies and needs, including providing accessibility to historic, public buildings? Greg Lambousy from the Louisiana State Museum offered support in my research of this topic, offering information and photographs from the Cabildo and Presbytere. These state-owned and operated sites have been rehabilitated to become more accessible, while retaining their character-defining features. This preservation challenge, though, will continue to face these historic sites, and millions more, for the conceivable future. As we continue to build upon lessons learned from this semester’s focus on site interpretation, historic house museums and plantations, we look forward to deepening our understanding of the contemporary practice of preservation, from the challenges and opportunities to its most pressing concerns, in next semester’s Studio II: Urban Conservation. LEFT: Historic stairways like those seen at the Cabildo are character defining features of the building. However, they may pose barriers for handicapped accessibility. BELOW: Significant entrances are important features to a building and can be difficult to modify for ADA compliance.
PRESERVATION BRIEF 32: MAKING HISTORIC PROPERTIES ACCESSIBLE “Modifications to historic properties to in crease accessibility may be as simple as a small, inexpensive ramp to overcome one entrance step, or may involve changes to exterior and interior features.” An elevator was added to the Cabildo as an accessibility measure, as seen in the photo on the left.
ABOVE: Magnolia Plantaion, operated by the National Park Service. Overseers House with exterior elevator PROs: not intrusive to the building, located on side, meets need CONs: material contrast, obstructs important view
Federal buildings are required to abide by the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation determines applicability of this law on a case-by-case basis. All other public buildings are required to abide by the Americans with Disabilities Act Design Standards.
Trudy V. Andrzejewski
Master of Preservation Studies Tulane School of Architecture December 2014
MPS CLASS HELPS RESTORE TREME GEM AS PART OF REBUILDING TOGETHER’S 2014 OCTOBER BUILD
The MPS students gathered this past October on a Saturday to volunteer with Rebuilding Together New Orleans, a department of the Preservation Resource Center, to participate in October Build, an annual volunteer effort to help families in need of home improvements. The students, along with a few Tulane M.Arch volunteers, painted the façade of the Tremé home of a veteran and his family. The results were beautiful and incredibly appreciated by the homeowner, while the students were thrilled with the opportunity to serve in the community.
AlumnUS project profile SCOTT HEATH, GAINESVILLE, FLA. After receiving his Master of Architecture and Certificate in Preservation Studies at the Tulane School of Architecture, Scott Heath, Assoc. AIA, was hired in May 2013 by Walker Architects, Inc., located in Gainesville, Florida. As graduate designer there, he has participated in the design of numerous projects for such clients as the University of Florida, including new construction and renovation projects. Heath has been especially pleased to participate in the multiphase historic rehabilitation of the Government House in St. Augustine, one of the oldest continuously occupied European settlements in the United States. Erected in 1937, this 22,500 square foot Spanish Colonial Revival building served as the U.S. post office and The Government House, St. Augustine, Fla. customs house before being later converted into a museum; various government buildings have occupied this historic site since 1598. The current historic rehabilitation has sought to restore the building to its period 1930s appearance where possible, while incorporating new architectural interventions that support its current use and remain in keeping with its historic character. The University of Florida manages the historic properties in St. Augustine owned by the state of Florida, and Government House serves as its headquarters for such efforts. Working with lead architects Joseph Walker, AIA and Todd Whitehead, RA, Heath was able to apply his training in architectural conservation and building information modeling to the production of the construction documents for the recently completed second phase of the project. Rehabilitating the Government House has involved balancing the conservation of its historic fabric and character the accommodation of compatible contemporary uses for this historic building. Obvious non-period architectural interventions, such as drop ceilings, partition walls, acoustical panels, and non-period lighting have been removed or replaced. Considerable care has been taken to mitigate the impact of incorporating up-to-date energy-efficient building services, such as electrical, lighting, and HVAC on the character and appearance of the interiors. Where possible, existing historic finishes, such as the coved plaster ceilings in grand staircase, have been restored to their period appearance, while new finishes have been applied that are in keeping with the historic character of the building. For instance, Heath was able to work with contractor Charles Perry Partners, Inc. and subcontractor Natural Elements Painting to identify not only an appropriate source of sustainably reclaimed long leaf heart pine from Goodwin Company for new and replacement millwork, but also a stain and varnishing process that would approximate the historic millwork finishes. The fortuitous discovery of discarded period light fixtures in the building followed by careful historical investigation led their re-installation in historic locations on the second floor, restored and retrofitted with energy-efficient LED lamps. The third and final phase of the rehabilitation, scheduled to take place in 2015, will address stabilizing the historic coquina-aggregate stucco exterior, rehabilitating all exterior doors and windows, and upgrading storage facilities for historic collections on the second floor to current standards. All steps of the historic rehabilitation have been carefully documented with photographs, measured drawings, and written descriptions. Such documentation has assisted not only with the production of the necessary construction documents for the rehabilitation, but also with updating the historic structure report for the Government House, which Walker Architects, Inc. helped produce. Students of the College of Design, Construction, and Planning of the University of Florida, including the Historic Preservation Program, visited the site during construction to learn first-hand about architectural conservation practice and rehabilitation-related design issues. Herschel Sheppard, M.A., AIA Emeritus and Janet Snyder Matthews, Ph.D., respected members of the Florida architectural conservation community, advised the historic rehabilitation process on behalf of the client. The rehabilitation of the Government House was The walls of the main stairwell before (top) accomplished with generous grants from the Bureau of Historic Preservation, Florida and after (above). Department of State.
Alumni AND STAFF News • Nora Goddard (MPS ’14) is now working in New Orleans with Bayou Preservation. • Chuck Berg has returned to private architectural practice and is working on several residential and commercial projects in the French Quarter, the Marigny, the Irish Channel and Holy Cross. He has also joined the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Landmarks Society and assumed the role of House Architect for the Pitot House Museum. • Ryan Jackson (MPS ’13) is now a Park Manager at Fort Pike State Historic Site. • W. Peter Seweryn (MPS ’12) is now a Project Manager in the Historic Curatorship Program of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. • Laura Camayd (MPS ’13) has been working for over a year at the City of Miami Beach Planning Department as a planner and was recently promoted to Senior Planner. • Sarah Norman (MPS ’14) is assisting the director of the Alexandria Historic Preservation Commission as a commission intern by conducting research for a much-needed revision of the historic walking tour of downtown Alexandria. • Casey Stuart is currently serving as Board President of the Louisiana Landmarks Society.
Field trip of the MPS Introduction to Preservation Studies class to the Beauregard Keyes House in the French Quarter.
Keep your fellow tulane preservation alumni in the loop! To submit your news items, job or internship announcements or just to keep in touch, email Danielle Del Sol (‘11) at danielle.delsol@gmail.com. Please help us build the Tulane Preservation Alumni Group into an active, helpful resource for all graduates in Preservation Studies!