no
Currently, SoBA members of the community and students enrolled in the College of Charleston’sPreservationProgram,attheCitadel,ClemsonUniversity,andCharlestonareapublic schools can attend classes, lectures, and workshops on a variety of fields in the building arts.
John Paul Huguley, whose work focuses on structural preservation, responded to this lack in Charleston’s building community by founding SoBA. Convinced that Charleston’s problem was not unique, Huguley made it SoBA’s mission to increase the quality of craftsmanship in today’s building standards nationwide by rejuvenating the building trades through a dedicated educational program. While the school’s development will
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doubt help preserve and enrich the architectural history of Charleston, Huguley intends for SoBA to have a more global impact on the construction industry. He sees a real void and a real need for construction and restoration work education across the U.S. “The way to improve the U.S. construction industry is to educate current and future members of its industry,” says Huguley who feels “the
idea of excellence in craftsmanship is not new, it just hasn’t been valued in the U.S. in a long time. It will take educating students and the public as well to turn this trend around.” Huguley traces the deterioration in quality craftsmanship and in the pride craftsmen have in their trades to the U.S. war effort of the 1940’s. “That era encouraged mass production,” Huguley explains. “The U.S. construction boom of the 1980’s further solidified that way of thinking with the development of strip malls, etc. By the 1990’s what we were leaving behind began to materialize.” According to Huguley the poorquality materials manufactured today reduce the longevity of buildings and building materials. “The industry needs good design, good materials, and good techniques to create quality products.” But, what is missing is knowledge. People fail to realize the value of well-made materials. Huguley says he often hears people say, “‘But it costs more to do it right.’ That is not true,” says Huguley. “When you consider the liability of not doing it right, it costs more to do it wrong.” That is why SoBA’s program aims to teach craftsmen how to choose as well as use quality materials. Currently, SoBA operates as a nonprofit organization, partnering with local educational programs and institutions in the Charleston area. Students enrolled in the College of Charleston’s Preservation Program, at the Citadel, Clemson University, and Charleston-area public schools can attend classes, lectures, and workshops on a variety of fields in the building arts. These classes currently range from two-day to six-week workshops and are available to members of the community as well. Several talented instructors, including Charleston’s own master blacksmithing legend Philip Simmons, lead SoBA’s classes and workshops. Simmons, who among other accomplishments, received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1982, facilitates students and advises other highly-skilled SoBA instructors. Jay Fabricator n March-April 2004