American Builders Quarterly TRANSITIONS THROUGH TIME A few years ago while in Paris, I visited the famed Notre Dame Cathedral. After a few moments of awe-inspired pause resulting from just being in the presence of such history and beauty, I noticed the scaffolding and green netting that covered most of one of the building’s iconic, façade towers. I could not help but wonder who could possibly be trusted and qualified to repair, clean, reconstruct, and touch such an untouchable work of art. It turns out there are many architects and builders who specialize in just such intricate and important construction and restoration efforts. Like any specialization, there are specific guidelines and approaches for working on historic buildings, not to mention an innate sense of responsibility to properly preserve these representations of our past. In 1966, Congress began taking legislative actions to preserve American heritage by passing the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). In addition to federal mandates, many companies involved in this work must also confer localized organizations for guidelines. Anthony Carrino, partner of Brunelleschi Construction (BrunCon), transforms underutilized buildings in New Jersey into dynamic residential properties through the historic preservation of architectural heritage. Carrino has learned that it is very important to be proactive in reaching out to local neighborhood associations, historic boards, and preservation societies when working on older buildings. “Usually in neighborhoods with historic designations there are very strong associations, and they usually have very strong opinions about preserving historic districts,” he says. BrunCon finds it best to freely share construction plans with neighborhood associations and directly address their concerns “In these cases, you simply have to know what is required and abide by it,” Carrino says. “Once nerves are calmed and the locals are informed, they usually welcome the proposed structure or restoration.” Of course, the United States is not the only country that is concerned with preserving its historic places. Watson MacEwen Teramura Architects (WMTA) in Ontario, Canada is currently restoring the exterior of the Halifax Armouries, originally designed by architect Thomas Fuller. To address these challenges of historic preservation, Allan Teramura, partner of WMTA, explains that first, a great deal of analysis and testing is done prior to initiating any work so that the team understands the root causes of physical deterioration. Teramura, lists the challenges he experiences when working with and building in historic locations as: In regards to finding properly skilled workers, Teramura says, “Whenever possible, contractors are pre-qualified and must demonstrate experience with restoration work.” Carrino agrees, “An eye for detail and a great attention to quality are certainly traits that you want in your sub-contractors.” Carrino says that in order to integrate new uses for structures its necessary to be sensitive to the original and build something that fits in with older styles. “This is challenging, but not so much from a design perspective—the real challenge comes in finding the craftsmen who are capable of recreating certain masterpieces, such as the hand-carved cornices that are found throughout much of New Jersey,” he says. Teramura agrees. Referencing today’s preservation trends, “Contrary to popular belief, current practice recommends that new interventions in historic buildings and places be identifiably ‘of their own time’ and not a reproduction of historic construction. Also, new work should be secondary to the original, not overwhelm it.” Along with code compliance, Carrino describes other preservation challenges as being similar to regular construction work---with one exception. “The difference is that the materials you replace are specified by historic boards and are inherently more expensive.” A simple example of this would be non-historic, aluminum-clad windows compared to historic, wood-frame windows. According to the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), preserving historic buildings is essential to understanding our heritage. NIBS also points out that preservation is another level of recycling and sustainability. Perhaps overall, there is nothing more important than preserving the art, history, and inspired creations of mankind. ABQ |