June 2022 Conference in Newport, Rhode Island
Traditional Building Conference Newport, RI
June 14-15, 2022
Newport Art Museum
76 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
8-9:00 am
Continental Breakfast, Networking with Sponsors
9-9:15 am
Welcome and Introductions
9:15-10:15 am
Keynote Address
Newport: The Architect's Dream
Speaker: John R. Tschirch, Architectural Historian
1 AIA Learning Unit
Newport, Rhode Island is a treasury of American architecture, a place where generations of designers have created extraordinary work. This illustrated lecture traces the evolution of the city from classically inspired colonial buildings to picturesque Victorian villas and opulent Gilded Age palaces. Among the architects to be discussed are the 18th century masters Richard Munday and Peter Harrison, the 19th century leaders of the architectural profession, Richard Upjohn, Calvert Vaux, Richard Morris Hunt, McKim, Mead and White, and 20th century figures Horace Trumbauer, Delano and Aldrich, and John Russell Pope.
Learning Objectives
- Cite the leaders in Newport’s architectural design from the 18th through 20th centuries.
- Describe the growth and evolution of the city over three centuries.
- Explain the role of craftsmanship- local, national, and international- in the durability and splendor found in Newport’s buildings.
- Reflect on the benefits and challenges that face Newport today in light of heritage tourism.
10:15-10:40 am
Networking Break
10:40-11:45 am
Repair, Restore, Replace? Evaluating Solutions for Deterioration in Historic Masonry
1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit
Speaker: Richard W. Off, AIA, Senior Architect - Hoffmann Architects, New York, NY
Adaptive reuse and renovation projects frequently involve historic masonry buildings, many of which have deterioration that must be addressed to achieve a sound structure and weathertight enclosure suitable to the building’s use. However, masonry rehabilitation work is not a one size fits all solution.
While the goal is generally to preserve as much original material as possible, and targeted repairs or salvaging and reinstallation might often be sufficient, it is sometimes necessary to replace masonry units, and in some cases entire assemblies, to address hazardous conditions and extend building lifespan. Saving unique parts and details are a critical component of any historic rehabilitation project, but thoughtful replacement might be required to help preserve the structure as a whole, as it could allow for a more thorough correction of local deficiencies before they propagate into bigger problems that jeopardize the integrity of the surrounding fabric. The process of determining the best solution is further complicated by ever more stringent requirements from building departments, particularly those with facade safety programs concerned with unstable material, and also by landmark agencies, which often enforce replacement of materials in-kind. Evolving energy codes can also be an important consideration, and this can especially influence projects which require more comprehensive replacement of the facade assembly.
Through a series of brief investigative and rehabilitative mini-case studies, this presentation will explore these issues by comparing the typical problems that can occur within three distinct historic masonry systems. This shall include: a mid-19th century Gothic Revival church with delaminated load bearing brownstone, requiring re-tooling, and patching; a turn-of-the century Beaux-Arts high-rise with cracked, spalled, and displaced hollow glazed terracotta, requiring selective replacement and reinstallation; and an early 1940s Art Moderne library with deteriorated solid clay brick facades, requiring total recladding.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the particular kinds of distress and failure that common types of masonry materials, assemblies, and construction eras are prone to and why certain materials are more durable than others.
- Explain the general spectrum of repair, restoration, and replacement solutions that can be performed to correct masonry deterioration and how each impacts building longevity and maintenance.
- Evaluate which typical masonry rehabilitation solutions might be the most appropriate in certain situations, and when temporary or alternative solutions might be necessary for access, budget, schedule, and constructability reasons.
- Consider the typical mandated requirements involved with performing masonry inspection and rehabilitation work, such as those from building departments, energy codes, façade inspection safety programs, and landmark boards.
11:45 am-12:40 pm
Lunch, Networking with Sponsors
12:40-1:45 pm
The Quiet Wisdom of Climate-based Design
1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit
Speaker: Cory Rouillard, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Partner, Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, New York, NY
In the race against time with our climate crisis, where buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of global carbon emissions, it is vital that we as the preservation community apply our expertise to provide climate leadership through preservation. The role of existing buildings is most typically discussed in terms of operational carbon improvements, such as through deep energy retrofits. We are also now starting to consider the role of embodied carbon more broadly, and the necessity of care for our existing buildings as a vast embodied carbon resource.
But preservation also brings another critical resource to the table: the wisdom and ingenuity of traditional building forms and techniques developed over the millennia to make the built environment work with local climates and conditions. Long before the recent era of cheap fuel, people have been inhabiting buildings and devising strategies for improving human comfort (thermal, humidity, daylighting) and building longevity (durability and repairability) through the design and detailing of their built environment. These strategies, as built forms, may be considered “inherently sustainable features,” or ISF. They often are found in the form of passive design, sometimes in the form of well-considered active features. While they are by definition climate-specific, the underlying concepts may be found globally. They often become character-defining features, helping to shape local styles, and yet they may also transcend styles through place and time.
This presentation introduces viewers to the ideas of ISF. It breaks down the thought process from climate to concepts of human comfort and building longevity to strategies to achieve them. It presents a survey of multiple examples to illustrate each concept and shares a number of resources to explore these concepts further, across four general climate categories.
The examples and framework presented are a part of a growing database of ISF. Hundreds of examples have been catalogued so far, as these climate concepts are explored in their built form around the world. This database is in the process of being uploaded to APT’s OSCAR platform and will continue to grow and evolve in the coming years.
This presentation is intended to provide inspiration and a lens for viewing our built heritage as we translate between historical significance and carbon mitigation. It encourages viewers to start looking for, recognizing, and making use of, the idea of ISF in their restoration and new design projects, as well as their general discussions of the built environment.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the urgency for climate leadership through preservation and the importance of existing buildings in addressing our climate crisis.
- Explain the basis for climate-appropriate design strategies and their role in addressing our climate crisis.
- Analyze the relationship between inherently sustainable features and character-defining features.
- Identify and advocate for the preservation and continued use of inherently sustainable features in buildings.
1:45-2:20 pm
Crafting a Georgian Room
.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Unit
Speaker: Brent Hull, Hull Millworks, Fort Worth, TX
What makes a room Georgian ? Molding profiles, proportional use of classical orders, material selection, and ornament. This style thrived along the East Coast of the Colonies until the end of the American Revolution and left American architectural design with a rich legacy to draw upon today whether working in restoration or traditional new design. Why do we still care about Georgian details? What is it about the design elements of this style that add to our emotional well-being, pride of place, and overall comfort when we find ourselves in a room defined as Georgian?
Learning objectives
- Describe the qualities of Georgian architecture that inspire well-being for room occupants.
- Explain the subtle importance of geometric proportion, molding profiles and application of the classical orders as used in Georgian architectural design for effect on human behavior and attitude.
2:20-2:45
Networking Break with Sponsors
2:45 pm
Gather for tours
2:50 pm
Tour Departure
Tour 1: From Chateaux to Classrooms: The Architectural Splendor of Salve Regina University
2 AIA Learning Units
Guides: Richard Guy Wilson, Commonwealth Professor Emeritus, Architectural History, University of Virginia; (Honorary Graduate – Salve)
William Vareika, William Vareika Fine Arts, Ltd., Newport, RI (Honorary Graduate – Salve)
Paul Miller, Clouds Hill Museum, Director, Warwick, RI
Members/Graduates of the Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural & Historic Preservation Program, Salve Regina University
Michael Semenza, Vice President, University Relations, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI
The 80-acre campus is one of the most unique in the country, offering what the National Trust for Historic Preservation has described as a "tour of the great architectural works of the Gilded Age." Set on seven contiguous estates, it features more than 20 historic structures that have been sensitively adapted to meet University needs while also preserving their status as treasures of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The oceanside setting offers more than a glimpse of the past. Surrounded by rare trees, a university arboretum, tide pools and museums, the campus provides access to exceptional learning opportunities for students in many disciplines. Viewed as a "living laboratory," this extraordinary environment enriches the city of Newport and contributes to the artistic, cultural, economic, educational, and historical vitality of the state of Rhode Island.
Learning Objectives
- Examine the protection of great architectural works through preservation and adaptive reuse for education and community .
- Appreciate the relationship between the created landscape and the buildings.
- Apply lessons learned in the adaptation of historic mansions to contemporary spaces for classrooms, theater, arts, and lectures.
- Reflect on the power of place when designing campus environments.
- List key architects of Gilded Age who worked in Newport, Rhode Island on the estates that comprise the Salve Regina University campus today: Richard Morris Hunt; H.H. Richardson; McKim, Mead & White; Peabody & Sterns; Seth Bradford; Frank Furness; and Dudley Newton.
Tour 2: The Architectural Heritage of the Newport Art Museum
1 AIA Learning Unit
Length of time: Assemble 3:05 pm, 3:15 pm -4:15 pm Walking tour only
Welcome to the Newport Art Museum and the John N. A. Griswold House, an exceptional example of "stick-style" architecture designed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1864. Attendees will enjoy a tour of this national historic structure situated on beautiful Bellevue Avenue, learn about Richard Morris Hunt's legacy in Newport, and note various renovations made by the Newport Art Museum. The tour will also include a visit to Olmsted in Newport, a special exhibition highlighting the many civic and private landscape architecture projects designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and his firm in Newport between 1883-1970.
Learning Objectives
- Appreciate the work of Richard Morris Hunt.
- Describe the adaptive reuse of the house for museum purposes.
- List ways in which accepted museum practices have been added to a National Register-listed house.
- Review Frederick Law Olmsted’s 10 Design Principles.Learning Objectives
- Cite the leaders in Newport’s architectural design from the 18th through 20th centuries.
- Describe the growth and evolution of the city over three centuries.
- Explain the role of craftsmanship- local, national, and international- in the durability and splendor found in Newport’s buildings.
- Reflect on the benefits and challenges that face Newport today in light of heritage tourism.
7:00 pm
Palladio Awards Banquet
Wednesday, June 15, 2022
8-9:00 am
Continental Breakfast, Networking with Sponsors
9-9:10 am
Welcome and Introductions
9:10 -9:55 am
Designing for Coastal Resilience: Lessons from Newport
.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit
Speaker: Douglas Kallfelz, AIA, LEED AP, CNU, Union Studio Architecture & Community Design
There are many reasons for concern in historic coastal communities where rising water and damage from increasingly frequent and impactful storms regularly threaten our historic places and assets . Architects are left with a challenge to design buildings that can respond to these real environmental pressures while contributing to the vibrancy of their historic context. This session will explore these challenges through two projects – one research and one practical - and the specific strategies suggested and employed to balance resilience and history.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss specific resilient strategies and requirements and how these were integrated with minimal impact to the pedestrian and historic context.
- Review materials and systems that respond well to water and wind – what worked, what didn’t.
- Discuss integration of a true community amenity as part of the resilient strategies.
9:55-10:25 am
Closing the Gap Between Historical Accuracy and Energy Efficiency
2022 is the UN declared Year of Glass
.5 AIA Learning Unit
Speaker: Brian Cooper, The Cooper Group, Stonington, CT
Sometimes restoration or new traditional projects demand glass with historic qualities. There are considerations about saving energy that will enter into the evaluation of what type of new glass to use.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the history of hand-blown glass in America.
- Balance historic appearance of windows with the need to conserve energy.
- Cite common problems and solutions for windows on traditional projects.
10:25-10:45 am
Networking Break
10:45 am-12:20 pm
The Fundamentals of Clay Tile
1.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Units
Speaker: Philippe L. Rosak, National Market Manager - Reesidential, Ludowici, New Lexington OH
This hour and a half program explores the benefits of using terra cotta roof tiles, specifically its green properties and differentiating qualities from alternative roofing materials. This course also explores types of terra cotta roof tiles, installation methods, and accessories in various terra cotta tile applications.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the benefits of terra cotta roof tiles
- Explain why terra cotta roof tiles have more green qualities than any other roofing material
- Identify the benefits of terra cotta roof tile over other roofing materials
- Discuss common technical installation procedures
12:20–1:10 pm
Lunch and Networking with Sponsors
1:10-2:15 pm
Adaptive Reuse: The Top 10 Takeaways From 25 years of Mill and Industrial Building Conversions
1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit
Speaker: Joe Haskett, AIA, CPHC, LEED AP; Senior Associate, Union Studio, Providence, RI
Adaptive Reuse continues as an important strategy to address the housing crisis in America. Long-empty, darkened mills, factories, and office buildings, once the mainstay of New England’s economy are ripe for conversion. There are proven strategies for reusing these sleeping architectural giants. This session will address retaining embodied energy, often unique structural systems, integrating HVAC, window reuse or replacement, integrating new additions and more under the guidance of an architect with more than 25 years’ experience in working with historic mills.
Learning Objectives
- List the 10 principles of adaptive reuse for historic mills and related buildings.
- Predict aspects of historic industrial buildings that adapt easily or not so easily for residential reuse.
- Apply lessons learned for HVAC systems, structural reinforcement, window use, and occupant comfort.
- Consider energy codes, accessibility and life safety when adaptively reusing historic mill or industrial buildings.
2:15-2:50 pm
The History of Modern Glass Technology
.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit
Speaker: Kyle Sword, Business Development Manager, Pilkington North America, NSG, Toledo, OH
2022 is the UN declared Year of Glass
Since the turn of the 20th century, technology has enabled window glass to evolve from a single pane to many different configurations. Improvements in double and triple glazing, vacuum insulated glazing and various coatings have been developed to solve different problems and improve the experience of being in a building for occupants. This session will address the history of glass manufacture and how this rapidly advancing field is solving problems or meeting objectives such as sound transmission, energy efficiency, collections protection from UV light, breakage and safety concerns, and even repelling germs.
List the key developments in glass technology over the last 125 years and how each contributed to the welfare of building occupants.
Describe glass materials, coatings and installation strategies that increase energy sustainability, reduce carbon emissions, and increase occupant comfort.
2:50 - 3:10 pm
Networking Break
3:10 pm
Gather for Tours
3:20 pm
Departure for Tours (tours may return to the Newport Art Museum as late as 5:45 pm, depending on traffic
Tour 3: Hard Hat Tour: Tackling Water Infiltration at the Rough Point Museum
1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit
Tour Guides: Alyssa Lozupone, Director of Preservation at the Newport Restoration Foundation; Mark Morrow, Special Projects Executive at Consigli Construction; and Nealia Morrison, Associate at DBVW Architects.
Length of time for each group: Group 1 – 3:30-4:30 pm and Group 2 if needed– 4:30-5:30 pm. Pending: tour of the interior of Rough Point; plan for two hours for the tour with return to the Newport Art Museum after 5:30 pm. Tour will run rain or shine.
Bring your hard hat and wear your sturdy boots for a work-in-progress tour of Rough Point Museum, where NRF, DBVW Architects, and Consigli Construction are currently tackling Phase 1 of a multi-phased exterior restoration project. The current work includes slate roof replacement, brownstone and granite masonry repairs, and restoration and improvements to the copper gutter system.
Rough Point Museum was the Newport home of heiress, collector, and philanthropist Doris Duke (1912-1993). The summer “cottage” was commissioned by Frederick W. Vanderbilt and designed by Peabody & Stearns between 1887 and 1891. During the early 20th century, Doris’s father James B. Duke commissioned Horace Trumbauer to renovate and enlarge the house.
Learning Objectives
- Assess and address water infiltration at a historic site.
- Apply lessons learned from slate, brownstone, granite, and copper restoration.
- Balance construction and public visitation for safety and interpretation.
- Gain familiarity to 19th-century Newport summer “cottage” architecture.
Tour 4: Campus Planning and Preserving at St. George's School
2 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Units
Guides: Daniela Holt Voith, FAIA, IIDA, LEED AP, BD +C, Founding Partner & Director of Design; and Robert Douglass, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, CPHD, Senior Associate; Voith Mactavish Architects, LLP, Philadelphia PA
Length of time: 2 hours plus travel to and from the Newport Art Museum- return around 5:45 pm. Bring rain gear as tour will run rain or shine.
Academic settings are especially important to the formation of strong campus communities and create a shared sense of identity among students, faculty, and staff. Architecture can affect the experiences students have on campus, which in turn influences how they perceive and participate in the world at large. At St. George’s School, with a campus planned by Frederick Law Olmsted to make the most of their oceanside location, their extraordinary campus context includes a number of historic structures that form the nucleus of daily student life. This is a unique opportunity to visit this beautiful campus to see gems like the original school building, completed in 1901 by Clarke & Howe; an active academic building designed by McKim Mead & White, completed in 1923; and, perhaps the most iconic building on campus, a chapel from 1927 designed by Ralph Adams Cram.
- Appreciate the challenges of balancing historic buildings with new codes for life safety and accessibility.
- Understand the design intent of important American architects for each building’s initial uses and how that is respected when making significant changes in building use today.
- Gain strategies for supporting students’ academic growth and holistic well-being on an historic campus.
- Consider how the adaptation and construction implementation of recent campus projects can be applied to future projects of your own.
Tour 5: Hammet's Hotel and Wharf Walking Tour
.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Units
Guides: Douglas Kallfelz, AIA, LEED AP, CNU, Union Studio Architecture & Community Design
Kara Babcock, Associate and Project Architect, Union Studio Architecture & Community Design
Plan for one hour including walking time to and from the museum. (Approximately 3:20-4:20 pm with a half-hour tour)
Note: 10- minute walk each way (.5 miles from the Newport Art Museum) Limited to 20 people. Wear sturdy shoes.
Explore the hotel that was discussed in this morning’s session on resilience. The hotel occupies an important site in the heart of Newport’s historic waterfront. We will discuss the influences on the site and building including the need to respond to historic context and community access while acknowledging the climatic and environmental pressures that are mounting. We will discuss durable materials, public spaces, and the design of spaces that support hospitality with a view. We will observe access, code compliance along with amenities.
Learning Objectives
- Balance historic context, public access, and resiliency.
- Describe resilient features that are durable and aesthetically pleasing to hotel guests.
- Explain design features that promote a welcoming environment for guests.