Architecture Commons^™

Seasons Fall 2018 Volume 47 Number 3, Leslie Crane, Pamela Olshefski, Jason Lubar, Anthony S. Aiello, Susan Crane

Seasons Newsletter

Highlights :

• Thompson-Morris Plot Restoration Complete
• Botany for Beginners
• Preserving Our Tree Canopy
• Three Great Native Trees
• ArbNet Accreditation

The New Hope Experiment: An Investigation And Conservation Plan For The Antonin And Noémi Raymond Farm, Sara Gdula

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This thesis is the first investigation of the material fabric of the Raymond Farm Center for Living Arts and Design, a 1730s Quaker fieldstone farm house located in New Hope, PA that was synthesized with Japanese and Modernist elements by the architect/designer couple Antonin and Noémi Raymond in 1939. After nearly two decades of successful practice in Japan becoming some of the main proponents for modern architecture, the Raymonds returned to America in 1938 and purchased the 150-acre farm. In their renovations, they synthesized the Quaker architectural elements with cedar panels, sliding fusuma doors and shoji screens among other ...

Developing A Sustainable Urban Heritage Tourism Approach For Philadelphia - Experiences From National Heritage Areas, Yue Wu

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This thesis proposes a sustainable heritage tourism development approach for large and multifunctional historic cities like Philadelphia. Although Philadelphia is not solely or even largely dependent on tourism, the city nevertheless views heritage tourism as a valuable opportunity to enhance its competitiveness and attract investment. This study explores the challenges in urban heritage management and suggests an approach to integrate community development and heritage tourism development, so as to take advantage of heritage resources for improving quality of urban life while minimizing the negative impact observed in historic cities. One source for this exploration is the successful strategies and practical ...

Preservation Approaches To Preserving Sites Of Chinese American Heritage In New York City, Yuexian Huang

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The history of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans has long been overlooked by the main society of the U.S. Specifically, in New York City, a city with a rich history of Chinese immigration and historic preservation, there is still no locally designated landmark or district showing explicit connection with the city’s Chinese community. This does not respond to the increasing focus on cultural diversity in the field.

Based on interviews and policy reviews, this research examines various groups that have played direct and indirect roles in preserving the physical fabric of Manhattan’s Chinatown. Evaluated are preservation agencies ...

A Typology Of Main Street Commercial Corridors Using Cluster Analysis, Molly Balzano

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The Main Street Organization is a nonprofit focused on commercial corridor revitalization. The National Main Street Center has created a targeted program of revitalization called the Four-Point Approach that is designed to breathe new life into local Main Streets: bolster local businesses, save the historic buildings, and reinstate downtown as a social and cultural hub. There are over 1,600 local Main Street communities, and currently, the Four-Point Approach is employed similarly across all of them. This singular application doesn’t adequately address the distinct needs of different Main Streets. While it is infeasible for the National Main Street Center ...

Development Of A Methodology For Fast Optimization Of Building Retrofit And Decision Making Support, Pengyuan Shen

Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations

The condition of current building stock in the United States raises the question of whether the energy performance of existing buildings can ever be environmentally sustainable. In the United States, buildings accounted for 39% of total energy consumption and 72% of total electricity consumption (USEPA 2009). In addition, current building energy use is projected to increase by 1.7% annually until 2025 (J.D. Ryan 2004). The great potential for energy reduction in existing buildings has created opportunities in building energy retrofit projects (Noris et al. 2013). A building renovation project must not only be affordable, taking into account factors ...

Heritage Preservation In War: Proactive And Reactive Approaches Applied To The Old City In Sana’A, Yemen, Xochilt Del Rosal Armenta

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The inherent nature of heritage as a symbol of a community’s identity – whether it be dependent on national, ethnic, or religious affiliations – has made it a frequent target during warfare despite heritage destruction being a war crime according to the 1954 Hague Convention. During war, the institutions responsible for preserving heritage spaces are often unable to offer support, making it the community’s responsibility to uphold preservation methods which can be secondary to the pressing issues of safety. The protection of heritage amid war depends on numerous variables ranging from community knowledge to the available resources and capacity to ...

Assessing The Deterioration Of Pennsylvania Marble In William Strickland's Mechanics' Bank, Alberto Calderón-González

Theses (Historic Preservation)

Pennsylvania marble, a moderately metamorphosed and polishable calcareous stone, was the most desirable building material in early-nineteenth-century Philadelphia, gracing structures that ranged from federal institutions to hundreds of rowhouse stoops and grave markers. While changes in architectural taste and a poor performance under pollution made it an obsolete material by the early twentieth century, its major role in the historic fabric of the city justifies research into its deterioration and conservation.

The Mechanics’ Bank was erected on Philadelphia’s Third Street in 1837 by William Strickland, one of the country’s leading Greek Revival architects. The marble-clad Corinthian building is ...

The American Garden At Powderham: "Delightful Retreat In The Plantation", Rebecca Wilkinson Flemer

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This thesis explores the history of the American Garden at Powderham in Devon, England. The seven-acre space was created, abandoned, and replanted over the course of over two-hundred years yet manages to convey remarkable integrity and sense of place. In the process of discovering who created the garden, this study aims to bring a deeper understanding of how and why American gardens, and Powderham’s in particular, were constructed in the late Georgian period.

Because the Powderham American Garden has changed significantly over the past 200 years, the garden is not as it appeared in the late eighteenth and early ...

An Evaluation Of Historic Cement Stucco Using Conditions Assessment Methodology And Digital Visualization Tools, Grand Teton National Park, Usa, Sara Jane Stratte

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The John Moulton homestead, constructed in 1938, is one of four intact homesteads in the Mormon Row Historic District within Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The homestead is a vernacular, two story wood frame structure finished with pink-painted cementitious stucco. The National Park Service (NPS) has passively preserved the structure since 1990 and it still maintains a high degree of integrity. The John Moulton Homestead is a popular tourist attraction for its accessibility and its unique paint color. At the present, however, the stucco exhibits severe cracking due to a number of causes, including a lack of designed expansion ...

Understanding Traditional Domestic Buildings In Pakistan – Lessons For Contemporary Design, Zara Shafiq Bhatti

Theses (Historic Preservation)

After Independence in 1947, the quest for modernity was evident in the way Pakistan pursued western ideologies in its building design and construction. Architects from around the world were invited to envision the new face of the young nation. The capital, Islamabad was envisioned and planned by Greek Planner Constantinos Dioxidas who was invited by the Government of Pakistan. Modernity was viewed as a symbol of progress, replacing, discarding architectural traditions in the process. Unlike the modern ideology currently being practiced in the country, traditional domestic architecture of Pakistan is a response to local context, that considers the climate, availability ...

One Building, Four Houses: How Identity Influenced The Historic Forms Of The William Brinton 1704 House, Anthony Richard Carlos Hita

Theses (Historic Preservation)

Built in 1704 by early Chester County Quaker, William Brinton the Younger (1670-1751), the 1704 House underwent four substantial phases of use and modification--a genteel great house (1704-1752), an ornamental farmhouse (1829-1863), a moral rural homestead (1864-1953), and a Colonial Revival house museum (1954-2018). Each of these phases represented a different owner of the structure who modified it to meet their needs and priorities. This thesis examines who these individuals were, how they were influenced by their own conscious values and subconscious social norms, and why and how they adapted the 1704 House as a result. Today, following a 1954 ...

Performance Simulation Of Brick Construction Under The Impacts Of Increased Precipitation As A Consequence Of Climate Change, Xiaolin Chen

Theses (Historic Preservation)

Climate change is one of the most urgent global issues of our time and for the near future. To understand how changes in precipitation, i.e., increased precipitation events, as a consequence of climate change, will affect the performance and deterioration of traditional brick masonry structures, performance tolerance of three different type of brick masonry constructions are discussion in a template climate projection of Philadelphia.

As water is the main agent of deterioration for brick, climate-induced changes in moisture are a concern. The thesis assumes the deterioration of brick masonry construction based on the analysis on the interaction between brick ...

Non-Destructive Evaluation Of George Nakashima's Modernist Thin-Shell Plywood Structure, Elizabeth Henley Reynolds

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The purpose of this thesis is two-fold: to understand the construction and vulnerability of an open thin-shell plywood structure, and to propose a holistic and efficient program for assessment of thin-shell buildings using Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE). This project focuses on the Pool House George Nakashima built in 1960, on his estate in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The structure is noteworthy for its conoid thin-shell roof, as part of a series of experimental roofs extant on the Nakashima Complex. While several other buildings on site employ these warped roofs, the rate of deterioration of the plywood assemblies is not fully understood.

This ...

Towards A Critical Contemporary Design In Historic Settings: Reclaiming The Inherent Relationship Between The Old And The New, Reclaiming Continuity In Differentiation, Shuxin Wu

Theses (Historic Preservation)

Contemporary design in historic settings is a public concern as it fundamentally impacts the protection of historic resources, which specifically refers to new constructions in historical and existing context. At the core of design in historic settings lies the issues of studying, interpreting, and expressing the relationship between the old and the new. This thesis intends to address some of the limitations in how architectural designers approach these issues in historic settings and propose alternative design strategies. The strategies include analysis and methodology to integrate preservation philosophies with architectural design. They aim to produce new designs in historic settings which ...

Great Adaptations: Shaping The Future Of Historic Preservation In Philadelphia Through An Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, Violette Harrington Levy

Theses (Historic Preservation)

Widespread vacancy and long-term disinvestment in neighborhoods across the City of Philadelphia have left historic preservation efforts and opportunities at a crossroads. The properties currently listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places represent only a small fraction of the city’s built fabric that is eligible for such recognition. Therefore, it is crucial for the City of Philadelphia to look towards the future, and develop a strategy that will encourage more opportunities for historic preservation to take place. This thesis asserts that Philadelphia would benefit from enacting an Adaptive Reuse Ordinance, which would both allow for and encourage expanded ...

Examining Slavery's Architectural Finishes: The Importance Of Interdisciplinary Investigations Of Humble Spaces, Rebekah Zubaida Yousaf

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This thesis studies the evidence of architectural finishes in slave dwellings as a vehicle for understanding their lives, experiences and culture. Reviewing the finishes analyses of slave quarters in eight case studies, the author examines evidence of original finishes and observes how they can inform our understanding of slavery, including the possibility of a transfer of color traditions from Africa. The author also considers architectural and archaeological investigations performed on slave dwellings as a supplement to understanding these spaces and the use of African culture as a form of cultural resistance. The limited but important evidence underlines the need for ...

When A Little Goes A Long Way: Tracking The Historic Preservation Fund & Its Impact On The Field Of Historic Preservation, Tarsha Sydney Wilson

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) is a federal grant-in-aid program stemming from the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. It is authorized at $150 million annually with funds deposited from Outer Continental Shelf oil lease revenues. The fund is reauthorized by Congress periodically with apportionment mandated by the National Park Service under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior. Despite being authorized for $150 million, the fund has never been fully appropriated with lows of $25-$26 million and highs reaching close to $90 million. Research for this impact assessment required scouring newspaper archives within the historic preservation field ...

Building Organizational Capacity For Preventive Conservation, Elizabeth C. Tumbull

Theses (Historic Preservation)

Despite a centuries-old call for the incremental care of historic sites, stewards remain challenged to embrace a proactive philosophy for building preservation. This philosophy, termed “preventive conservation,” is not only a technical strategy for enabling the long-term preservation of historic resources, but is also an effective approach to historic site management. Through semi-structured interviews with thirteen stewards of historic sites across the United States, this thesis addresses the question: how can organizations build sufficient capacity for successful implementation of preventive conservation? First, the pursuant analysis reveals that capacity for preventive conservation is limited by inconsistently applied terminology, both within and ...

Preserving Under Triple Dilemmas: Study On The Jinyang National Archaeological Site Park, Zhongpei Qin

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This thesis introduces a new preservation type in China — the National Archaeological Site Park (abbreviated as NASP). With a special concern on the Jinyang NASP, this study summarizes the historical significance of the Jinyang archaeological site and reveals the mounting threatens to the site, which is posted by the massive urbanization and the aggressive developmental strategy prompted by the local leader, Mayor Geng.

Taking the Jinyang site and Mayor Geng as an example, this research explores the complicated issues residing in the preservation fields of China. Viewing from the dimension of government, society and individual respectively, the author argues that ...

A Conservation Study Of The Naulakha Pavilion At Lahore Fort, Pakistan, Noor Jehan Sadiq

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This research is a conservation study of the marble elements of the Naulakha Pavilion at the Lahore Fort in Pakistan, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The scope of work includes the two sets of adjoining jalis (lattice screens) on either side of the pavilion, that are self-supporting. The jalis along with the decorative veneer of the pavilion, both employ Makrana marble (from Rajasthan, India), more commonly known for its use in the Taj Mahal, India. Currently, the marble displays a wide array of deterioration including cracking, granular disintegration, and deformation that in several areas has led to dimensional ...

Choosing How To Remember: Negative Heritage And Values-Centered Preservation, Evan Schueckler

Theses (Historic Preservation)

Preserving sites of negative heritage poses particular challenges. The changeful nature of heritage can lead to “dissonance in heritage,” which can result in friction between groups connected to a given piece of heritage, impeding decision-making around preservation. A key issue for sites of negative heritage is therefore not what sort of preservation approach should be employed, but rather how stakeholder groups influence the approach. Values-centered preservation is an important means of navigating tension between different groups. It centers on realizing multiple different values and integrating engagement into decision-making and ongoing management, promoting stakeholder participation.

This thesis analyzes examples of a ...

Replicating The Palette From Pierre-Franҫois Tingry’S The Painter’S And Colourman’S Complete Guide, Kelsey Britt

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This thesis addresses the replication of house paints with period methods and materials as described in the third edition of Pierre-Franҫois Tingry’s (1743-1821) treatise, The Painter’s and Colourman’s Complete Guide (1830). Drawing on documentary sources, conservation and preservation literature, and previous examples of paint replication, it examines the historic materials and methods of preparing oil-based house paints and explores possibilities of accurate paint replication. It also considers paint treatises as an important source of information for understanding historic paints and discusses the history of paint replication in the U.S., including the current interest in replicating historic ...

Thriving Cities: How To Define, Apply, And Measure Well-Being At Scale, Jaclyn Gaffaney

Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Capstone Projects

What is a thriving city? Is it even possible to raise the well-being of an entire city, and why bother? Recent advancements in positive psychology have made it possible to define, measure, and increase well-being on a much larger scale. This provides an unprecedented opportunity for cities to explore well-being. In order to increase the well-being of the city – cities will need to think carefully about what that means, why it is important, and how they will do it. This capstone posits that cities can define what well-being means for themselves inclusive of: the target (the city, individuals, or other ...

Preserving Large Farming Landscapes: The Case Of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Thomas L. Daniels, Lauren Payne-Riley

Departmental Papers (City and Regional Planning)

Preserving large farming landscapes is one of the main goals of farmland preservation programs. Other goals include protecting highly productive soils, maintaining and enhancing the local farming economy, and promoting locally produced fresh food. Farmland preservation programs take time, however, because of the hefty funding requirements and the detailed process of preserving farmland through the acquisition of conservation easements by purchase or donation. The standard measures of dollars spent and farmland acres preserved do not give an accurate picture of the spatial outcomes of preservation and preservation effectiveness. Three other measures better reflect the spatial effectiveness of farmland preservation: acreage ...

Inundated: Holistically Improving Institutional Coordination And Crisis Management Following Superstorm Sandy, James Rausse

Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics Theses

This Capstone analyzes institutional coordination and crisis management efforts surrounding Superstorm Sandy in the New York Metropolitan Area. It argues that response and recovery efforts were inconsistent, and at times ineffective, due to the lack of utilizing a holistic and systems thinking approach. Using the Rockaway Peninsula as a fractal exemplar of the region, this document identifies ways to improve preparation, response and recovery in a resilient fashion through improving communication, establishing trust, overcoming cognitive biases, creating a greater linkage between disaster planning and emergency management, and leveraging tools such as risk analysis and needs assessments. Through institutional coordination, crisis ...

Rethinking Preservation At Fort Union National Monument, Silvia Callegari

Theses (Historic Preservation)

This thesis examines past and current preservation techniques at Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico in light of increasing threats from climate change, inadequate stabilization practices, and diminishing agency resources, and aims to make recommendations for future preservation work at the site. Fort Union National Monument is the largest existing earthen ruin in North America and historically served as an active military fort and depot on the Santa Fe Trail between 1851-1891. The fort was abandoned in 1891, pillaged by locals for materials, and prior to the stabilization of the site in 1956, the adobe walls were left to weather ...

Testing And Evaluation Of Soil Based Grouts For The Adhesion Of Consolidated And Un-Consolidated Painted Lime Plaster At The Mission San José De Tumacácori, Nicole M. Declet Díaz

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The interior decorative painting at Mission San Jose de Tumacácori is a rare survival of late 18th century-early 19th century artistic traditions of northern Sonora and the Kino mission churches. Despite earlier attempts to stabilize these finishes, the original painted lime plaster has continued to detach from the adobe substrate. Previous techniques to stabilize the paintings began with research by J. Rutherford Gettens in 1949-1952 and subsequent attempts in 1984 to reattach detached plaster have proven ineffective. The current research evaluates soil-based injection grouting in order to adhere the loose plaster on the nave and sanctuary walls. Earthen grouts were ...

Using Agriculture As An Interpretive Management Strategy At Grant Kohrs National Historic Site To Tie Together Historical Significance And Natural Resource Conservation, Garrett Richardson

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The core question being investigated within the scope of this thesis is how does Grant Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site tie use an interpretive management involving agriculture to tie together historic significance and natural resource conservation? In order to establish a firm knowledge of the site, a visit to the ranch that included site documentation, investigation, and interviewing of staff members was conducted in October 2016. The type of interpretation conveyed to visitors at GRKO is unique, but what makes GRKO really special is that visitors have unrestricted access to the entire site. This allows for the purest form of ...

An Examination And Condition Assessment Of Robert Winthrop Chanler's Pool Grotto Ceiling Mural At Vizcaya, Miami, Lucy Midelfort

Theses (Historic Preservation)

The following thesis addresses the state of conservation of the exterior ceiling mural by Robert Chanler at Vizcaya, the 1916 winter home of James Deering in Miami, Florida. The fantastical depiction of shimmering fish and delicately glazed high relief seashells painted on the ceiling of the pool grotto has deteriorated greatly over time, so much that only ~10% of the original surfaces remain visible today. No comprehensive documentation of the conditions of the ceiling exists, yet the ceiling is a rare example of the artist’s mural work and after having undergone a variety of under-documented interventions, it still impresses ...