News & Events

preservation award for "In Memoriam, Carlson Terrace, 1957-2007"

Ethel Goodstein-Murphree has received the 2011 Ned Shank Award for Outstanding Preservation Publication from the Historic Preservation Alliance of Arkansas for her article, “In Memoriam, Carlson Terrace, 1957-2007.”

This article, published in Preservation Education and Research, the journal of the National Council for Preservation Education, examines the challenges of preserving mid-century modern architecture through a case study of how this project designed by Edward Durell Stone was lost. Built in three phases between 1957 and 1964, Carlson Terrace offered functional, low-cost housing to accommodate the influx of married students who flocked to the campus early in the post-World War II era. For 50 years, Carlson Terrace was called “home” by generations of University of Arkansas students. But after falling into disrepair, it was razed in 2007, adding to a growing list of works by the Fayetteville native that have been demolished or irrevocably altered.

Ethel Goodstein-Murphree is associate dean and professor of architecture in the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Goodstein-Murphree is strong advocate for the preservation of mid-century modern architecture. Please see the entire news release

See also a very interesting video on You Tube called “Clean Lines, Open Spaces: A View of Mid-Century Modern Architecture” that Professor Goodstein-Murphree served as architectural advisor.

conference: Society of Architectural Historians-Detroit

What: Society of Architectural Historians
Where: Detroit
When: April 18-22, 2012
Program and further information

The Society of Architectural Historians is a group that resonates fully with the emphasis on placemaking that is key to Michigan’s future because buildings are among the most significant ingredients of “place.” At the recent 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans, there was buzz about coming to Detroit. Members already know that the City has magnificent buildings – from early 19th century remnants to stunning Mid-Century Moderns – because they know the auto industry produced wealth unparalleled by any other city of its time. Those influencing the look of Detroit were carmakers shaping American taste and on the cutting-edge of everything from architectural style to materials to color. Other manufacturing cities also produced wealth, but it was one thing to make steel, construct railroad cars, and assemble cash registers, and quite another to be sculpting the American automobile – the direct route to the national psyche with promises of freedom and speed.

– Janet Kreger, 2012 SAH Annual Conference Local Committee

discussion: Defining the Relationship–Alden B. Dow and Frank Lloyd Wright

Defining the Relationship: Alden B. Dow and Frank Lloyd Wright

Perhaps you know that Alden B. Dow studied under Frank Lloyd Wright for a short time. Perhaps you see similarities in their architectural style. But how close was their relationship? How much influence did Wright actually have on Dow? What was life like at the Taliesin Fellowship? What controversy ensued when Dow was awarded the Phoenix Civic Center over Wright?

Join us for a special event where we address these questions. Watch movies Dow took at Taliesin, read original letters between Dow and Wright, see the unique gifts that Wright sent Dow, and much more!

Where: Alden B. Dow Home and Studio, Midland, Michigan
When: Saturday March 3rd or Sunday March 4th.
Time: 1:00pm – 3:00pm
$25 Adults, $20 Students

Spaces are limited and reservations are required. Please call (989) 839-2744 to make your reservation today!

NOTE: This is not an a2modern event but, an event we thought the group would like to know about. Please call the Dow Home and Studio for information 989-839-2744.

symposium: wood in the 21st century–design and preservation of contemporary + historic architecture

WOOD IN THE 21st CENTURY: Design and Preservation of
Contemporary & Historic Architecture

When: Saturday, March 24 – Sunday, March 25, 2012

Organized by
• Technology & Conservation
• MIT Department of Architecture’s Building Technology Program
• Boston Society of Architects/AIA’s Historic Resources Committee

This important symposium will be held on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Speakers include over 30 noted architects, engineers, conservators, and researchers. Continuing education credits will be available –16 HSW/SD units for the March 24-25 program and 6 additional HSW/SD units for the optional March 26 program (offered at no additional charge to conference attendees). Registration fee before Jan. 30, 2012 is $450 per person; after Jan. 30 the fee is $525 per person. (Registration fee includes the conference program, two luncheons, and a reception.) Below are details on the topics to be covered, the speakers, a call for posters, hotel information, and the conference registration form.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
SATURDAY, March 24, 2012
7:30-8:15 am Check-in
8:15-8:25 Welcome, Susan E. Schur, Hon. AIA, FAPT, Publisher-Editor, Technology & Conservation, and Prof. John Ochsendorf, MIT Department of Architecture
8:25-9:15 Perspectives – Historical-Styles, etc., Giles Downes, RIBA, Partner, Sidell Gibson Architects; Sr. Warden, Carpenters’ Company; and Governor, The Building Crafts College
9:15-10:00 Perspectives – Conservation/Restoration/Repair, Dr. David T. Yeomans, ACS Consulting Structural Engineers; and a past Chair, ICOMOS UK Wood Committee
10:00-10:15 Lessons Learned from Historic Construction, Matthew B. Bronski, PE, Senior Project Manager, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
10:15-10:30 Coffee Break + Posters
Developments in Technology & Materials – Properties, Structure, & Attachment
10:30-11:00 Uses of Wood in the 21st Century: Understanding Sustainable Wood Products from the Forest to the Finished Product, Dr. Scott Bowe, Professor & Wood Products Specialist, Russell Labs, University of Wisconsin – Madison
11:00-11:25 Mechanical & Structural Properties – including Fire and Life Safety, Dr. Ben Brungraber, PE, President, Fire Tower Engineered Timber, Inc.
11:25-11:50 Water, Wood, and Walls: Addressing the Envelope, Dr. Samuel V. Glass, Research Physical Scientist, Building Moisture & Durability, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
11:50-12:20 Biodegradation and Treatment, Dr. Brian R. Ridout, Entomologist & Senior Architectural Conservator, English Heritage
12:20-12:30 Q&A
12:30-2:10 Luncheon – MIT Faculty Club
Investigative Tools
2:10-2:25 Resistance Drilling, IR, and Ultrasonic, John Wathne, PE, President, Structures-North
2:25-2:40 Microscopic ID, Philip L. Westover, PE, Staff Consultant, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc.
2:40-2:55 Dendrochronology, Dr. Daniel Miles, FSA, Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory
2:55-3:10 Performance of Light-Frame Buildings in Extreme Events: Wind and Seismic, Prof. John W. van de Lindt, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Alabama
3:10-3:25 Coffee Break + Posters
Conservation/Preservation of Buildings/Building Types Constructed from Early Times Up Through the 20th Century
3:25-3:55 Athletic Facilities, Paul Fast, PE, PIStructE, PEng, Struct.Eng., Managing Partner, Fast + Epp
3:55-4:15 Military & Cultural Buildings: Designing on the Edge, Ronald W. Anthony, President and Wood Scientist, Anthony & Associates, Inc.
4:15-4:30 Wood in Traditional Japanese Architecture, Prof. Alice Y. Tseng, Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of History of Art & Architecture, Boston University
4:30-4:45 Gamble House, Kelly Sutherlin McLeod, Kelly Sutherlin McLeod Architecture, Inc.
4:45-5:00 Providing Information on Vernacular Wood Structures, Ronald W. Anthony, President and Wood Scientist, Anthony & Associates, Inc.
5:00-5:15 The Wooden Tomb Chamber in Tumulus MM at Gordion in Turkey, Prof. Richard F. Liebhart, Archeologist
5:15-5:20 On Wood Architectural Fragments, William C.S. Remsen, RA, Chief Preservation Architect, International Preservation Associates, Inc.
5:20-5:35 Historic Wooden Religious Structures, Nat Crosby, Bruner/Cott & Associates
5:35-6:05 Two Viewpoints – Building Framer and Sawyer, Jan Lewandoski, Principal, Restoration and Traditional Building; Dean Copeland, Copeland and Sons Lumber Co.
6:05-6:20 Covered Wood Bridges, Arnold M. Graton Jr., JR Graton Historic Restoration LLC
6:20-6:30 Q&A
6:30-8:00 Reception – The Cambridge Marriott Hotel

SUNDAY. March 25, 2012
7:30-8:00 am Relevant Film
New Technologies, New Methods of Retaining/Achieving Architectural Concepts
8:00-8:30 am Philosophical/Aesthetic Aspects (including wood in combination with other materials), David N.Fixler, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, Design and Preservation, EYP Architecture & Engineering Inc.
8:30-9:15 Developments – Computer Modeling, Wood-Concrete Composites, Dr. Peggi Clouston, Assoc. Professor, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Dept. of Environmental Conservation
9:15-10:00 Energy and Sustainability Aspects of Wood (including certification), Jack Mackin, Chief Operating Officer, F.D. Sterritt Lumber Co.
10:00-10:10 Q&A
10:10-10:25 Coffee Break + Posters
10:25-10:55 Finishes and Coatings – Factory and On Site, Jon Graystone, Principal Research Scientist, Paint Research Association
Bringing Wood into 21st Century Architectural Design & Ornamentation
10:55-11:50 Arches, Grids, and Shells for 21st Century Architecture, Michael Dickson, FREng, FIStructE, Founding Partner/Senior Consultant, Buro Happold; and Visiting Professor, Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, University of Bath, UK
11:50-12:05 Q&A
12:05-2:00 Luncheon – MIT Faculty Club
2:00-2:30 Improved Wood Composites, Prof. Stephen Shaler, Associate Director, Advanced Engineered Wood Composites Center, and Program Coordinator, Wood Science & Technology, University of Maine
2:30-2:50 Religious Buildings including Bigelow Chapel (MN) and Lakewood Garden Mausoleum, Joan Soranno, FAIA, Design Principal/Vice-President, HGA
2:50-3:35 Cross Laminated Timber and Other Engineered Wood Structures, Simon Smith, Director, Ramboll UK; Design Teaching Fellow, Cambridge University; and Director, TRADA UK
3:35-3:50 Coffee Break + Posters
3:50-4:15 Cultural Facility, Shane Burger, Associate/Head of Design Technology USA, Grimshaw Architects PC
4:15-4:50 Implications of Recent Research, Cheryl Ciecko, AIA, ALA, LEED AP, Senior Technical Director, WoodWorks
4:50-5:10 How will New Materials and New Manufacturing Techniques Affect/Impact Design and Conservation Work, John A. Fidler, RIBA, Staff Consultant & Practice Leader, Preservation Technology, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc.
5:10-5:30 Q&A

MONDAY, March 26, 2012– Optional program
8:00am-3:00pm
Focus on maritime use of wood and introducing new systems into existing historic building. Individuals registering for the conference will be able to attend, at no additional cost, the optional program.

HOTEL: For those who require a hotel room, a block of rooms (single and double) have been reserved at the Cambridge Marriott Hotel at the special rate of $159 (plus tax) per night – group booking code for website bookings is: tnctnca. The direct link is: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/boscb?groupCode=tnctnca&app=resvlink&fromDate=3/23/12&toDate=3/27/12. For booking through Central Reservations at 1-888-236-2427, the booking code is TNCC.

CALL FOR POSTERS: Poster presentations on a project or research involving wood performance, detailing, specification, use, care, or repair as well as innovative wood structural design are welcomed. A poster presentation is one 30” x 40” board or two 20” x 30” boards showing project and/or research information relevant to the conference subject matter – exteriors of contemporary and/or historic/traditional wood buildings, buildings incorporating wood as a major element of their design, and other wood structures such as covered bridges and grave markers. An area will be set aside during the conference for the display of posters and discussion. Poster proposals should be submitted, by e-mail, by January 30, 2012 to: ses_tec_con@msn.com.

Contact Information:

A PDF with complete details on the conference including the schedule, call for posters, hotel accommodations, continuing education credits (16 HSW/SD CE credits for the March 24-25 conference and 6 additional HSW/SD CE credits for the optional March 26 program), and registration form, can be downloaded at: http://www.architects.org/committees/historic-resources-committee and then clicking “events.” This conference information also is shown below.

If you have any questions on this conference, please contact Susan E. Schur, Hon. AIA, FAPT, Conference Organizer/Chair, tel: 1-617-623-4488; e-mail: ses_tec_con@msn.com.
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event: modern living program

EMU Preservation Research Techniques Presentations

Homeowners and a2modern members are invited to attend presentations about a selection of modern homes designed by significant architects that worked in Ann Arbor neighborhoods – Alden Dow, David Osler, James Livingston, Thomas Tanner, Robert Pond and Tivadar Balogh.

Students in the Eastern Michigan University Historic Preservation Research Techniques course GHPR 602 taught by Dr. Ted Ligibel will present their findings December 8^th and 15^th.  The students have used Public Records and information from the Bentley Historical Library to understand how the property and structures have developed overtime. The research also includes general information about the owners who built or who have subsequently purchased these architectural gems.

The presentations will be in the Whiting room, Bentley Historical Library.

Date:  December 8th and 15th 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This event is co-sponsored by a2modern and the Eastern Michigan University Historic Preservation Program.

Image citation:  Santa’s Icicle House, Tivadar Balogh Papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.  For more information on Bentley Library resources call 734-764-3482 or email bentley.ref@umich.edu.

exhibits: modern in the museums

At the Los Angeles County Art Museum:  California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way

Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design

• Now through January 12, 2012 at Museum of Art and Design, New York

• Crafting Modernism travels to University of Rochester February 16-May 20, 2012
  Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester,New York
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workshop: free MHPN event 12/2-3, 2011

HISTORIC PRESERVATION WORKSHOP
YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN
December 2-3, 2011

The Michigan Historic Preservation Network invites you to attend a FREE 2-Day workshop on the historic preservation of homes and small commercial buildings.

Most owners of older and historic homes and small commercial buildings want to maintain and preserve their properties’ historic character, but often don’t know how. Additionally, these same owners want to boost their energy conservation and need to understand lead-based paint hazards. If you are such an owner, come and meet with preservation professionals who will discuss these challenges and offer information and demonstrations to help you on your way. This primer to historic preservation will give you the basics and a framework from which to begin your projects that will result in a well maintained property that showcases its historic character.

Who Should Attend?
Homeowners, Small Commercial Building Owners, and Building Managers

Topics Covered:

Day One: Friday, Dec. 2nd 8:30AM-5:00PM
• Historic Preservation Overview
• Building Assessments
• Weatherization/Conservation
• Lead-Based Paint considerations
• Selecting a Preservation Contractor
• Historic Preservation Tax Credits
Day Two: Saturday, Dec 3rd 8:30AM-5:00PM
Preservation Trades Demonstrations:
• Masonry Cleaning and Restoration
• Window Repair and Weatherization
• Plaster Repair / Paint Finishes
• Ask the Professionals Panel

Location:

Day One: Ladies Literary Club
218 N. Washington St.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Day Two: Eastern Michigan University
Strong Hall Room 239
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Morning and afternoon refreshments will be served each day. Lunch will be on your own. Enjoy one of Ypsilanti’s downtown restaurants.

RSVP:
We hope you can join us for this important event. Admission is free but space is limited, and participants must register in advance. For questions or to RSVP, contact MHPN at admin@mhpn.org or by calling 517-371-8080.

Talk: Celia Bertoia talks about her father, Harry Bertoia, and his legacy

Hear Celia Bertoia talk about her father, Harry Bertoia, and his legacy

Wednesday, November 2, at 5:00 p.m. at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum. Admission is free and open to the public.

I invite you to hear Celia Bertoia describe Harry Bertoia’s work and life in layman’s terms. Experience the sounds, view the monoprints, and feel the power of the man as Celia guides you to experience the world through a great man’s eyes.

Her lecture will include historical facts about Harry Bertoia’s childhood and early artistic talent while growing up in Italy; his move to Detroit and admittance to Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills; making monoprints; his relationship with furniture designers Charles and Ray Eames, and architect like Eero Saarinen; and his energy and passion.

Harry Bertoia died in 1978 but left an enormous legacy of sculptures and drawings. He expressed his love as a jeweler, printmaker, furniture designer, sculptor, and philosopher. Bertoia designed modern chairs, crafted over 50 public sculptures, etched hundreds of monoprints, and welded thousands of art pieces. Bertoia pushed the wave of modern art into an expansive period of exploration of not only visual, but practical and auditory and tactile art.

From delicate jewelry to massive fountains, from an asymmetrical chaise lounge to petite children’s chairs, from detailed graphics to thunderous gongs; this artist took what he infused from Nature’s beauty and transformed it into uplifting experiential pieces.

Celia Bertoia grew up in Pennsylvania, lived in Boulder, CO and Reserve, NM for many years, and settled in Bozeman, MT with her husband in 1996. She has been a competitive runner for 15 years. and placed in the top ten of numerous Ultra Runs (runs longer than a marathon). She has published articles in national magazines and is currently working on a biography of Harry Bertoia. Today she promotes Harry Bertoia’s artwork via the internet and lectures.

Marilyn L. Wheaton
Director
Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum

Click here for more information on the lecture.

lecture series: Detroit Architecture Between the Wars

Before Yamasaki | Detroit Architecture Between the Wars
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 7:00–8:30 pm Helen L. DeRoy Auditorium Room 146 (1st floor)
5203 Cass Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48202

The lecture is free and open to the public; registration is requested.
To register, please visit http://events.wayne.edu/2011/10/11/wsu-yamasaki-legacy-lecture-series-35026/

Parking is available at the WSU Parking Structure #1 (corner of Cass and Palmer)
The Yamasaki Lecture Series is supported by the WSU Office of the Vice-President for Research
John Gallagher
The guest speaker for the lecture is John Gallagher. He is a veteran journalist and author whose latest book, Reimagining Detroit: Opportunities for Redefining an American City, was named by the Huffington Post as among the best social and political books of 2010. John is a native of New York City. He joined the Detroit Free Press in 1987 to cover urban and economic redevelopment efforts in Detroit and Michigan, a post which he still holds. His other books include Great Architecture of Michigan and, as co-author, AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. John and his wife, Sheu-Jane, live along Detroit’s east riverfront.
This lecture looks at the transition from historical styles to mid-century modernism that took place in the 1920s and 1930s through buildings as diverse as the Detroit Yacht Club, the Fox Theatre, and the Elwood Bar & Grill that serve as examples of styles prominent during this period. These varying styles led to the emergence of a mid-century modernism in buildings like Cranbrook’s Museum and Library, which ultimately paved the way for Yamasaki’s distinct work.

See also poster for the event YamaLectureGallagher11x17

Historic Preservation Workshop: 10/8/11

Historic Preservation Workshop:
Preparing Nominations for the National Register of Historic Places
and the National Historic Landmarks Program

Saturday, October 8, 2011
10 am to 12 noon
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
1150 Beal Avenue (for directions, see http://bentley.umich.edu/general/visiting/)

Interested in learning about the nomination process for the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmarks Program? Come to this workshop with Alexandra M. Lord, Branch Chief of the National Historic Landmarks Program of the National Park Service. Lord will explain how properties are determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NR) and for designation as a National Historic Landmark (NHL), how the programs’ criteria are applied, and how to assess the historical significance and integrity of a property. She will discuss the steps involved in researching and writing a nomination, and describe what information should be provided to State Historic Preservation Offices and the National Park Service as part of the nomination process.

This workshop is free and open to the public. Please register by sending an email to Shelly Rettell, Events and Administrative Assistant at the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, University of Michigan at rrettell@umich.edu (or call 734-615-7400).

This workshop is sponsored by the Public History Initiative of the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, University of Michigan; the Washtenaw County Historical Society; and the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.