Historic Preservation

Today, few among us would decry the value and importance of historic preservation.  But it took the tragic demise of New York’s original Pennsylvania Station in the 1960s to spur our nation into action, creating our current legislation and municipal ordinances that protect our architectural heritage. 

Over the years, our firm has been engaged in many projects located in historic preservation districts;  projects on properties that date back to the mid 1800s.  These have proved to be some of our most exciting and rewarding projects, and we’ve seen some interesting things.  From horse hair plaster and old growth timbers with hand-chiseled joints, to intricate plaster moldings and a floor assembly filled with 5 tons of dirt, for what we can best assess was an attempt at insulation, there are often extraordinary features in these historical buildings.  And while in most instances clients are excited to preserve the rich character of their homes, they are vexed by the process of review by an historic preservation commission. 

The rich architectural character of historically preserved neighborhoods is one of the very things that makes them desirable communities.  But when it comes to one’s own home, most are reluctant to let an outside board arbitrate on what they can and cannot do to their own property.  In some instances a preconceived notion is embedded before the project begins.  Historic preservation is meant to protect against egregious acts – acts like the demolition of a monument like Penn Station or on a smaller scale like the removal of architectural moldings to make a wood-sided house suitable for vinyl or aluminum cladding, but it can sometimes feel like an attack on one’s sovereignty. 

Despite what are often viewed as subjective aesthetic decisions, there are actually correct and incorrect details associated with each architectural period and style.  New York City’s Landmark Preservation Commission publishes some excellent documentation on restoring rowhouses.  Additionally, Marianne Cusato and Ben Pentreath authored a text suitable for the professional and the lay person alike entitled Get Your House Right : Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid.  These resources are a great place for a homeowner to begin to gauge the suitability of their intentions.

With the help of a good architect, a positive conversation can be struck up between the homeowner and the preservation staff.  The homeowner should approach the project with an understanding that (1) their property is part of a larger neighborhood with a rich context and (2)  they are temporary stewards of a house that long pre-dates them and will long outlast them with an understanding of what their legacy will be.  That said, the preservation staff must also approach the project with reasonable expectations when reviewing proposed designs, considering suitable materials, and understanding the extent of work intended to be executed by the homeowner.

As the owner of a home in an historic district, an architect who regularly represents clients in a similar situation, and a member of an historic preservation commission (HPC), I have seen the process from the eyes of all of the participants.  Ultimately owners are seeking sensibility and a level of parity in the decisions delivered from commissions.

As a member of the HPC in Glen Ridge, I feel it is our responsibility to share the rationale behind our decisions with the homeowner.   Much of the grief associated with historic preservation reviews centers around perceived ambiguity.  Commissions would be well served to provide greater public explanation of both their mission and their approach, helping the process to be less arbitrary.  The appropriateness of a proposed addition or renovation project is often grounded in established principles of architectural design.  The HPC should be seen as a resource and the conversation should focus on building consensus. 

The inherent beauty in historic districts is a salient feature in their appeal to the homeowners who live there.  Maintaining the integrity of that character is a task that requires commitment from all.

ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

“It gives me great pleasure to contribute to the education at my undergraduate alma mater and to the advancement of the discourse on building performance, occupant comfort and ecologically-sound design.”

— Daniel Kopec

Since 2008 Daniel has served on the faculty of the School of Architecture at NJIT where his area of focus is Building Systems and Technologies.  He lectures on topics such as Heating, Cooling, Ventilation, Lighting, Acoustics, Fire Protection and other miscellaneous systems.  This year he was presented with the Adjunct Professor Excellence in Teaching Award in recognition of his efforts.  

Modern Wood 02 - Exterior Woodwork

Wood isn’t only used for framing.  It has also, historically, been a significant material for roof and wall cladding, windows, doors, and exterior trim – all of which are exposed to the harshness of an exterior environment.  On the east coast – old growth pine and spruce were serviceable materials for exterior woodwork, especially when finished with paint.  Cedar as well – most frequently Western Red Cedar (WRC) – fares well when either painted or left unfinished.  When faced with the need for a painted finish, many are reluctant to incur the cost of WRC.  With proper care, and quality material, pine and spruce can still be used.  The Ward Clapboard Mill in Vermont (http://www.wardclapboard.com/index.html) has been milling quartersawn spruce clapboards for over 150 years, and we’ve been using them with great success for years (See Hawthorne Avenue Residence in the Projects section as one example).

More often than not, it is the trim elements that pose the greatest challenge.  Trim components like drip edges and watertables are designed to help shed water.  These are the very elements that must stand up to the harsh abuse of rain and snow as well as large swings in temperature and humidity.  The building industry has recognized the desire for long-lasting, maintenance free products and PVC trim and other composites have flooded the market in recent years.  To the untrained eye, PVC trim boards can look authentic.  They are also not subject to attack by insects or rot in the way that wood is, so they excel in locations, such as near the ground, where these issues are increased.  However, PVC is not inexpensive, it tends to move when exposed to temperature fluctuations, and it is not exactly an environmentally-sensitive material. 

When it comes to exterior woodwork, we have 4 products we tend to use and like :

Northern white cedar.  It’s difficult to find in your average lumber yard.  We were fortunate to have a direct link to a mill in northern Maine that feed us material for a few jobs.  The wood priced out very favorably when compared to Western Red Cedar.  It was easy to work, took a finish well, and has been in service on my own house for nearly 8 years – still with the original paint.

Windsor One +Protected.  The folks at WindsorOne have applied a belt-and-suspenders approach to real wood.  With a penetrating preservative and several factory-applied coats of primer, they warranty their product for 30 years against damage from insects, mold and rot.  The fact that its real wood and its American-made ring true to us.

https://www.windsorone.com/

Boral TruExterior.  Boral, an Australian-based company, produces an exterior trim board fabricated from fly ash – the waste product of coal combustion.  It has replaced PVC trim materials in our specifications when the potential for water damage is significant – like ground contact.  Like PVC it resists damage from insects, is hygrophobic (does not absorb water), and is rated for ground contact.  But what makes it a clear winner over PVC is its low rate of thermal expansion.  Limited movement from thermal expansion as well as minimal movement from humidity fluctuation means that the finish will last a long time – longer perhaps than on real wood.  While it’s not real wood, the fact that it is a recycled material made essentially from trash, should satisfy your environmental altruism.  Boral TruExterior is available in trim stock and siding profiles.  It also prices out favorably against most PVC options.

http://www.boralamerica.com/truexterior

Acetylated Wood.  Chemistry was the one subject that gave me fits in school, but I don’t need to understand the process here to recognize that the result is a superb material.  By exposing the wood to acetic anhydride (essentially a dilute vinegar solution), the cell structure in the wood undergoes a transformation whereby the molecular structure of the cellulose is changed, resulting in a vast reduction in its ability to absorb water.  Just like the Boral material, this means the material will not move as much as untreated wood (superior dimensional stability) resulting in a longer lasting paint finish.  The chemical process also renders the material incapable of being digested by enzymes (aka – resistant to rot).  Warrantied for 50 yrs in above ground applications and 25 yrs when in the ground, the material is guaranteed to perform far better than any untreated timber.  Accoya – the company that is leading the production of acetylated wood – produces material that is suitable for use as siding, trim, structural components and use in the construction of elements like windows and doors.  The product prices out at the high end of all of the options – but when real wood is required – like in many historic preservation applications – or when the wood is meant to be left either unfinished or with a translucent stain, it stands out.  The payback on the initial cost is earned back in the long life of the product.

http://www.accoya.com/