In the day where we all seem to be chasing the next best and newest object, it can appear at times that there is not an equal drive to maintain and preserve what we already possess. Within many cities and towns throughout the United States, the same underlying theme can be found with the quick impulse to tear down the old to make way for the new without concern for the impact to the underlying fabric of the surrounding area. While it certainly can be proven that some buildings either are simply not worth the effort or they do not have the impact to the community, we as a society need to shift and challenge our position of being known as the “throw away” society. Sure, it should be acknowledged that this discussion also applies to so many facets of our daily life that the topic can be pushed and challenged from just about any direction but the dialog many designers face is different from that of the individual in relation to the topic of adaptive reuse and historic restoration. There is also a preface required to clarify that while designers can certainly influence and direct the rebirth of a building, the ultimate responsibility for its continued well-being will rest solely on the shoulders of its owner long after the designers add the final touches; a simple but powerful fact that must be recognized before proceeding on any project.
Over the years of service in the architectural field, experience has given way to the understanding that while historic buildings present a very challenging set of requirements and discoveries, the effort expended in overcoming those challenges also give the greatest opportunity for a designer to really “show off.” Creating and developing a building around a client’s needs with a completely blank canvas requires only the creativity to fill the canvas, but for a designer to take those same needs and blend them into and through an existing building canvas while maintaining an equal sensitivity to the fabric of the building requires a true passion and desire for creativity. It is also true that while historic preservation requires the designer to come with a certain level of knowledge and skill, it also requires a great level of adaptability and fortitude throughout the entire process. The reality that no existing building is exactly the same is typically quickly discovered in every project. While understanding the standard practices of the era of construction can provide guidance, discoveries throughout the process will require both creative solutions along the way providing the opportunity for the designers to show their true resourcefulness and also require a certain flexibility from the owner to trust the process.
These hidden discoveries can appear in any area and size within an existing building and part of the challenge will be the decision on whether they are allowed to continue to be a part of the future story of the building. To highlight an example of such a situation that presented an opportunity to completely re-imagine the overall design of a building project, the images included with this dialog shows an example of a hidden discovery that was found doing an extensive historic restoration and rebirth of an existing building locally. The space had been modified over many decades before finally being donated to a local government who envisioned re-purposing the building to meet their growing needs. During the selective demolition process, four different ceilings were removed from the main floor entry and corridor exposing this defining discovery, which drove the complete redesign of the entire first floor to restore, preserve, and highlight the legacy of the building. Without the proper sensitivity, flexibility, and creative motivation along with the owner’s trust and openness, the expressive soul of the building and spaces that were created would have simply been covered over with another basic, generic ceiling or worse, the loss of the entire building in the name of progress.
There is a dialog that needs to continue within our towns and cities in preserving and protecting the heritage that came before us and is now becoming ours to embrace and carry on to allow future generations to learn from and experience. Let’s start the dialog together today and move toward a common understanding of the importance each of our roles are in this process.
Charles Keefer, AIA
Project Architect and Charleston Branch Manager