In November I had the privilege of attending the Association for Preservation Technology

International's yearly conference in Providence, Rhode Island. Through the APT DC chapter, I received the Emerging Professional Scholarship Award, which sponsored my attendance to the conference.

The conference was structured around three central themes: "Water: Building Strength from Vulnerability," "Craft: Traditional Craftmanship in a Technical World," and "Architecture: Fabric of Industry and Innovation." As I recently completed my graduate thesis work on the preservation of historic lighthouses and the impacts of climate change, I was particularly excited to attend the "Water" sessions and learn more about coastal resilience projects. I greatly enjoyed learning about the India Basin Waterfront Park, in which a San Francisco coastal industrial site was developed into a public park through equitable, community-driven e/orts. The effects of global warming on historic architecture was a common thread amongst many of the “Water” presentations given the threat it poses to coastal infrastructure.

The conference also highlighted several preservation engineering projects, including several by my firm, TYLin. I attended a lecture on the restoration of the Great Dome at St. Bartholomew's Church, for which TYLin provided engineering services. The ornate guastavino dome was facing issues with shrinkage cracking and mortar deterioration, as well as degradation of the steel compression ring in the dome. Made possible by the erection of a complex scaffolding system, the church now has a completely revamped waterproofing system and all new decorative tiling.

Great Dome at St. Bartholomew's Church before and after restoration efforts

I also had the pleasure of attending Margaret Cowie's and Derek Trelstad's lecture, "Defying & Defining Gravity: Using Modern and Archaic Analysis Methods as Tools for Structural Preservation of Guastavino Vaults." They discussed the complex analysis of guastavino vaults, ranging from graphic statics methodologies to advanced FEM tools. Margaret explained the process of studying these vaults and approaches to repair and preservation, using case studies from Michigan Central Station and Buffalo Central Terminal.

The day of presentations culminated in a keynote speech by Jonathan Bell of the World Monuments Fund. Bell presented a fascinating talk on the relationship between historic monuments and water. One highlight from this talk was a discussion of the role of preservation in water scarcity crises, exploring a case study in Kathmandu. A recent project in Kathmandu Valley sought to restore historic water structures known as ‘hitis,’ some of which were constructed as early as the 6th century. By restoring and maintaining the hitis, local residents were able to use them as sources of clean water. Bell emphasized how preservation technology can play a crucial role in global water stress issues with existing historic infrastructure that can be adapted or restored to serve populations in need.

Another exciting event at the conference was the PETC student masonry arch competition. Three teams of college students built arches from a variety of materials, and the arches were load tested until failure. Columbia’s lightweight triangular arch (pictured on the bottom) ended up taking first place!

PETC Student Masonry Arches Competition

Finally, I took time between sessions to explore historic Providence. The conference kicked off in the first Baptist church in the United States (see first two images below), and the downtown historic district had an assortment of lovely architecture.

The EPSP scholarship was a wonderful opportunity to network and broaden my preservation horizons, and I look forward to more APT events!

Interior of the First Baptist Church

First Baptist Church’s historic organ