Historic Resources Committee

 View Only

Community HTML

Renaissance Schallaburg Figures in a facade

Quick Links

Who we are

The mission of the Historic Resources Committee (HRC) is to identify, understand, and preserve architectural heritage, both nationally and internationally. HRC is engaged in promoting the role of the historic architect within the profession through the development of information and knowledge among members, allied professional organizations, and the public.

Expand all | Collapse all

The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

  • 1.  The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-28-2015 08:47 PM

    How valuable is getting a degree or certificate in Historic Preservation (for an already licensed architect)? For those who hold a degree or certificate, does it help you gain credibility with clients or land additional jobs? How much does the program you enroll in matter?

    ------------------------------
    Marika Snider AIA
    Architect
    Snider Architecture
    Beavercreek OH
    ------------------------------

    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 2.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-29-2015 05:31 PM

    As with anything, I’d say it will help someone with limited experience more than someone with substantial experience. If you’ve done a number of preservation projects, those will speak for themselves.

    ------------------------------
    Thomas Bank AIA
    Principal Architect
    Simply Stated Architecture, P.C.
    Lemoyne PA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 3.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-30-2015 10:29 PM

    A few clients may require that you meet Federal Standard 36 CFR Part 61, but you can gain that through work experience. Definitions of who qualifies are found in the Appendix.

    HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE

    The minimum professional qualifications in historic architecture are a professional degree in architecture or a State license to practice architecture, plus one of the following:

    1. At least one year of graduate study in architectural preservation, American architectural history, preservation planning, or closely related field; or

    2. At least one year of full-time professional experience on historic preservation projects.

    Such graduate study or experience shall include detailed investigations of historic structures, preparation of historic structures research reports, and preparation of plans and specifications for preservation projects.

    That said, it is easier to understand the language of preservation, if you've received an academic introduction to the field, instead of learning along the way. I learned on the job and now I teach, and I know that students coming from a preservation program, plus having architectural credentials, have a leg up on being hired.

    ------------------------------
    Ilene Tyler FAIA
    Owner
    Ilene R Tyler, LLC
    Ann Arbor MI
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 4.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-02-2015 05:34 PM

    A specialized degree helps, but isn't the only path to a successful career in this field.  Our firm has done over 30 certified reabilitations with a founder who managed to get his BA in Architecture without taking an architectural history class.

    ------------------------------
    Ronald Wendle AIA
    Architect
    Wells and Company
    Spokane WA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 5.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-29-2015 06:20 PM

    There is "valuable" in terms of capturing commissions and projects and "valuable" in terms of professional expertise, approach and sensibility.  With respect to the first definition, I have found that the graduate degree (and also a preservation-related job title) have indeed been marketable, and have helped our firm land a few additional projects.  As to the latter definition, adding "value" through additional and specialized training can make all the difference in transforming a "regular" Architect into a Historical Architect.  It's about knowing and understanding enough architectural and construction technology history, developing an intuitive/forensic sense of building pathology -- what holds structures up and what wants to bring them down -- and a collaborative way of working with (preservation) engineers, conservators and other professionals that lets the existing resource be the guide.  Although the historic preservation movement is still often branded as a "no" attitude, we architects can use the problem-solving skills learned in school and in practice to develop "yes" approaches to preservation, adaptive use and new design in historic context.

    Regarding different programs, I would argue that residency and hands-on fieldwork is important; distance learning is much harder to pull off for historic preservation training.

    ------------------------------
    Jack Glassman AIA, LEED AP

    Director of Historic Preservation
    Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, Inc.
    Boston, MA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 6.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-29-2015 09:06 PM

    There are major regulatory, practice and technical differences in preservation that are not covered by licensing. I think the answer to your questions is "yes." A well-rounded program is not just a studio focusing on an historic building, but will encompass all of this. In the end it's about the "value-added" that you bring to the work. 

    ------------------------------
    Joseph Catalano AIA
    Joseph Catalano AIA
    Sierra Madre CA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 7.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-30-2015 05:48 PM

    It's what you know, not what degree or certification you have. I was recently on a Historical Society's committee to select an architect to restore a structure on its property. The architect we chose could look at structural member in the old building and tell us what period in the early 1800s in which it was milled, one of many insights he and his colleagues could offer into preservation and reuse possibilities. Only he pointed out that a stone retaining wall on the property must have been part of a  barn foundation. Why else would it have been there? Duh! And he was able to find an early photo proving a barn in that location. All the firms we interviewed had substantial preservation experience -- all very competent. But that one got the job. And I must add that enthusiasm for  the job counts -- both in winning the  commission and in carrying it out. We never considered degrees or certifications.

    John Morris Dixon, FAIA

    ------------------------------
    John Dixon FAIA
    Editor + Consultant
    Old Greenwich CT
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 8.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-30-2015 06:27 PM

    The largest benefit from my particular graduate certificate program has been a thorough review of the language and federal regulations that govern historic preservation. Knowledge of the Secretary of the Interior's Treatment Standards (a,k,a "The Standards") is extremely valuable when facing a design review board in a historic district. The right choice of language coupled with a tight set of drawings can make a presentation hard to not approve. You will find tax credits go smoothly when written in the correct language. Tax credits go a long way in offsetting costs and often are a selling point when the client is choosing an architect for a project in a historic district.

    A certificate or degree in historic preservation carries a lot of weight in the field and with clients but also qualifies one for preservation work on a federal level. It is however not required. Look up "CFR 36 Pt 61/professional qualification standards" for specific info. 

    You may already be qualified via licensure and experience, but not fluent in the language of "the standards". In that case you may not need a full 18 credit (in my case) certificate program, but a few carefully chosen classes. I think you would find the additional classwork invaluable in the long run.

    ------------------------------
    Gene Greene Assoc. AIA
    Historic Preservation Specialist/Project Designer
    Ekman Design Studio, Inc.
    Littleton CO
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 9.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-01-2015 12:10 PM

    As a plaster preservationist specialist with an undergraduate degree in Architecture and a master's in Urban Design with a focus in HP I would recommend coming at the idea of specialization from two different angles. A degree in HP will give you a great foundation from which to work but it in no way will give you the expertise needed to truly analyze and understand the depth of complexities each unique historic structure will present. The best HP Architects I have worked with over the years have been those that have a great baseline understanding of the structural elements of their project but then who also work hard to bring on experts in their field to truly understand all of the elements at play. Materials science is crucial in the success of a preservation project and many times the amount of information that is so readily available in today's world can be wrong or misleading. 

    ------------------------------
    Lauren Dillon
    Executive Designer
    Master of Plaster Finishing Systems, Inc.
    Columbia SC
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 10.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 09-30-2015 10:51 AM

    Marika:

    If an architect is interested in working on historic buildings, I think a preservation degree or certification is a valuable asset to have to show one's qualification.  The schooling that one can receive in such a program gives you the philosophical background to know the range of treatment approaches (conservation, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, and rehabilitation, or a combination of) and when to apply one treatment over another.  Four additional elements for one's continued learning outside of the classroom is involvement with any or all of these organizations:  AIA's Historic Resources Committee, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Association for Preservation Technology International (www.apti.org), and Society of Architectural Historians.  I joined APT two years out of school and have found their annual conferences and local chapter events to be the most important extension of my learning in school.  I've known several craftsmen and professionals to skip a preservation degree, but through attendance  at many of APTI's training workshops they have gained the skills and background to show completion of the training workshops as certifications.  I encourage you to look into APT and their upcoming training workshops and conference in Kansas City MO the first week of November. 

    ------------------------------
    Lonnie Hovey AIA
    Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP
    Wynnewood PA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 11.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-01-2015 12:21 PM

    A degree in Historic Preservation communicates several things.  First, it speaks to your seriousness and dedication to working with historic resources.  Second, it indicates you have special knowledge and skills in associated technologies and arts. Third, it provides credentials valuable in public relations for both you and your Client to show.

    To one who interviews and hires, these evidences must be demonstrated by application and results—showing practicality, problem solving, good judgment and business-sense.  I have turned away those with good intentions but few skills; those with theory but little flexibility; and those who can't make the leap between academia and practice.  (Sadly, there remains a gap.)

    A Client may be impressed with certification, but portfolio, references and simpatico are equally important.  Sure, all else being equal--and it never is--credentials can make a difference. Like LEED, a title connotes understanding and will, but a smart decision-maker looks deeper for substance.

    As for program...Look into the means and methods applied to field and lab work; understand the chemistry of conservation; get close to the crafts and trades that bring it to life, developing your own complementary set of skills—manual and professional; with historical perspective and empathy for the cultural context, identify examples of success, all the time aware of the temporality of intervention.   And look into yourself for making it sing—your personal approach to preservation as design.

    ------------------------------
    James Rhodes FAIA
    Beacon NY
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 12.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-05-2015 11:29 AM

    I couldn't agree more with Mr. Rhodes comments.  From an employer's point of view, the efficiency and thoroughness of our staff who have degrees or certifications in Historic Preservation is significant compared to those without.  Unfortunately, in our geographic location, there are very few colleges or universities which offer the training.  So, our staff without degrees or certificates are constantly playing catch-up with those who have the training.  You are fortunate to be in a location where there are many options.  By all means, get the training and credentials.   

    ------------------------------
    Jerry Berggren AIA
    Berggren Architects
    Lincoln NE
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 13.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-03-2015 10:03 AM

    I do not have a preservation degree, but it definitely took awhile to learn about the field on the job. Here's an interview that I did with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation where I confirm much of the advice already given: http://www.achp.gov/inclusiveness-constance.html 

    Constance Lai, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, USACE CQM-C
    Manager of Historic Preservation Services
    Grunley Construction Company, Inc. 


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 14.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-05-2015 06:26 PM

    Over the last 30 years our firm has done all manner of restoration, preservation, renovation and adaptive reuse projects on local and state landmark and national register properties. Each project and client has had it's own criteria for experience and  expertise when it came to selection the design professional and the contractor. Additionally I have interviewed many a recent graduate or intern architect with "preservation certificates" or degrees with preservation emphasis. My summary view id that most of the certificates are rarely of the depth and quality that is professionally useful and that many schools are teaching to and for future bureaucrats  rather than the technical skills, detailed study of historic building materials and assemblies that are required of the professional architect. I am not knocking the preservationist as administrator (my wife -BArch + MS Preservation - was a very good one for many years0 but this role as evolved into box checking or managing the political intrigue of upper pay grades by MA and BArch w Cert rather than the application of experience and know how. Like any profession the education is just a starting point for the real learning. I'd take a skilled, traditionally educated young BArch with an genuine appreciation of history and technical insight over most others.  

    ------------------------------
    Mike McGlone AIA
    Alamo Architects
    San Antonio TX
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 15.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-07-2015 10:10 AM

    Lots of good comments and advice here.  I came to preservation totally through project experience, but at times wish I'd had some more formal training.  However, missing from all of the comments is a frank discussion about the cost of a degree or certificate, versus the increase (or lack thereof) of earning potential.  Having this experience may help you or your firm land a project, but there may not be much difference in the pay scale for an architect with or without a preservation degree or certificate.  So do take a look at what you'd spend on this degree, versus what your earnings would be, and whether that matters to you.  It may still be worth it for you to invest in the degree for a variety of other reasons - just don't expect a quick monetary payback.

    ------------------------------
    Katherine Dowdell AIA
    Principal
    Farragut Street Architects
    Philadelphia PA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 16.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-08-2015 07:13 PM

    I would stay local, join a preservation group, volunteer for the Historic District Commission, etc.  You can gain experience and local fame helping houses and buildings on the side for free.  You will pick up valued experience to help you in the firm, promote the firm or yourself, and work to open your own firm.

    ------------------------------
    Nelson B. Nave AIA
    Owner
    Nelson Breech Nave, AIA Architect
    Kalamazoo MI
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 17.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-10-2015 09:19 AM
    I am not sure that "staying local by joining a preservation group to gain experience by working free" is what is best for historic architecture.


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 18.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-12-2015 06:03 PM

    Architects can provide invaluable help to local preservation groups.  Our knowledge of AHJ requirements, our understanding of how the development world operates, our understanding of the political powers works, and our ability to review documents with an experienced eye are all skills we bring to the table.   In return our list of contacts expand and we help protect the communities we value. 

    Too often architects stand on the sidelines of local preservation fights for fear of alienating the AHJ or future development clients.  How can we expect the general public to understand the need for preservation if we are not on the front lines of the fight?

    I joined a local preservation group and provide my "expertise" for free. I have learned a tremendous amount from the grass roots preservationists.  If I had to do it over again I would have gotten a degree in Historic Preservation, but I can donate the professional skills I do have to help the cause and keep learning while I am at it. 


    ------------------------------
    Karen Burditt AIA
    Beyer Blinder Belle
    Silver Spring MD
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 19.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-13-2015 07:22 PM

    Karen & All ---

    While I've done plenty of historic work, I don't recall anything called an "AHJ".....what is that?

    Thanks ---

    Bill Devlin


    ------------------------------
    William Devlin AIA
    William J. Devlin, AIA, Inc.
    Springfield MA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 20.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 05:22 PM

    The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is a building code term referencing the agency or official having regulatory authority over some aspect of the project.  It could be the local building official, state or federal agency depending on who owns the project.

     

    Al Cox, FAIA
    Historic Preservation Manager

    Department of Planning & Zoning
    703 746-3830 direct

    http://alexandriava.gov/Preservation

     




    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 21.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 05:24 PM

    Authorities Having Juristiction

     

     

     

    mm logo

    Charles John, AIA, NCARB, RID

    Principal / Architecture & Design

    HSI Design Group

    10223 McAllister Freeway, Suite 202

    San Antonio, TX  78216

    Phone: 210.308.8484 x 202

    Your source for unlimited service.

     

     




    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 22.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 05:26 PM

    AHJ = Authority Having Jurisdiction.

     

    Cory Trembath Rouillard, AIA, LEED AP

    Associate Partner

    JAN HIRD POKORNY ASSOCIATES, INC.

     

    39 West 37th Street, Floor 12A

    New York, NY 10018

    T: 212-759-6462, Ext. 23

    F: 212-759-6540

    E-Mail: rouillard@jhpokorny.com

     




    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 23.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 05:28 PM


    "AHJ" stands for "Authority Having Jurisdiction."
    ------------------------------
    Angela Holm AIA
    Bollig Engineering and Environmental, Inc.
    Willmar MN
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 24.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 05:39 PM
    Hi,

    In my world, AHJ is an acronym for 'Authority Having Jurisdiction' and applies to the structural fire management officer. 


    --
    Deborah Marcella Rehn, AIA, PMP
    Regional Project Manager / COR

    National Park Service, SERO
    Facility Support Division - 6R50
    100 Alabama Street, S.W.
    Atlanta, Georgia 30303   USA

    PHONE:   404-507-5716
    Fax:  404-562-3257

    2016 NPS Centennial - Connect with and Create the Next Generation of Park Visitors, Supporters, and Advocates




    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 25.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 05:42 PM

     In my world, AHJ is an acronym for 'Authority Having Jurisdiction' and refers to the structural fire management officer, whose role includes inspections and reviews, similar to local fire inspector / code enforcer in the private sector. 

    ------------------------------
    Deborah Rehn AIA
    Architect
    National Park Service
    Atlanta GA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 26.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 07:07 PM

    Bill,

    AHJ is the " Authority Having Jurisdiction," (a term not exclusive to preservation work).


    ------------------------------
    Joseph Catalano AIA
    Joseph Catalano AIA
    Sierra Madre CA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 27.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-15-2015 09:16 AM

    The AHJ  - the Authority Having Jurisdiction….

     

    Tina Rhodes, Sr. Project Manager

    Associate AIA | LEED AP ®

    GENESIS Architectural Design

     




    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 28.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-14-2015 09:12 AM

    I likewise give my time to local municipalities, historic preservation groups and living history museums.  And I have gained knowledge in historic preservation by doing so.  We learn on each project we work on - or should.  But telling a novice to gain their experience in historic preservation by working for free is probably not the best thing for historic architecture.  Unless he/she is not the lead architect on that project but there to learn from and work with more experieced architects and the project itself.

    ------------------------------
    Edward Cazayoux FAIA
    Principal/Architect
    EnvironMental Design
    Breaux Bridge LA
    ------------------------------


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 29.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-12-2015 07:01 PM
    I joined a local preservation group in San Diego many years ago. It was wonderful experience and I ended up restoring two century old railroad depots. One of them earned me a Historic Preservation Award from the local AIA chapter. Then an outrage occurred when San Diego's 1916 vintage downtown railroad station came under attack from a local museum of modern art funded by several millions donated by the areas number one employer. They hired the leading historic preservation architect to lead the project. This was necessary because the old station was protected by both a Federal and State Historic Site designation. This was overcome by convincing the City Council to approve a partial destruction of the station and a major remodel of the rest of it. One end of the station was demolished and a horrid multi story glass box erected in it's place. It was not too good an addition to the one story Spanish tile roofed structure butted up against it.

    To top that off they gutted the adjacent baggage room to make a large art exhibit space. Several massive original oak doors were replaced with modern polished glass with stainless steel hardware. In the baggage room at the time was the largest collection of railroad history in artifacts and paperwork in Southern California. The library of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum was kicked out and forced to pack up their collection with no funding and no appology. History be damned it was way more important to get the art museum to spend their millions in the middle of downtown. I was one of the library volunteers that had to load up several large moving vans where the collection stayed for a decade as the rail museum looked for a new home. High powered political clout and big money trumped history or any attempt at historic preservation. Howling protest by the local rail group could not stop the devastation of the old building or save their railroad library. This is still the all time greatest preservation failure in Southern California. I tried to stop it but was dismissed as one of the "local railroad enthusiasts" along with a few of my fellow architects. Moral: The best intentions and the best historic site protection is sometimes not enough.

    Larry Rose, AIA
    La Mesa, CA


    2024 HRC Taliesin West


  • 30.  RE: The value of degree/certificate in Historic Preservation

    Posted 10-13-2015 07:59 AM
    not sure if this is the correct email for my account, or the one I used earlier today to respond to this topic. I don't have a copy of what I sent, though, so hope I can verify my membership by responding again...

    Membership #30059815


    Ilene R. Tyler, FAIA, FAPT, LEED AP
    Preservation Architect
    ityler@tylertopics.com
    m 734.417.3730


    2024 HRC Taliesin West