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2011
The American Architectural Foundation and the French Heritage Society Announce 2011 Fellow
January 2011
Robert J. Hotes, AIA, LEED AP, has been selected by the American Architectural Foundation and the French Heritage Society as the 2011 Richard Morris Hunt Fellow.
The Richard Morris Hunt Fellowship, a program of the American Architectural Foundation and the French Heritage Society, is awarded to architects pursuing a career in historic preservation.
“I am extremely excited and honored by this opportunity to broaden my horizons. As the world has grown seemingly smaller, it becomes only truer that study abroad is important for all professions,” says Hotes. A senior associate at John Milner Architects, Inc., Hotes focuses on the restoration and rehabilitation of historic buildings for institutional, governmental, and other non-profit clients. Prior to joining his current firm, he worked for the Philadelphia office of RMJM Hillier as Senior Preservation Architect in the Preservation Architecture Practice Group.
The six-month Hunt Fellowship is named for Richard Morris Hunt, the first American architect to study at the École des Beaux-Arts and one of the most renowned American architects of the 19th century. The Hunt Fellowship alternates each year between a French architect and an American architect and carries a stipend of $25,000. The program is supported in part through a generous gift from the Lafarge Corporation.
As this year’s Hunt Fellow, Hotes intends to study the approaches to “compatibility” and “differentiation” as adopted by French architects and historic preservation professionals when dealing with new design in historic contexts.
“Throughout the development and implementation of theories and standards for historic preservation, architects have faced the issue of how to insert new design into a historic context, whether that means modifications or additions to a historic building or a new building in a historic context or historic district.” The U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, says Hotes, state that any new design “shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features” of the existing historic structure or context. He wants to explore this standard as it is defined and put into practice in France.
“I want to understand how government agencies, architects, preservationists, and others responsible for historic patrimony view this question in France, in hopes of giving greater focus to the issue back in America,” says Hotes.
Incorporating his other professional interests in building technology, environmental sustainability, and architectural conservation, Hotes will also focus on the innovative construction materials and conservation techniques being developed for use in historic contexts. His study will explore the range of viewpoints in France on the design of additions and new construction and the variety of attitudes toward the pre-existing context, from stylistic continuity to striking contrast.
“When designing these new elements,” he asks, “what are the cutting-edge, 21st-century building technologies being used in France?” He will also explore the various approaches and degrees to which architects and preservation professionals either conform to or challenge the issue of compatibility versus differentiation.
“The Hunt Fellowship is very much a two-way exchange, so I hope to give as much as I receive, sharing what I’ve learned in my twenty years of work,” says Hotes. “It’s easy for any architecture professional in the U.S. to become focused solely on what we do here at home. We see international projects in magazines, for example, but the ability to interact directly with the leading preservation architects of France and to investigate their projects in a deeper, more comprehensive way, and then using that experience to inform my own practice back here based on that wider knowledge—that’s what’s important and so unique about the opportunities provided by the Hunt Fellowship.”
2009
Reception for Henry Magaziner, FAIA and Frank Welsh:
Inducted to the 2009 College of Fellows APTI
November 16, 2009
On Monday November 16th the Board and members of APT-DVC celebrated the induction of two distinguished Philadelphia preservationists into the 2009 College of Fellows of the Association for Preservation Technology International at The Athenaeum Philadelphia. The two distinguished members of APT DVC were Henry Magaziner FAIA and Frank Welsh both have been long standing member of the local chapter and have garnered national recognition for the work in Historic Preservation.
Henry Magaziner FAIA was a founding member of APT-DVC in 1985 · His 79 year career spans three major phases: a practicing architect prior to joining the NPS in 1972, the NPS Regional Historical Architect for 16 years, and a writer, advocate, and mentor in the field of historic preservation over the past 21 years. Throughout his career he has been involved in APT at both the local and national level. Contributing significantly to the preservation of historic sites while serving as Regional Historical Architect for the National Parks Service Mid-Atlantic Region.
Frank Welsh began his career at the National Park Service, where he saw a need for developing the field of paint analysis. He opened a private practice in 1974 to provide the public with information that was cutting edge technology. Since 1974, his company has consulted with architects, museums, universities and government agencies on the investigation, restoration and preservation of hundreds of national historic sites and landmark buildings, both nationally and internationally and has significantly furthered the technology, understanding and methodologies for interpreting historic finishes. Frank has published an extensive volume of research and findings in his field, beginning in 1973 and continuing almost annually, having authored twenty-seven articles as well as newsletters to his colleagues in a wide range of publications.
The reception was well attended by members including Rick Ortega and Lonnie Hovey who are also APTI College of Fellows. It is hoped that APT-DVC will be able to nominate future College of Fellows to APTI from our region. Members would like to give special thanks to the Athenaeum for hosting such a wonderful event.
APT-DVC helps move APTI Archives into The Athenaeum in Philadelphia
Lonnie Hovey kindly submitted this news item.
Thanks to everyone, the APT Archives are safely located at the Philadelphia Athenaeum.
Myself, Bill and Connie with APT-DVC volunteers: Charlie Tonetti, Brian Wentz and Christian (from his office) and one other, whose name I did not get. Bruce Laverty and Michael Seneca staff with the Athenaeum were also there to help unload the moving van. With the nine of us we were able to unload the boxes in the truck onto dollies and stack the boxes onto the shelves at the ninth floor in 45 minutes!
I'm happy to report that there is more room for future growth, so please spread the word that we would like to recapture the missing years for the archives! Thanks again for everyone's help.