Historic Preservation
You cannot design a responsible intervention into a building you have not measured. Preservation work starts with an accurate record of what is actually there, including the parts that were never drawn in the first place.
Existing conditions documentation
We produce measured drawings of the building as it stands: plans, elevations, sections and details recorded from the fabric rather than from whatever drawings happen to have survived.
Where the geometry justifies it we work from laser scan or photogrammetry data and register the point cloud to a survey control, so later phases of work all sit in the same coordinate system.
Documentation is accompanied by a photographic record keyed to the drawings, and by a material survey noting condition, previous repairs, and the alterations that have accumulated over the building's life.
Working to the Standards
Design support is developed against the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation: retain what is significant, repair rather than replace where repair is possible, and make new work legible as new work without competing with the original.
We prepare the drawings and narrative that review boards and state historic preservation offices ask for, including before-and-after comparisons and clear identification of what is being retained, repaired and replaced.
New work in a historic context
Additions, infill and adaptive reuse are where most of the argument happens. We document the existing fabric precisely enough that the design conversation can be about the intervention rather than about what is actually there.
For projects pursuing historic tax credits, accurate documentation early is what keeps the application from unravelling later.
What you get
- Measured drawings of existing conditions
- Keyed photographic record
- Material and condition survey
- Point cloud or photogrammetry data where used
- Drawings and narrative for preservation review submissions
- Design support for additions and adaptive reuse
Questions
Do you do the review board presentation?
We prepare the drawings, comparisons and narrative, and we support the team presenting. The application is usually submitted by the architect of record.
How accurate is the measured documentation?
Hand-measured work is typically within a quarter inch; scanned work is tighter. We state the method and tolerance on the drawings so nobody has to guess.
Can you work on a building that is still occupied?
Yes. Survey work is scheduled around the occupant, and in most cases a building can stay in use throughout documentation.