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Historic Resources Committee

Meeting Notes for July 2000

Present: William Barry, Bart Bauer, Chelsea Blanchard, Nick Brooks, Sara Chase, Christina Contis, Ann Marie Delucia, Marilyn Fenollosa, Jack Glassman, David Hart, Brad Horst, Michael Lynch, Ellen Lypsey, Laura Mackaviak, Doug Manley, Colleen Meagher, Marcia Molay, Susan Schur, Beth Sitterly, Erika Tarlin, Eric Ward, Sara Wermiel, David Woodcock, and Vernon Woodworth (and others who may not have signed the attendance sheet).

1. Revision of Chapter 34 - Existing buildings chapter of the state building code: Vernon Woodworth, chairperson of the BSA Codes & Regulations Committee, explained his committee's plans for studying Chapter 34 and recommending revisions. Vernon feels that there is insufficient input from architects in the code-making process, and he wants architects to be more involved. Thus, the CRC will be studying Chapter 34 and recommending improvements. Chapter 34 is unique to Massachusetts, and while Vernon believes it generally works well, there is room for improvement,

  • Seismic provisions: excessive for rehabilitation projects.
  • Language of code: needs to be more precise so that owners and designers can know in advance the code consequences of their decisions. For example, "substantial" rehabilitation triggers the installation of sprinklers; but the determination of whether a job is substantial or not is left to the code official. This leads to uncertainty and inconsistency.
  • When does the new construction code apply?: now, when a planned reuse would put a building in a different use group, it is subject to the code for new construction rather than Ch. 34. BBRS did not intend this and the language should be revised.

    In the discussion, the question of performance-based codes was raised. It was reported that the New Jersey code, which has been promoted as a model by some Massachusetts development interests, incorporates performance-based criteria. But it may be that New Jersey didn't have anything like Chapter 34 when it adopted its rehab code. It was mentioned that APT received a grant to study national model codes and their impact on reuse projects; whether this study had been completed wasn't known.

    Vernon requests architects to send him their concerns and experiences working with Chapter 34, to help the CRC develop their recommendations: avw@rwsullivan.com.

    2. Community Preservation Act: Marcia Molay gave an update on this bill. Little time remained in the legislative session, but the Senate President said there would be an announcement. Marcia didn't know what it would be, but expected something favorable. She will let us know what happens.

    3. American Institute for Conservation (AIC) meeting report: Beth Sitterly of Goody Clancey & Assoc. summarized the highlights of the meeting of the AIC meeting in Philadelphia in June. Foremost, for the HRC, was a presentation on laser cleaning, a technology that has been used in Europe but little in the U.S. Indeed, with only one of these lasers in the U.S., Americans have to rent machines from Europe. Museums have used lasers to clean everything from stones to feathers. With lasers, the patina on an object can be preserved when dirt is removed. Lasers can also be used to document existing conditions in buildings and record objects in three dimensions. The AIC focused more on the use of lasers for small objects rather than for buildings. Moreover, the technology isn't yet practical for buildings. The University of Liverpool is funding development of the laser. In time, it may be a more cost-effective tool for large objects.

    Susan Schur mentioned a recent book on the topic: Martin Cooper, LASER CLEANING IN CONSERVATION: AN INTRODUCTION. This book is available from Susan (order information is at the end of the minutes).

    Other topics at the AIC:

  • Preservation of electronic art and records: perishability of storage media (CDs last 15 years, zip disks 10)
  • Cleaning murals ultrasonically
  • Using a CAD program in a handheld computer to do drawings in the field

    Bill Barry mentioned that Quantapoint software was used at the Boston Public Library to document existing conditions; he says it seemed to produce accurate data and was cost effective. The drawback is that it produces only electronic data, whereas photogrammetry produces hard copy.

    4. APT Update: David Woodcock, President of Association for Preservation Technology (APT), attended our meeting and spoke about APT. He said APT's website will soon contain much that's now in the newsletter, "Communique." APT now has a management organization to handle such things as the website (www.apti.org). The organization is working to make the chapters more active and improve working relations between the chapters and the national leadership. APT is trying to involve students more, and to this end, plans to offer scholarships to young professionals to help them attend APT conferences. The national meeting this year will be in Philadelphia, around the time of the Preserving the Recent Past meeting.

    5. Save Fenway Park: Erika Tarlin, a librarian by day and Fenway Park fanatic by night, gave a pitch to recruit people to assist the Fenway charrette. SFP wants to have a renovation plan ready should the Red Sox owners' proposal for new construction collapse under its own weight. SFP is working with the Boston Architectural Center. Philip Bess will be the lead architect on the charrette, which will flesh out Charles Hagenaugh's plans.

    6. Announcements: Susan Schur announced the Brownstone Conference, March 31-April 1, 2001 in Providence, R.I., on brownstone preservation. Bill Barry mentioned that this year's Richard Morris Hunt fellow will be in Boston in July and that she would like to meet local architects.

    7. November HRC meeting will be downtown: The few people who voiced an opinion preferred to have the HRC meeting in our usual venue, not at Build Boston. So be it.

    8. Member directory online: I've put the member directory online, www.architects/org/hrc/bsa_hrc_members.htm

    Have a look to see if you are there and listed correctly. Changes? Send information to me, Sara Wermiel, at fireproof2@worldnet.att.net. Any changes you send me will be made to the HRC directory only. If there are address changes the BSA should know about, send that information to them. If you don't want to be in the HRC online directory, let me know.

    Next Meeting

    8: 00 a.m., Thursday, September 14, 2000

    The Architects' Building, fifth floor

    52 Broad Street, Boston

     

    Book order information:

    Martin Cooper, LASER CLEANING IN CONSERVATION: AN INTRODUCTION

    Description: An outstanding primer. This book provides the basics of the advantages and limitations of lasers as a practical tool for cleaning in the conservation of works of art and historic properties. Principles of a laser, the use of lasers in removing surface layers, practical laser cleaning with a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and health and safety implications, and case histories involving sculpture, paintings, building elements and surfaces, archeological artifacts, and documents are discussed, as are anticipated future developments. 112 pp., $79.95. (Price in effect until July 31, 2000 - contact Susan to confirm.)

    To order a copy, please send the following:

    -- name, organization, shipping address

    -- title and quantity

    -- book price, PLUS 1st book, H&S charge is $5.50; $1.50 for each additional book; PLUS 5% Massachusetts sales tax if order is to be delivered to a Massachusetts address. (Tax exempt institutions, provide a copy of your tax exempt certificate with order.)

    --payment by check, payable to Susan E. Schur

    Mail order, with check enclosed, to: Susan E. Schur, 76 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143. (Allow 4 to 6 weeks for U.S. and Canada delivery.)