Hennebery Eddy Presented a Series of Preservation Workshops to Support Professional Development at the National Park Service
Hennebery Eddy believes in preserving and protecting our national parks for “the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” Partnership with our National Park Service colleagues in more than 20 national parks, monuments, and historic sites is some of our most rewarding work. Together with the NPS Historic Preservation Training Center, a team of experts from our Historic Resources Group developed and led a series of professional development workshops for NPS employees to support their internal development and management of historic preservation projects. The workshops covered best practices for documentation and rehabilitation, drawing on our deep project experience and industry-leading expertise in stewardship planning and sustainable preservation.
NPS staff from a range of parks and focus areas attended four multi-day, hands-on workshops to really dig into the details with our team. Topics covered included understanding and leveraging different types of historic research documents; scoping, budgeting, and construction solicitation for rehab projects; integrating modern code upgrades into historic structures; and design approaches for sustainable preservation. Our team of historic and sustainability experts included David Wark, Josette Katcha, Carole Hamlin, Galen Whalen, Allison Geary, Carin Carlson, and Tim Mitchell. Here, Carin and Tim share their insights.
What was the key takeaway you wanted to share with park staff?
Preserving our parks for future generations is written directly into the NPS mission statement. In our era of climate change, we have to look at both reducing a structure’s impact on the environment (sustainability) and its ability to resist environmental hazards (resiliency). Many people assume that historic buildings are energy inefficient, when in fact most old buildings possess inherently sustainable features. There are of course still opportunities for increasing energy efficiency and bringing them up to current energy- and carbon-reduction goals, but we find there is often hesitation to do this on designated historic structures because of concerns over inappropriate alterations. Our team wanted resource managers to understand that it’s possible to achieve highly efficient, sustainable projects by working with existing building features — and in fact, it’s the best way to make sure our historic and cultural resources will persevere through the effects of climate change.
Why was it important to dive into historic research documents?
Not all documents are created equal, and there’s no point in writing a report that no one can use. Historic research documents used by NPS include Determinations of Eligibility and National Register Nominations, Historic Structure Reports and Treatment Recommendations, and Cultural Landscape Inventories and Reports. Depending on the nature of the resource and proposed projects, a different level or type of document is appropriate. Our team wanted parks staff to really grasp the advantages, limits, and applications of these various resource documents so they can scope documentation projects effectively — to pick the right tool for the job. We also wanted to instill the belief that parks should ask for and expect usable documents from their consultants. When project managers understand the benefits and best practices for these documents, they will hopefully find them much more useful in project planning, design, and construction.
What are the common pitfalls in moving from research documents to project execution?
Once you’ve articulated a project’s objectives — using an appropriate and up-to-date historic research document, of course! — the next hurdle is identifying the right type of architecture/engineering services and deliverables, plus (and this is often overlooked) the right delivery method. So, one pitfall is not knowing how to compile a diverse and highly skilled consultant team that can both support your goals and work with your project constraints. Also, many public agencies are reluctant to try alternative delivery methods that can benefit cost, schedule, and quality because they haven’t had an opportunity to learn about the advantages and processes, so our team really wanted to highlight what’s possible. Finally, it’s so important that project managers understand all the many things that can impact budget and schedule. Certain scopes may require a higher level of code compliance. Stakeholder schedules, weather, review and permitting timelines, product lead times, and contractor availability can all be out of project team control. Realistic planning can help mitigate — and the right team can help you with that.
Which sustainable preservation approaches are most helpful for national park resources?
Any alterations to an historic resource in support of energy efficiency or carbon reduction must comply with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Our process considers certain factors to optimize actions for the greatest return and least building impact. A key part of Hennebery Eddy’s process is to establish project goals to help guide decision-making and make sure we’re all working toward the same target. Our teams also look at the existing and inherent sustainable features and how they can be preserved or improved; energy modeling to establish baseline performance and help target envelope improvements; and designing new elements and systems that respect the character of historic buildings.
The historic buildings in our national parks are treasures. To extend their lifespans, our team aims to understand these structures and their environments, holistically, while providing solutions that integrate historic character with reduced energy use. To learn more about our workshops and other offerings, reach out to the Historic Resources Group.