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CSI: Preservation

Mara Braspenninx :: Monday, July 5th, 2010
The scene opens…a dark dusty room with shag carpeting on the floor, layers of peeling wallpaper on the walls, suspended acoustical tile ceiling above…the crime? A bad 1970’s renovation of an historic structure (imagine horror movie music here). It seems that crime scene investigation shows are on almost every channel lately. While uncovering a historic structure under layers of renovations may not compare to a murder mystery, at times it feels like a forensic investigation to get to the bottom of the changes that have been made over time. One project that comes to mind was a recent restoration at the President Benjamin Harrison Home (PBHH).

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Monday, July 5th, 2010 Uncategorized No Comments

Books to Inspire Young Designers

Mara Braspenninx :: Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Now that the holiday shopping season is officially open, I’ve started thinking again about great children’s books to give as gifts.  There are so many out there to help instill an appreciation for art, architecture, design and planning, and that are intelligent enough that adults don’t usually mind reading them over and over again (in fact, I have given these “children’s ” books as gifts to adults too!).

By engaging children at a young age and instilling in them an appreciation for the aesthetics of the built environment, our future might have fewer mass marketed big box buildings and more unique structures with character that contribute to a sense of place.

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Thursday, December 17th, 2009 Historic Preservation, Uncategorized 1 Comment

What Good Urban Places Teach Us: Civility

Tom Gallagher :: Friday, September 4th, 2009

[THEORY]

All of the discussion of Medicare, insurance companies and public options aside, it is truly a sad indicator of our community wellness when people use their freedom of speech to ensure that others cannot speak freely.  There is no law, nor should there be, that prevents such things.  None-the-less, we all proceed with the unstated accord that everyone involved will act in a civilized manner.   › Continue reading

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