Preserving Modernism!

Principal Christine Lazzaretto discussed the rehabilitation of the Forum in Inglewood as part of the Getty Conservation Institute’s “From the Field: Conserving Southern California's Modern Architecture” event on December 9. The event showcased six recent projects by Los Angeles-area practitioners, each highlighting a different preservation challenge and building type. The Forum illustrates the challenges of preserving and reusing historic sports facilities, a topic that is particularly relevant as modern arenas continue to be threatened or lost. The project team’s success in sensitively updating the Forum for new life was recently recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which awarded the project a Richard H. Driehaus National Preservation Honor Award at its national conference in Savannah, Georgia. 

Left: Christine Lazzaretto speaks at "From the Field: Conserving Southern California's Modern Architecture" at the Getty Center. 

 

HRG commemorates its founding.

Historic Resources Group was established on October 1, 1989. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our founding, we continue to reflect on past projects while preparing for future challenges yet to come. Please take a look at our website, recently revamped to commemorate 25 years of preservation practice. We are also excited to announce our new URL, www.historicresourcesgroup.com!  

 

HRG projects are recognized.

Historic Resources Group has recently been recognized for its work by the Los Angeles Conservancy and the California Preservation Foundation.

The rehabilitation of the iconic Forum sports arena into a premier live performance venue was honored with both a California Preservation Foundation Preservation Design Award and a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts was awarded a CPF Preservation Design Award. The project combines rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office with a state-of-the-art performing arts venue designed by Studio Pali Fekete architects.

The Downtown Women’s Center, which rehabilitated a former shoe factory in downtown Los Angeles for use as housing and a resource center for homeless women, also won a CPF Preservation Design Award.

The Dunbar Hotel, the 1928 African-American luxury hotel that had seen years of decline, won a Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Award for an adaptive reuse project that provides affordable housing for both seniors and families.

Above: Dunbar Hotel, 1928.

 

Molly Iker interns at HRG.

Historic Resources Group had the pleasure of working with intern Molly Iker this past summer, who has since  returned to the University of Delaware to complete her master’s degree in historic preservation. Molly is a Southern California native who received undergraduate degrees in history and instrumental performance from Chapman University in Orange before undertaking graduate studies in preservation. At HRG, Molly worked on a variety of assignments, including historic assessments, a historic structure report for a motion picture studio, and National Register nominations for the University of Southern California, a Mid-century Modern house in La Canada-Flintridge, and a 1920s school in Orange County. Molly was a great asset to the office, and we wish her the best as she completes her studies.

Above: Molly Iker at the 2014 Los Angeles Conservancy Preservation Awards Luncheon.

 

Principals and staff teach at USC.

Historic Resources Group has a long history of involvement with the Heritage Conservation program at the University of Southern California, which can count several HRG principals and staff among its faculty and graduates. At this year’s 22nd Annual Fundamentals of Heritage Conservation Summer Course, Principal Architect Peyton Hall, FAIA, gave several lectures on architectural materials conservation, including one at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Freeman House and one at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Principal Christine Lazzaretto spoke on conservation policy and planning, including discussions of Section 106 review, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs). Finally, Senior Preservation Planner Kari Fowler gave a presentation about SurveyLA and the growing use of GIS database systems in conducting fieldwork for historic resource surveys.

Above: Peyton Hall leads a tour of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts as part of the USC Fundamentals of Heritage Conservation Summer Course.

Side: Kari Fowler speaks on the use of GIS databases in historic surveys as part of the USC Fundamentals of Heritage Conservation Summer Course.