David Fixler Architecture Planning Preservation

The world is filling up.  The relentless growth in construction since the end of the second world war summons us to both question the wisdom and sustainability of unchecked new growth while at the same time imagining a new paradigm for stewardship and conservation of the built environment. Heretofore, preservation has largely focused on the individual monument or the historic district with an eye to securing a stable future based upon restoration and interventions that intrude as little as possible upon the essential character of the historic fabric.  At the same time, as adaptive use and ‘modernization’ gain traction as strategies for property renewal, there is a growing awareness that the principles that guide work on the existing built environment must continue to evolve, with the understanding that the judicious application of a preservation ethos can add value to all forms of rehabilitation.

How is this done?   In over 30 years of practice, I have concentrated on working with all manner of historic resources, with particular emphasis on properties of the Modern Movement and the recent past.  Preservation is what I term the creative management of change.  Every intervention into an historic structure forever alters its original character – however subtly – and becomes both a baseline and a touchstone for future interpretation and development.  Intelligent change builds on intelligence, and research and assessment are critical first steps to gaining an understanding of any property in order to make the most informed, nuanced rehabilitation decisions.  From this foundation a dialogue emerges that weaves interventions into the original fabric in the manner most appropriate to the scope, program and nature of the resource.