Applying lessons learned from past architectural interventions can help inform better future ones. They can even impact a building’s long-term sustainability. On April 14, 2021 Angel Ayón shared Restoration, Rehabilitation or Replacement strategies, as studied and presented in his book, Reglazing Modernism: Intervention Strategies for Steel Frame Glazed Enclosures.
Hosted by APT Twenty Century-Modern Heritage (APT TC-MH) committee, the webinar explored how new window technologies can improve the performance of decades-old buildings and why staying true to the original design can, in fact, make Modern icons less viable down the road. Combining both building science and historic preservation perspectives, Angel and his coauthors explored a variety of efforts to preserve such mid-century marvels as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum and Walter Gropius’s Fagus Factory.
Angel’s lecture, which attracted more than 200 attendees, follows Kyle Normandin’s review of Reglazing Modernism, recently featured in the APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology, published by the Association for Preservation Technology International. Normandin cites the book’s wide appeal and timely subject matter, pointing out that “Understanding the value of historic constructions and how to protect them is critical…to responsible stewardship of our built environment tomorrow.”