SUPERSTRUCTURES is pleased to be hosting and co-sponsoring a new continuing education series in conjunction the Brick Industry Association and Hohmann & Barnard. With a shared commitment to continuing education we have developed a year-long curriculum focused on masonry wall systems – their design characteristics, construction detailing, investigation, and restoration. Each session qualifies for one AIA CEU. Our curriculum is as follows:
| DATE 02 / 24 03 / 31 04 / 28 05 / 26 09 / 29 10 / 27 11 / 17 12 / 15 | TOPIC Brick Walls: 101 The Great Divide: What Happens Between the Brick and the Back-up Non-Destructive Testing: Can You Really See Through Walls? Maximizing Energy Efficiency in Masonry Walls Mortar: Materials, Specifying, and Quality Assurance Masonry Restoration & Materials Conservation Rehabilitation: Common Problems and Solutions Brick Masonry Rain Screen Walls |
To register please contact Megan Seid of the Brick Industry Association at mseid@bia.org on, or before, Monday, February 22, 2010.
Director of Conservation’s Work Featured by The Municipal Art Society
The Municipal Art Society of New York has created an online slide show highlighting its Adopt-A-Monument program. We are pleased to note that the presentation cites SUPERSTRUCTURES' Director of Conservation, Joan Berkowitz, for her work orchestrating the restoration of the Heinrich Heine Monument and Fountain on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. This remarkable restoration project is the first of the three case studies presented in the informative review narrated by program director Phyllis Samitz Cohen. To watch the slide show click here.
Years of vandalism and neglect had ravaged the monument and left many of its elaborate sculptural elements broken or missing. Ms. Berkowitz coordinated the disassembly, relocation, re-erection and restoration of the complex fountain, sculpted by Ernst Herter in 1988. Also known as the Lorelei Fountain, the monument honors the German poet Heinrich Heine, whose poem "Die Lorelei" immortalized the mysterious creature of romantic legend. A sculptural group carved in white Tyrolean marble depicts Lorelei seated on a rock in the Rhine River among mermaids, dolphins, and seashells. Restored by the Society through the Adopt-A-Monument program, with a gift from the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, the fountain was moved from its original position in Joyce Kilmer Park to a newly landscaped setting at the sound end of the park.
SUPERSTRUCTURES presents at the Traditional Buildings Conference
Joan Berkowitz our Director of Conservation was a featured speaker at the 2009
Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference March 12, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her AIA- approved continuing education presentation, "Diagnosing & Solving Masonry Failures: From Testing through Effective Project Administration," was geared to well-intentioned owners, architects, designers, contractors who need to know:
· when to call a conservator
· how to understand thoughtful treatment specifications
· how to recognize the value of materials testing
Lessons are illustrated with case studies gleaned from twenty years' experience preserving notable landmarks such as the Chrysler Building, Grant's Tomb, and Federal Reserve Bank. You can learn more about the event at their web site:www. traditionalbuildingshow.com
SUPERSTRUCTURES Staff Member Announces Book Release
SUPERSTRUCTURES is pleased to announce the recent publication edited by one of our very own - conservator Amel Chabbi: Recording, Documentation and Information Management for the Conservation of Heritage Places: Illustrated Examples. This book focuses on case studies from around the world that highlight the successful use of recording tools to assist in conservation. Ms. Chabbi edited these case studies while she was on staff at The Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles, CA. "Amel's work at the Getty was just one of the things that stood out on her resume, so we are happy to celebrate this milestone with her," said Joan Berkowitz, the Firm's Director of Conservation. The book is also available on-line, free of charge, at The Getty Institute's website, and is available in limited printed supply for libraries and educational institutions.
SUPERSTRUCTURES Staff Member Presents At International Conference
Amel Chabbi, SUPERSTRUCTURES conservator, and Professor Frank Matero of the University of Pennsylvania, presented a paper, "Preserving the Texaco Road Map Pavement: the Conservation and Display of a Pop Art Icon," at the annual International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM) conference occurred October 20-26, 2008 in Palermo, Sicily (Italy). The conference is entitled "Conservation: An Act of Discovery" and focuses on how a systematic and full documentation during the process of conservation can deepen one’s understanding of a mosaic, the technique or techniques involved in its execution, its context in which it was found and the historical vicissitudes it has experienced.
The 130-foot-by-166-foot terrazzo replica of a Texaco New York State Road Map was housed in Philip Johnson's New York State Pavilion and was an icon of the World's Fair of 1964-1965. The conservation process was incorporated into an exhibit, "Back on the Map: Revisiting the New York State Pavilion at the 1964-65 World's Fair," on display at the Queens Museum of Art. Four tiles were conserved in an open glass studio built within the museum gallery. Although the ICCM typically features conservation studies of ancient pavements, the Texaco Road Map Pavement conservation project was acknowledged as innovative and groundbreaking because the conservation approach furthers traditional techniques and ethics used in ancient mosaic conservation to address problems related to the conservation and presentation of a modern large-scale terrazzo pavement. If you would like more information on the ICCM and the conference visit their website.
SUPERSTRUCTURES Principal Honored
The Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects (SIAEA) selected SUPERSTRUCTURES Principal Vikrant Sampat, PE as an honoree at their 28th Annual Holiday Dinner Dance held October 25, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. To find out more about the SIAEA and their holiday gala visit their web site: www.siaeany.info.
SUPERSTRUCTURES To Present At APT Montréal 2008
Stephen Gottlieb, AIA, Senior Preservation Architect at SUPERSTRUCTURES, presented his paper, "Habitat '67 in '07," at the annual Association for Preservation (APT) conference October 13-17, 2008 in Montréal, Canada. The conference was entitled "Moving Forward, Looking Back," and Mr. Gottlieb's paper fits in with the overall theme, as it will cover the exterior restoration of architect Moshe Safdie's groundbreaking Habitat '67. Habitat is a pre-fabricated housing complex and landmark located on the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal. Its design was created by Mr. Safdie based on his master's thesis at McGill University and built as part of Expo 67. As a resident of Habitat and an employee of Mr. Safdie in 1969 and 1970, Mr. Gottlieb was a participant on Habitat Israel and Habitat Puerto Rico, and helped edit Mr. Safdie's biography, "Beyond Habitat." Mr. Gottlieb's paper "Habitat '67 in '07" discusses how the concrete boxes were maintained and repaired over the past 40 years, as well as his observations and recommendations for the most recent repair campaign that will keep the buildings structurally sound for the next 40 years. In addition to Mr. Gottlieb, Charu Chaudhry, Amel Chabbi, Andrea Buono and Joan Berkowitz are participating in the Conference. To learn more, check out their web site: www.apti.org
Engineers Without Borders Meets At SUPERSTRUCTURES
SUPERSTRUCTURES hosted the New York Chapter meeting of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) on Wednesday, June 18, 2008. At the meeting, EWB introduced the organization to non-members, gave an overview of their current project: Matunda Site Assessment, and introduce a new project where members of EWB-NY recently traveled to El Salvador with a group of doctors to investigate the start of a public health initiative. The presentation included details on the project and how to get involved as a new volunteer.
EWB is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students. To learn more about EWB check out their web site: www.ewbnewyork.com
SUPERSTRUCTURES Expands Popular Seminar Program - First Ever Evening Sessions Offered
SUPERSTRUCTURES is pleased with the success of its first evening seminar series dedicated to the art of clay masonry for a sustainable environment. Since many of our projects involve brick façade restoration, it was natural that we welcome the Brick Industry Association to offer its AIA certified (HSW) presentations.
