News

2022 Bergen County Historic Preservation Awards

Dedicated on May 31, 1920, the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument is a tribute to the men of Rutherford who sacrificed their lives during World War I. Architectural Preservation Studio prepared a comprehensive evaluation followed by a conservation plan for this World War I monument. Through on-site observations, historical research and laboratory testing, we verified existing conditions and determined the pathology of deterioration within the historic monument. Our goal was to provide a strategy for a holistic intervention that complied with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, as well as in-keeping with the artist’s original intent. We also prepared the successful National Register nomination for the property. The project was implemented in two phases.

 

The cast-stone memorial column is adorned with statuary bronze, including two tablets at the monument’s base. Atop the base are six eagles with interlinking garlands. Crowning the shaft is a bronze quadruped with a glass light fixture resembling a torch flame. Additional lighting fixtures were once installed behind each eagle; however, none of these fixtures remain today. Architectural Preservation Studio designed and oversaw the refurbishment of the existing lighting fixtures, including the torch flame and the recessed fixtures in the base at the eagles. In addition, our staff worked with WASA electrical engineering staff to design the street-side lighting.

 

The cast stone was friable, displaying delaminations and vertical cracking, with some areas having complete loss of material. Repairs included patching with a modified concrete-repair mortar with aggregate to replicate the existing texture and color. There was atmospheric staining, copper staining, biological growth, and calcium-carbonate deposits. Chemical-cleaning was used to clean the bronze and cast stone. The cast stone was then treated with a clear water repellent. Architectural Preservation Studio assisted with the preservation of items in the time capsule stored in the base of the monument as well. Restoration of the paving and drainage system was also implemented. Partial funding for the restoration work was provided by the Bergen County Historic Preservation Trust Fund.


The work of APS was recently recognised by the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs with the 2022 Historic Preservation Awards under Historic Preservation Projects.

Photo by Billy Neumann

NYC DOB Adopts New FISP Rules (2020)

On January 14th, 2020 NYC Buildings Commissioner LaRocca adopted the new Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP) rules. Click the text below for a link to the complete text.

Significant revisions include the following:

  • Close-up inspections at intervals of not more than 60’-0” per the length of the all facades fronting each public right-of-way.

  • Probes performed to inspect masonry ties at cavity-wall buildings at each close-up inspection in every odd cycle (every ten years).

  • Building façade status posted and maintained by Owners in the lobby.

  • Stricter compliance with the time frames noted by the Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) in the FISP report.

  • Increased civil penalties and the addition of a new one for failure to correct Safe with a Repair and Maintenance Program (SWARMP) conditions.

NYC DOB Site Safety Training (SST)

Beginning October 14, 2019, general contractors must post worker safety information signs at construction sites, where site safety training is required.

To determine whether your job site requires safety training, please visit the Site Safety Construction Map and enter your job site address.

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/html/site-safety-construction-map.html

Full information about SST can be found here on the DOB website:https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/sst-safety.page
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/buildings/safety/sst-background-requirements-reports.page

Important Dates to Remember

Workers

  • December 1, 2019 – Workers will need a minimum of 30 hours of training.

  • September 1, 2020 – Workers will need 40 hours of training.

Supervisors

  • December 1, 2019 – Supervisors will need 62 hours of training.

Jerome Receives 2019 AIANYS HH Richardson Award for Public Architecture

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The New York State Chapter of the American Institute of Architect (AIANYS) awarded Pamela Jerome, FAIA, LEEP AP, FAPT, F.US/ICOMOS the prestigious Henry Hobson Richardson Award for Public Architecture as part of the 2019 Excelsior Awards program. The awards were presented on the evening of Tuesday, May 6th, 2019 in Albany, NY at a joint meeting of the AIANYS and the Associated General Contractors of New York State.

Pamela has made a reputation restoring landmark structures. She believes that historic structures anchor communities and provide a sense of place. Her professional work has impacted the public sector by enhancing these attributes. The award committee noted “…Pamela has contributed to the philosophy that will affect New York’s public landmarks for generations to come as well as the physical preservation of some of the state’s most important buildings.” Projects that Pamela has led include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Fallingwater, the historic Breakers and Château-sur-Mer mansions in Newport, RI and Louis Sullivan’s Bayard-Condict building in NYC.

The Henry Hobson Richardson Award recognizes AIA members licensed in NYS and practicing in the private sector who have made a significant contribution to the quality of NYS public architecture and who have established a portfolio of accomplishments to that end. One of the founding fathers of American architecture, Henry Hobson Richardsonian designed many significant public buildings in New York State and the United States. Richardson’s career and body of work exemplify the importance of design excellence in the public sector.

Pamela Jerome elevated to the 2018 AIA College of Fellows

Architectural Preservation Studio is pleased to announce that the 2018 Jury of Fellows from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has elevated Pamela Jerome to its prestigious College of Fellows, an honor awarded to members who have made significant contributions to the architecture profession. Congratulations!

The fellows will be honored at a ceremony on June 22 at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2018 in New York City.!

https://www.aia.org/press-releases/180491-aia-elevates-152-members-and-two-internatio
 

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In Memoriam – Hazel Ephron

June 11, 1938 - January 1, 2016

The partners of Architectural Preservation Studio are saddened by the loss of their mentor, colleague, and friend, Hazel Ephron. Hazel joined Wank Adams Slavin Associates (WASA Studio) in 1974 as an architect, became an Associate in 1980, and was a partner of the firm from 1985 to 2007, working with the Preservation Group past her retirement until 2010. She was an accomplished architect and leader of the firm for both new construction and preservation. Hazel was also a founding member of Professional Women in Construction. She will be missed.

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