Preservation as a Design Discipline: How to Think like a Preservation Architect

When Malcolm Holzman, FAIA, served as Chair of the AIA National Design Awards Jury, he posed a provocative question: Do preservation projects truly demonstrate architectural design at the highest level? This program takes up that challenge.

Drawing from decades of practice, Bob Loversidge, FAIA will unpack the core principles that define preservation as a rigorous design discipline. Attendees will learn how preservation architects evaluate existing buildings, navigate design review and code requirements, integrate contemporary systems and technologies into historic structures, and craft design interventions that extend the life and relevance of cultural resources. Through case studies and practical frameworks, this session reframes preservation as a forward-looking design practice that shapes the future of our built heritage.

Approved for 1.5 AIA LU HSW

About the Speaker

Bob Loversidge, FAIA is an award-winning preservation design architect and the retired CEO of Schooley Caldwell in Columbus. He is a past chair of the AIA’s National Historic Resources Committee and a recipient of the AIA Ohio Gold Medal. Loversidge is a graduate of OSU’s Knowlton School and a Distinguished Alumnus of the College of Engineering. While at Schooley Caldwell he was principal-in-charge of the restoration of the Ohio Statehouse, where he still serves as an advisor, and the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, home to the Supreme Court of Ohio, along with numerous preservation projects in Ohio and across the country.