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August 2011 / webSPM.com A Peter Li Education Group Publication

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BuildingBlueprints
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Historic Preservations
Preserving the essence of meaning and history, while addressing realities.
By DonalD PenDer, aIa, reFP
Symbolic Values. The historic Robins Hall and its tower at Newport Harbor (Calif.) High School was in need of preservation. But after examination, it was found that the structures were seismically unsafe, some of the areas were not conducive to technological upgrades and the theater could not meet ADA guidelines in a practical way. The solution was to preserve the spirit instead of the actual buildings.

few years ago, I had the honor of leading a design team retained by the Newport Mesa Unified School District (Newport Beach, Calif.) to study renovation possibilities for the citys best-known architectural landmark, the historic Robins Hall at Newport Harbor High School. The 99-foot bell tower and finely detailed faade with classic friezes, pilasters and details have anchored both the community and the school since its original construction in the 1930s. Names scrawled on the towers platform date back to that era, and have been added to by almost every class since. The building houses administration, science labs, classrooms, the school theater and the Heritage Hall museum of school history. As should be the case with any public historic resource, community involvement was central to the process from the earliest programming stages all the way through the completion of construction. One thing was clear from the beginning, this building is a keystone to the community and its place in the community must be preserved. As investigations into the existing building and programming for the renovation progressed, a troubling picture began to emerge. The school district, the designers and the community slowly came to the conclusion that sometimes preservation means more than just keeping the same bricks in place. Sometimes it means preserving the essence of meaning and history, while

addressing the realities of safety, function and economics.

Challenges Point Toward Replacement

Over the course of two years, the design team learned about the many challenges the building faced. First, it was seismically unsafe and would cost much more to rehabilitate than it would cost to reconstruct. Reinforcing bars were found to be inadequate and would not be able to hold the concrete together in a major seismic event. Second, the administration areas and science labs did not function as modern facilities and were extraordinarily difficult to reconfigure because of the nature of the original poured-in-place concrete

construction of the building. Third, the existing theater was in need of a major upgrade, which would also require an elevator to upper level seating, which would affect the appearance of the existing building. Of the many factors pointing toward replacement of the building, the most compelling was the seismic safety issue. The school board immediately closed the
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building and used more than 50 portable classrooms to house the students while it worked toward raising funds for the towers replacement.
one swing and a Resounding Thud

The initial proposal for the new building was to retain the existing faade and bell tower, integrating them into construction for a new, modern school building. Technical problems and uncertainties associated with that idea led to a design modification calling for construction of a completely new building, including a new faade and bell tower. This was a difficult decision. When during demolition the tower fell almost effortlessly, everyone realized replacement was the right decision. To many, it seems as if the existing building was preserved, but the function of the new by far surpasses that of the original. The new faade and bell tower have been embraced by the community as being worthy of their predecessors.
Walls Remain steeped in History

Meeting Needs. The district officials and Newport Harbor community wanted desperately to restore and preserve parts of the 1930s structure of their high school, but after finding that impractical, decided on a modern design that incorporated many of the elements of the former school, while providing the educational flexibility needed for todays teaching methods.

Several details and factors relating to the existing building were worked seamlessly into the new construction. Detailed friezes and pilasters were documented and replicated. Existing floor mosaics and plaques were saved, restored and returned to places of honor within the new building. Two priceless tile mosaic murals composed by renown artists who were working for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Depression era were protected, removed and replaced in a way that made them even more prominent in the lives of students and the community. Several strategies contributing to the success of this project might be relevant when embarking on other projects with similar challenges. First, recognize that public architecture belongs to the community and the community must be involved when considering potential changes. Only then will the community also embrace the solution. Second, prepare detailed documen-

tation of the existing building; this is valuable regardless of the outcome of the design. If it is determined that the building has to be replaced and it is not possible or desirable to retain original aspects of the design, there may be historical value in its documentation. If elements of the existing building are to be incorporated into the new design, then documentation will be the first step toward incorporating those details into the design. Third, study the history of the existing building and its individual artifacts. Numerous details of the existing structure were incorporated into the Robins Hall design. Some were removed and reinstalled. Others were replicated. The existing tile murals at Robins Hall were significant, and historical research led to a full appreciation of the artists lives, careers, techniques and place in history, which helped make the case for a full restoration, and allowed the district to create a plaque honoring the artists. Fourth, in seismically active areas, conduct an analysis of the building and

understand there may be significant conditions that will only be discovered as work proceeds. And lastly, keep in mind that there is a difference between a historic restoration and a replacement honoring the history of an existing building. In a restoration, it may be important to return aspects of major functional parts of a building back to its original condition. In those cases, historical value may outweigh functional needs. In the case of Robins Hall, there were elements of the building that had symbolic value in the community, but the community recognized a need for a modern facility. Equal priority was given to creating modern, functional environments and replacement of the iconic elements of the original structure, the tower and faade.

>> Donald Pender, AIA, REFP has more than

30 years of experience managing large, K-12 school projects. He is a principal at California-based design firm LPA Inc. To contact him, email dpender@lpainc.com.

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