West Palm Beach, December 2022 Schedule

PREVIOUS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
DECEMBER 14-15, 2022

West Palm Beach, FL
At the Kravis Center's Cohen Pavilion
701 Okeechobee Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

8:00 AM Continental Breakfast, Networking with Sponsors

9:00 AM Welcome and Introductions

9:15 -10:15 AM

Palm Beach Mediterranean: Residential Design and Proportion for Well-being

Speaker: Richard Sammons, RA, Chief Designer, Fairfax & Sammons Architects, LLC; New York and Palm Beach

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Historic and contemporary architecture in and around Palm Beach uses many forms and materials adapted from historic Mediterranean architecture. This session will explore why this architectural vocabulary endures and offers so many benefits for residences that must take advantage of the best of this tropical climate while withstanding the worst of storms that can damage it. An emphasis on occupant comfort will be shared along with the importance of good proportions in designing for this climate and setting.

Learning Objectives:

10:15-10:45 am Networking Break

10:45 am - noon

Preserving the Integrity of the American Front Porch

Speaker: Thomas C. Tidwell (Chris), Vice President Sales and Marketing, Aeratis Porch Products

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Gain an understanding of why traditional building materials seem to be failing more rapidly when used in creating exterior living space. Explore how to overcome the challenges of specifying, constructing, and maintaining porches, balconies, and exterior living space. Develop an understanding of how to create iconic, sustainable exterior living space to meet the demands for single family, multi-family, commercial and government projects.

11:50 AM – 12:55 PM Lunch and Networking

12:55 PM – 2:00 PM

Inventing Antiquity: Allusion and Illusion in the Architecture of Palm Beach and Beyond

Speaker: Beth Dunlop, Author, Architecture Critic, Architectural Historian , Miami, FL

1 AIA Learning Unit

An abundance of sunshine, vast wealth, and great architects brought Palm Beach to the forefront of American culture after the end of World War I, starting with the storied work of Addison Mizner. This legacy continues in the designs of traditional architects today.

This session will explore the origins of development in Palm Beach, the key architects who established an identity for Palm Beach and a discussion of how this architectural legacy is carried on. The speaker, author of the recent Rizzoli book, Addison Mizner: Architect of Fantasy and Romance will also share current research on a Miami Beach neighborhood that was an extension of Palm Beach for midwestern industrialists.

Learning Objectives:

2:00- 2:10 PM Stretch Break

2:10- 2:45 PM

The Anatomy of a New Spanish Mediterranean Style Home

Speaker: Phillip James Dodd Bespoke Residential Design, Greenwich, CT

.5 AIA Learning Unit

This session is a case study of a new Spanish Mediterranean Home that won the prestigious 2022 Schuler Architectural Award presented by the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. The Elizabeth L. and John H. Schuler Award was founded in 2005 to recognize achievement in new architecture that expresses superior design and complements the architectural history of Palm Beach.

The speaker will explore the delicate balance of drawing inspiration from the past while meeting the needs of families in the 21st century. The architectural legacy of Maurice Fatio, Addison Mizner, John Volk, and Marion Sims Wyeth is found throughout this project. The design respects the historical tradition of the neighborhood, capitalizes on proximity to the ocean and gives the family areas that transition from formal to relaxed - which is expressed through architectural detailing and a traditional palette of building materials.

Learning Objectives:

2:45-3:10 PM Networking Break

3:10 PM Depart for Tour. Note traffic is unpredictable- We could return as late as 6:00 pm to the Kravis Center. Please register in advance. Limited to 26 participants. THIS TOUR IS FULL.

Bus and Walking Tour: Exploring Lake Worth’s Cottage District

Guides: Anne Fairfax, Architect, Fairfax & Sammons, Palm Beach and Richard Stowe

1.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Units

Lake Worth is home to 1,000 cottages- the largest concentration of cottages in a single community in the United States. Most were built with climate response in mind before technology came into common use. Many feature traditional architectural forms- gable and hip roofs, extended eaves, operable windows, porches that work well in defense of extreme heat, humidity, rain, and damaging storms. They also respond well to the virtues of the South Florida climate: sunshine, warmth, and ocean breezes. Compact, small-scale neighborhoods encourage walking because they are pedestrian friendly. Many of the cottages were built with durable, old-growth Dade County pine. This tour will give you an opportunity to examine one of South Florida’s best-preserved towns.

Learning Objectives:

3:20 PM- 4:30 PM

Successful Design Review Strategies

Speaker: Aimee Sunny, Director of Education, Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL

1 AIA Learning Unit

Whether working in a local historic district or locally landmarked property, special care must be taken to continue the protection of local resources. Projects that involve historic preservation, additions, or infill new construction must meet local design review standards or guidelines in order to be successful. In this session, the visual impact of alterations to a historic building will be evaluated in terms of protecting historic fabric, features, lighting, signage, materials, and compatibility with adjacent structures. The ultimate goals are to protect the historic character of historic buildings, streetscapes, and neighborhoods, while allowing for compatible health, safety, welfare and design alterations to meet the occupants’ needs. There are many questions that design professionals, contractors and specialty artisans must address in order for a project to receive a certificate of appropriateness or design approval. This session will draw on local and national examples to illustrate common problems and solutions for successfully navigating the design review process.

Learning Objectives

8:00 AM Continental Breakfast, Networking with Sponsors

9:00 AM Welcome and Introductions

9:15 -10:15 AM

Mitigating Hurricane Damage: Window and Door Design and Fabrication

Speaker: Russ Oliveri, President, Oliveri Windows and Doors, Palm Beach, FL

This course has been submitted to the AIA for credit review.

The architectural elements of windows and doors that meet impact and debris provisions in codes are an important part of an overall strategy for buildings to mitigate the damage inflicted by hurricanes. This session will describe the methods to build windows and doors that are designed to meet stringent requirements.

Learning Objectives:

10:15- 10:45 Networking Break

10:45 AM - Noon

Designing New Traditional Coastal Buildings

Speaker: Gary Brewer AIA, Partner, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, New York, NY

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

As cities grow there is often an increased demand for multifamily residential buildings within established neighborhoods, and particularly in coastal cities, both private- and public- use recreational areas along the waterfront have become essential to successful urban environments. With communities on both the East and West coasts of the United States historically being among the first places settled, carrying forward the established architectural heritage of these places in the design of new buildings meant to accommodate increasing population densities is often challenged by the additional layer of ever-evolving issues surrounding climate-change.

Some coastal cities—often those founded as industrial, shipping centers—have been tasked with repurposing entire urban districts for modern city living. Ultimately, designing a successful traditional building in a coastal community in the 21st century is dependent on finding the right combination of resiliency, accessibility and placemaking. This session will explore the design intent of commercial, single-family, and multi-family buildings in coastal communities, with an emphasis on the climate strategies necessary to achieve a resilient traditional building design that responds to its urban context.

Learning Objectives

12:00-12:55 PM Lunch and Networking

12:55 - 2:00 PM

Livable and Walkable: Place Making in the Palm Beaches-Historic Buildings as Anchors

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Speaker: Rick Gonzalez, AIA, President, REG Architects, West Palm Beach, FL

Palm Beach County has a rich concentration of historic and new buildings that respect historical precedent. Early mixed-use projects from the 1920s are models for today’s live/workspaces. There is a concentration of what is broadly called Mediterranean Revival and it endures; it draws heavily from the architectural traditions of Spain, Italy, the Caribbean Islands and English building practice. The buildings were and continue to be dependent on skilled craftspeople. Place making includes historic preservation as well as in-fill. It involves a purposeful effort to serve all people, encourage social interaction and well-being. It builds upon the assets of a community and strengthens them through thoughtful design.

Learning Objectives:

2:00-2:10 PM Stretch break

2:10- 2:45 PM

The Assessment and Treatment of Two Cast Stone Fountains from the 1920’s in Palm Beach, Florida: Technical and Theoretical Issues in the Preservation of Aged Cast Stone.

Speaker: Mark Rabinowitz; FAIC, FAAR, FAPT; President, Evergreene Architectural Arts, Brooklyn, NY

.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Palm Beach, Florida became one of the premier, winter playgrounds for America’s elite after it was developed in the 1920’s in a Mediterranean Revival style. Grand houses, hotels, public buildings and, particularly, fountains were built of cast stone and concrete to resemble the original Spanish and Italian stone inspirations. As these structures are approaching their centennial, the inherent vulnerability of the material: erosion of the soft concrete; carbonation of the paste and resulting deterioration of embedded iron; exposure to aerosol salts from the marine environment; damages from impact, wear and the occasional hurricane; and poor quality of previous interventions, has left many requiring substantial reconstruction. These conditions are particularly acute in fountains, where the constant exposure to chemically treated water exacerbates the issues. This session will focus on the assessment, analysis and treatment of two public fountains there: the main fountain at the Breakers Hotel and the Town Hall Fountain by Addison Mizner, architect of many of Palm Beaches’ finest structures. After extensive study and review, both fountains were restored. This session will present the testing that was performed, the plans that were developed, and the resulting treatments, including overcoming the technical challenges of preserving the original material. One particular point of interest that will be covered is the ethical question of replication versus restoration of original materials and design and how each fountain addressed this in somewhat different ways.

Learning Objectives:

2:45-3:10 pm Networking Break

3:10 PM Depart for Tours. Note traffic is unpredictable- We could return as late as 6:00 pm to the Kravis Center. Choose one of the following tours. Advanced registration required. Limited attendance for each.

Choose one – Bus (or trolley) and walking for each:

1.) West Palm Beach- Architectural Insights Tour. THIS TOUR IS FULL.

Guide: Rick Gonzalez, AIA, President, REG Architects, West Palm Beach, FL

1.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Units

This walking tour will examine a range of historic structures from the early to mid-20^th century in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. The itinerary will include the 1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse now the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, historic Clematis Street, the Comeau and Harvey Buildings ( 1926 and 1925). These building survived many hurricanes including the 1928 hurricane. Along the way, local preservation architect Rick Gonzalez, AIA, will discuss the history of the neighborhood, point out adaptive building reuse, accessibility for people with disabilities, life and safety code upgrades, and ways in which historic buildings and newer infill buildings work together to foster pedestrian friendliness and social interaction. The visit will include a stop in Centennial Square to view the Clematis Fountain, a newer fountain that continues the area’s tradition of fountains, features lighted displays, and serves as a magnet for people to gather.

Learning Objectives:

2.) From the Archives to the Streets: A Tour

Guides: Katie Jacob, Director of Programming, The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and Marie Penny, Director of Archives, The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach

1.5 AIA Learning Units

This tour will feature a visit to the archives of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach where participants will view original architectural drawings to provide context for a walk from the Foundation Headquarters to Worth Avenue- site of Addison Mizner’s and Paris Singer’s mixed-use plan for residences and business. The Foundation’s archives preserve two collections, the Jack C. Massey Architectural Archives that house a significant collection of large-format architectural drawings, and the Mr. and Mrs. Paul Van der Grift Architectural Image Archives containing historic photographs, slides, and digital image collections. The Foundation’s most precious collections are the architectural drawings of four prominent Palm Beach architects: Marion Sims Wyeth (1889–1982); John L. Volk (1901-1984); Belford W. Shoumate (1903–1991); and Henry K. Harding (1904–1984). The collections contain over 50,000 original renderings, some nearly a century old.

From the foundation headquarters, we will walk to Worth Avenue, designed by Addison Mizner and Paris Singer beginning in 1918 to view the architecture and streetscape of smaller “vias,” part of the original design. Today Worth Avenue is one of the leading retail centers for fashion in the world. Along the way, we will experience the timeline of construction of Worth Avenue – starting with the oldest part by the Lake and continuing block by block through the 1970s. This area showcases some of Palm Beach’s oldest architecture along with new infill construction, including the Foundation’s headquarters which was designed in 2005 by Jeff Smith.

Learning Objectives: