Six Lessons Learned on Detailing for Durability from Six Iconic Houses

Please join the ICAA Southern California and Matthew Bronski, P.E., for his AIA-accredited talk: 'Six Lessons Learned on Detailing for Durability from Six Iconic Houses'

Engineer and historic building specialist Matthew Bronski will explore how the details of iconic historic houses, both traditional and modernist, have contributed to their durability (or lack thereof). What can we learn from the successes and failures of these details, not only for preservation, but also for new design?

Restoring an iconic, historic modernist house designed by an internationally acclaimed architect can pose many technical and philosophical challenges for a project team. Often, these buildings have an “Achilles heel detail” where a critical design flaw has not stood the test of time, creating problems such as leakage, deterioration, and structural degradation. In these instances, a key question is: How can we design a repair to succeed where the original failed, while maintaining the master’s design and aesthetics. Conversely, centuries-old iconic historic houses that have stood the test of time often have a few remarkable details that were key to long-term durability. These details have much to teach us about designing for durability, if we only take the time to study them closely and understand why they have worked so well for so long.

In discussing what we can learn from the successes and failures of these design details Mr. Bronski will focus on one key element from six iconic historic houses, analyze why it succeeded or failed, and if it failed, explore the solution his team designed to rectify the problem while respecting and maintaining the historic appearance.

The six houses and their key details are:

1. Palazzetto degli Anguillara (aka Casa di Dante), c. 1450, Rome, Italy (roof to wall transition detail)

2. Paul Revere House, 1680, Boston, MA (enclosure form)

3. Palazzo Braschi, designed by Cosimo Morelli, 1790, Rome, Italy (window surround details)

4. Gropius House, designed by Walter Gropius, 1938, Lincoln, MA (window head and sill details)

5. 9 Ash Street, designed by Philip Johnson, 1942, Cambridge, MA (wall to foundation detail)

6. Zimmerman House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1951, Manchester, NH (clay tile roofing details)

Matthew Bronski, P.E., is a Principal, and the Preservation Technology Practice Leader at Simpson, Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH), where he has practiced for 27 years.

Mr. Bronski holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tulane University, a Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) from the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.S. in Historic Preservation also from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, and a Recognized Professional of the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTi). Matthew has led SGH’s projects on many iconic buildings, including many National Historic Landmarks. He has published over a dozen technical papers, and has served as a guest lecturer or critic at numerous universities, including Harvard, MIT, and Yale. He also serves as an instructor in the Getty Conservation Institute’s annual international course on conserving modern architecture.

Attendance of this webinar earns 1 Learning Unit AIA Credit.

Please respond to this email if you qualify to earn AIA credits, and would like your attendance to be submitted.

Free for ICAA Members

$20 for Non-Members (membership validated post registration)

This event is hosted by an ICAA Chapter. Please check the Chapter website or contact the Chapter directly, for the most up-to-date details including dates, times, and pricing.