Historic Preservation – Approaching History With Empathy

Today, we are more aware than ever of the importance of our historic built environment. It calls to us to honor it and to realize in every sense the potential of its individual buildings. At Schmidt Associates, and collaborating closely with our clients, we are proud to say not only do we hear the call. We heed it too.

Commanding Respect Demands Specialist Skills

Every historic building should command our respect. Ensuring it does so demands a range of specialist skills that are all well established within the Schmidt Associates’ practice. We have architects with a broad range of experience interpreting the special characteristics of historic buildings. We have engineers who understand the challenges of restoring and protecting their fabric. We are skilled at understanding the needs of the communities in which these buildings contribute to life today. And we are imaginative when it comes to envisaging how they could function tomorrow, to best reward those who have made most effort to protect and conserve them. Perhaps most important of all, while we are respectful always, we never feel overawed by the challenge of engaging with historic buildings. As a result, our vision for them is not limited by the idea they should be seen and experienced as museum pieces. We believe that tradition can live both comfortably and dynamically with innovation. We do not believe that “retro” is the same as genuine respect. As a result, we do not simply “stop the clock” on the historic buildings we work with, leaving them frozen in time. We apply our specialist skills to prepare them for a compelling future.  

Creating Living History

We pride ourselves on developing unique and elegant solutions that honor the history of the existing space, in the context of a successful relationship with the future. To arrive at these solutions at a practical level, we first complete a feasibility study to build a case for each project. Using cutting edge technology, we analyze existing space and visualize what a reinterpreted space might look like. Using 3D modeling, we illustrate how each historic structure can embrace the modern era with new life, while maintaining the unique look and feel of the original building. We build a bridge between past and future, between heritage and the needs of the here and now, and between the fabric of the building and the fabric of the community. We believe this is so much more, and so much more important, than “conservation” and “preservation”. We have the honor to be involved in creating living history.