January 31, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Ray Ladd
College of Architecture and Environmental Design
(805) 756-7432
rladd@calpoly.edu
Marga Lamoreaux, student event coordinator
Architectural Engineering Department
(805) 756-1314
marga.lamoreaux@gmail.com
Annual Structural Forum Brings Historic Preservation Experts to Cal Poly Feb. 11
SAN LUIS OBISPO –Three noted speakers will share their experiences and insights into historic preservation and how it relates to structural engineering and design at Cal Poly's 16th Annual Structural Forum on Saturday, Feb. 11.
The free, public lectures will take place on campus as part of a daylong program, “Reinforcing History: Structural Design for Historic Buildings,” beginning at 8:30 a.m. in the Rotunda of Cal Poly's Business Building (Bldg. 03, Room 213).
California State Historic Preservation Officer and Cal Poly architecture graduate M. Wayne Donaldson will present “The Conservation and Seismic Strengthening of Earthen Structures” at 2:10 p.m. The presentation will cover adobe, sod and rammed-earth building types. Over the last 26 years, Donaldson has conserved and seismically strengthened over 100 such structures and has received several awards and honors for his work in the field of historic preservation.
Donaldson will also be the keynote speaker at the evening’s banquet, which will be attended by Cal Poly students and faculty, as well as representatives from the structural engineering profession.
Other lecturers include Cal Poly architectural engineering graduate Eric Stovner who will speak at 9:10 a.m. on “Structural Engineering of Historic Buildings.” He will discuss the designation and structural analysis of historic buildings, archaic materials and systems, performance-based engineering, and codes and guidelines. Stovner’s work includes restoration of Anaheim Stadium and rehabilitation of the Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C. He is senior associate and director of operations with the Orange County office of Miyamoto International, a structural and earthquake engineering firm.
At 10:50 a.m., John Matteo, a structural engineer at Robert Silman Associates in Washington, D.C., will speak on “Approaches to Structural Repair for Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘Fallingwater,’” a project he managed. Matteo’s work emphasizes preservation of historic structures, as well as investigation techniques and design approaches for sensitive re-use, revitalization and restoration. His other notable projects include the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C., and the Museum of Immigration at Ellis Island in New York City.
The forum will end at 3:30 p.m. with a free tour of Cal Poly Architecture
Professor Howard Weisenthal’s Ornamental Building Materials
Exhibit on campus. The exhibit holds Weisenthal’s extensive
and rare collection of brick, terra cotta, and cast iron building
details from the 1880’s to 1930’s. The collection can
be viewed weekdays,
8 a.m.-5p.m., now through Feb. 16, in the lobby of the College of
Architecture and Environmental Design.
The Structural Forum is hosted by Cal Poly’s student chapter
of the Structural Engineers Association of California. “With
so much new development taking place in the U.S. today, it’s
important to maintain the historic structures that helped form our
nation’s history,” said architectural engineering major
Marga Lamoreaux, who organized the event. “The Structural
Forum is an opportunity for both the public and students to learn
how these buildings are being preserved for generations to come.”
For more information, see the Architectural Engineering Department Web site at www.arce.calpoly.edu, or call the department at (805) 756-1314.
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Note to editors: To arrange for an interview with any of the speakers or to receive an event graphic, contact Ray Ladd at the CAED, at (805) 756-7432.