Browsing by Subject "Preservation"
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Item Building on the past : architectural design at archaeological sites(2009-05) Tyson, Erin Renée; Holleran, MichaelAt archaeological sites around the world, architectural interventions utilizing distinctly modern materials and designs have provided solutions for protection from environmental impacts, control of visitors’ access to ruins and presentation of historic remains to the public. In various contexts, reliance on the modern has resulted in educational opportunities and emotional experiences for visitors that would not have been possible using traditional modes of reconstruction. The incorporation of in situ archaeological remains into a modern building often enhances the phenomenological potential of the ruins while sacrificing positivist presentations of them. Many European countries have seen different examples of creative applications of modern architecture for the presentation of excavated sites. My thesis focuses on several European prototypes of the modern architecture–archaeological remains hybrid type, surveying how contrast in materials and stylistic breaks between new and old enhance visitor’s experiences. The prevalence and promise of modern architectural design at archaeological sites calls for the clear identification of the emerging type in order to promote it as a bona fide option for meeting preservation challenges. The classification requires the intervention rely on distinctly modern materials and construction methods, offer a stark contrast between new and old fabric, enhance the archaeology and foster understanding of the remains. The prototype studies point to the following benefits of enveloping ruins in a modern structure: nontraditional materials often lead to less literal, more open-ended presentations that promote discovery, transparency and spanning potential provide a broad range of possibilities for protection and interpretation, a dialogue between past and present allows for creative expressions about temporal relationships, and the appearance of decay enhances the phenomenological impact of the site.Item Collaborative practices employed by collectors, creators, scholars, and collecting institutions for the benefit of recorded sound collections(2014-12) Vanden Dries, William Robert; Clement, Tanya ElizabethThere is a long history of collaboration between private collectors and collecting institutions. Literature that discusses collaboration between these two groups typically focuses on the donation or sale of a private collection to an institution. Existing research focuses less often on the collaborative practices these two groups use to create, preserve, and access their recording collections. Furthermore, there is no scholarly work that aggregates known public-private collaborative practices. As a result, these additional practices are consistently underdeveloped and underutilized. For the first time, this thesis compiles a list of collaborative practices employed by private collectors and collecting institutions. Data was gathered through a literature review and a series of semi-structured interviews with private collectors and information professionals working with recorded sound collections. The constant comparative method of qualitative analysis was used to analyze the data. This thesis finds and discusses twelve collaborative practices employed by private collectors and information professionals. This study also discusses factors that encourage and discourage the use of these collaborative practices, the potential for their continued use, and ways in which future studies can extend the exploratory research of this study. This study’s findings contribute to the efforts of both private collectors and collecting institutions to preserve and provide access to the vast body of sound recordings documenting the multitude of historic and cultural perspectives necessary for scholarly and personal research.Item Downtown revitalization in Texas: the intersection of the Main Street and Historic Courthouse Preservation Programs(2014-05) Oehlerking, Marie Ellen; Holleran, MichaelThe two most successful preservation initiatives in Texas are the Main Street Program (TMSP) and the Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP). A downtown revitalization strategy and grant fund program respectively, the initiatives are structurally different. However, they inevitably affect the same communities. The two organizations have never combined forces to achieve their goals, but the potential to integrate efforts could lead to reviving many more Texas communities. This study investigates the question: how can the TMSP and THCPP coordinate to create stronger preservation efforts in counties across the state? The program processes were analyzed to better understand the mechanisms used to carry out each initiative at the state and local level. Then, twelve case study cities were evaluated in order to understand the interactions at the local level. Interviews with program professionals, occupancy surveys, and reinvestment statistics were used to discern these effects. Through the interventions of both programs, all twelve cities have seen a decrease in vacancy ratings and an increase in rehabilitation projects. However, no Main Street program had any input into their local courthouse restoration. Alternatively, the courthouse restoration boosts local pride and ownership in the surrounding community, but these results are just “snow ball” effects; the restoration does not consider its impact on the greater community. The investigation also shows that rural communities rely more on the courthouse square to function as a traditional county seat, while suburban communities are transitioning their courthouses into new uses. Coordinating the TMSP and THCPP initiatives and creating preservation efforts at the county level could result in the successful revitalization of more rural communities across Texas, who could not achieve it on their own.Item Fate of the Houston skyline : stategies adopted for rehabilitating mid-century modern high-rises(2014) Srinivasan, Urmila; Holleran, MichaelA recent report by Terrapin Bright Green “Mid-century (Un) Modern” discusses the desperate condition of mid-century modern high-rises in Manhattan. The article argues that it would be beneficial both economically and environmentally to demolish these buildings and build new ones with an assumed increase in FAR. To re-build, repair or re-skin are the questions Mid-century Modern High-rises (MMH) face today. This study focuses on Houston, Texas, which is very different from New York City both climatically and from a planning stand point. It is dreaded for its hot and humid climate and notorious for its consistent refusal to adopt any zoning. These high-rises in Houston represent the economic success of the city immediately after WWII. These buildings were constructed as the city transformed from the Bayou City to the Space city. In this study I have mapped the status of these high-rises and the strategies that were used to renovate them. The questions I further wish to address are how preservation or energy efficiency are addressed while renovating these buildings. Even preservationists might agree that all buildings are not equal and a new look would benefit some. The real challenge lies in resolving the grey areas, where one is not talking about a Seagram or a Lever House, but a well designed environmentally sensitive building.Item The Gaines-Oliphint house preservation report(2006-12) McKenzie, Grace Chantal; Holleran, MichaelThis historic preservation report focuses on the Gaines-Oliphint house in Sabine County, Texas. The first part of the report establishes the geographic and historic context of the home. Next, the report concentrates on establishing significance of the Gaines- Oliphint house based on the National Register’s criteria through both an association with a significant person in history and architectural characteristics representative of a particular time and style. Finally, the report outlines a preliminary conditions assessment of the Gaines-Oliphint house followed by recommendations for stabilization, preservation and restoration of the home.Item A heritage tourism preservation plan for Mogao Grottoes, PR. China(2012-08) Du, Yuanjing, 1981-; Holleran, Michael; Long, Christopher (Christopher Alan), 1957-The Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Mogao Caves or the Thousand Buddhas Caves, is located at the southeast of Dunhuang, northwestern China. It is a very important cultural heritage site on the Silk Road and was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Mogao Grottoes is a Buddhist shrine with 45,000 square meters of wall paintings and 3,000 sculptures within 492 cave temples from the 4th to 14th centuries; it is also known as the world’s largest existing cave temple with the richest content of Buddhist art. In 1900, the Library Cave was discovered, in which more than 50,000 well-preserved manuscripts, silk paintings, and other relics of important academic research value were. With its long history and profound culture, Mogao Grottoes became a hot tourist destination in China. A growing numbers of visitors, especially in recent years, bring great challenges for heritage preservation and tourism at Mogao. Dunhuang Academy developed a preservation and utilization project in order to cope with this conflict between preservation and tourism, ensure the heritage is well, and develop sustainable tourism. This paper analyzes the current visitor management methods and the risks from visitors and evaluates the proposals for cave carrying capacity, visitor capacity management, visitor flow management, and a visitor center, including the good points of each and the potential problems associated with the caves preservation, site security, and visitors’ experiences. Finally, the paper discusses the overall project and proposes a recommendation for visitor management and developing sustainable tourism at Mogao Grottoes.Item Historic preservation and disaster resilience : flooding in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico(2015-05) Lule-Hurtado, Gibrán N.; Holleran, Michael; Ibarra-Sevilla, BenjamínSantiago de Querétaro is a UNESCO World Heritage City in central Mexico experiencing exacerbating rates of flooding in its historic center due to increased uphill urbanization overwhelming the aging drainage infrastructure. Historic districts are important economic drivers and shrines of heritage that should be considered when planning for disaster resiliency. This Report explores flood mitigation considerations for historic structures and districts, identifying those best suited for Querétaro and can be implemented at the parcel, district, or public administrative levels.Item Interactions and contradictions of preservation and modernization : the case of Isfahan, Iran(2014-05) Azizkhani, Mehdi; Holleran, Michael; Long, Christopher AThis Thesis addresses the meaning, the origins, and the formation of preservation in Isfahan, Iran, in relation to the state’s modernization process. In the course of this narrative the internal and external forces stemming from the interaction and contradiction between local and global values, traditionalism and modernism, their advocates, and the changeful socio-political geography of place within a fast process of urban development will be discussed to answer the question. The findings show that in contrast to the formation of preservation within and through a course of modernism movement in West—although first opposed and then integral to modernism— in Iran, generally, and Isfahan, particularly, this is the preservation’s thought which develops modernism—first integral and then opposed to preservation. The findings suggest that preservation and modernization in Iran interact with each other through three main conduits. These include tomb architecture, industrialization of the city, and the imported modernism mainly through American urban plans. In the case of tomb architecture we observe an interaction between modernization and preservation, while as in the case of other two subjects the contradiction is more dominant. This contradiction, however, as we explore in Pahlavi II founded and developed the theory and practice of preservation in Iran. The focus of the current study is on Isfahan which distinguishes it from other similar studies on Iran.Item Measurement of fluid properties in organic-rich shales(2015-12) Jung, Chang Min; Sharma, Mukul M.; Chenevert, Martin E.; van Oort, Eric; Balhoff, Matthew; El Mohtar , ChadiThe primary objective of this study is to develop and improve water-based drilling fluids and fracturing fluids for organic rich shale reservoirs by using nanoparticles and to gain fundamental insight into water and oil flow in shales. This dissertation presents results for several shale formations in the US, namely the Barnett shale, the Eagle Ford shale, the Utica shale, and the Bakken shale. The research discussed here presents new methods for studying the interaction between various fluids and organic-rich shale and the development of proper methods to measure apparent and relative permeability of shale. First of all, we show how the petrophysical properties of shales are changed when they are poorly preserved. Experiments were performed to measure important petrophysical properties such as porosity, density, weight change, hardness, wave velocity and permeability before and after shale samples dried-out. The large differences in shale properties between preserved and un-preserved samples as reported herein, clearly indicate that shales should be preserved at the well site and tested with a standard procedure ensuring minimum alteration of fluids from the shale. Failure to follow a standard procedure leads to measurements that do not reflect the “true” or in-situ properties of the shale. Instead, the measurements can be a factor of 2 or 3 different from the “true” value. The shale handling, preservation and measurement techniques and procedures presented here can be used as a standard protocol for studying organic rich shales. Next, we discuss how fracturing fluid can change the petrophysical properties of shale. Among the various petrophysical properties, the fluid permeability is chosen to determine the effect of the fracturing fluid on the shale. Experimental procedures are presented to suggest how to measure the shale permeability. To measure the fluid permeability, the Pressure Penetration Technique (PPT) was developed and used. The reference permeability with sea water brine was measured and then fracturing fluid was injected into the shale. The brine permeability was re-measured to see the effect of exposure to the fracturing fluid, and experimental data show the permeability change due to fracturing fluid plugging the shale. Next, we focus on the development of a Water Based Mud (WBM) system for organic-rich shale. Drilling through a shale formation can result in borehole instability problems, and this is known to add substantial costs to the operation. This is because conventional drilling fluids tend to interact with clay minerals in shales, and the mechanical properties of rock are changed by clay swelling. To reduce the interaction between water-based muds and shales, we need to reduce water invasion into the shale. The addition of nanoparticle additives to water-based drilling fluids can significantly reduce the invasion. We report results for shale permeability and pressure penetration though shales using different fluids: brine, base mud and nanoparticle based muds. To better define the effect of nanoparticles, we used different concentrations of nanoparticles in the mud. From the large reduction in permeability and the pressure response results, we clearly show that nanoparticles act as good shale inhibitors to ensure wellbore stability during drilling. Experimental studies used to measure the relative permeability of shale. Such measurements have never been done before. Due to the extremely low permeability of shale, it is very difficult to measure the relative permeability of shale directly. We propose a method of relative permeability measurement using NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy to measure fluid saturations and a RPC (relative permeability measurements under a confining pressure) set-up to conduct the displacement. RPC set-up is a newly developed forced injection set-up using the unsteady-state method. The in-situ fluid saturation was successfully measured with NMR, and the set-up was also useful for measuring the relative permeability of shale. It yielded continuous results from the Bakken shale tests.Item The new curators : bloggers, fans and classic cinema on Tumblr(2014-05) Cain, Bailey Knickerbocker; Frick, CarolineThis study examines the role of social media in maintaining interest in classic cinema in today’s media culture. Ethnographic analyses and case studies were performed within a robust classic cinema fan network on the social media blogging site Tumblr. The practices of these bloggers and their online platform are framed against the traditional structure of the curator and museum, indicating that they serve many of the cultural functions attributed to these institutions. This study further demonstrates that these Tumblr networks serve as a resource for young people to discover, share, and create communities relating to classic cinema. Due to the networking capabilities of Tumblr’s youth-oriented platform, these fan activities reach a broad range of individuals, exposing them to scenes and actors from classic cinema, stimulating interest in and acceptance of the cinematic framework of classic films. This content visibility and distribution potentially draws those outside the community into the extant fan network. These communities and practices represent previously unexplored methods by which classic cinema appreciation may develop and thrive within the fast-paced media culture of the 21st century.Item Preserving la historia of place: alternative approaches to evaluating historic properties(2014-05) Quintana-Morales, Amarantha Zyanya; Holleran, MichaelThe following thesis argues that in order to reach underrepresented communities, preservation efforts must be engaged at the local level. A way to begin to do this is to utilize analytical methods that find value in the ordinary and affirm the dynamic and referential character of buildings and the values we ascribe to them. Applying these methods to increasingly challenging preservation projects can help shape a broader yet more acute representation of our shared heritage. The thesis begins with a review of the American Latino Heritage Initiative within the framework of the Westside neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas. Intended as a large-scale effort to bring attention to the role of “Latinos” in the U.S., the initiative is evaluated for its efficacy at the local level. The interface of national goals and local needs, general characterizations and specific qualities, and standardized processes with particular circumstances brings forth the challenges of preserving places, which the current preservation system was not designed to protect. Mexican and Mexican American communities established an important cultural and physical center in San Antonio at the beginning of the 20th century. While some of the physical remnants of this rich history have been lost, others endure in the people and buildings that inhabit the Westside. Valuable local preservation initiatives have helped record their stories and highlight their significance. Nevertheless, formal preservation organizations have, until recently, failed to recognize the significance of the Mexican American heritage of the Westside. In recent years, the San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation and local groups have collaborated to begin to designate landmarks in the Westside. This thesis examines five of these buildings with the intent of identifying what makes them stand out as important landmarks in the community. Analytical mapping considers the spatial relationships between the buildings and their surrounding areas, and temporal mapping examines the change in use of each case study. A typology of values is generated from this analysis categorizing the distinguishing characteristics of the buildings. Together these exploratory methods start to define a language that goes beyond historical and aesthetic significance to recognize social, cultural and use values.Item The re-mediation of the archive : situating new media in moving image archives(2010-05) Jannise, Stephen Tatum; Frick, Caroline; Winget, MeganThis thesis outlines the changing landscape of moving image archives in light of the emergence of new media. Whereas, in the twentieth century, these archives were once responsible for the preservation of endangered films and television programs, I argue that, in the twenty-first century, moving image archives will redefine their value to society not through preservation but through the decisions they make, which will affect not simply the intellectual community but the culture at large. The ways in which moving image archives situate new media materials and extend cooperation between institutions will determine, in large part, the discourse surrounding moving images throughout the upcoming century.Item Real vs. imaginary users: measuring the impact of home movie collections on historical scholarship(2014-08) Treat, Laura Jean; Galloway, Patricia Kay; Frick, CarolineIn the past thirty years, a growing community has emerged to advocate for the preservation and recognition of home movie collections based on their historical significance. Despite the significant cost of preserving and providing access to these collections and the myriad challenges they pose to archivists and researchers, no substantive research exists that evaluates their actual scholarly use or impact. Through a publication analysis and a survey of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, I sought to determine if there is a difference between whom archivists think should be using home movie collections and who is actually them. Though my findings suggest that home movies have yet to impact the scholarly work of historians, I offer recommendations for future research and professional development that may encourage increased scholarly use as well as increased collaboration between archivists and historians.Item Reconstructive-memory process(2012-05) Shin, Yun Koung; Mutchler, Leslie; Goodman, MarkThis graduate report is a description of my artistic development through the graduate program at the University of Texas at Austin. It records my development and growth as an artist in relationship to the concepts, materials, and processes I have been investigating and exploring in the past three years. The graduate report focuses on three important concerns to which I’ve been dedicated. First, materials are imperative to my work. I physically collect and use my father’s ordinary objects and transform them with raw materials, such as clay, flour, honey, chocolate, beeswax, and petroleum jelly. The decision of choosing raw materials is based on my personal and cultural experiences. I am particularly interested in exploiting raw materials because I believe these raw materials can trigger a particular memory, place, or relationship that I want to preserve and remember. Second, my process of making involves ritualistic aspects with repetitive acts. I believe that everyday practices are a way of reconstructing relationships and remembering home. I am interested in embracing emotional attributes that may be simple activities: spraying a piece daily to keep it wet or sewing a personal object until it is impossible to sew. Finally, through the relationship among the objects, repeated actions, and an anticipation that evokes magical power and charged energy, I methodically transform objects. I do this to celebrate emotions and to preserve not only these personal objects but also my memories of home.Item Rehabilitation models for the treatment of historic motels and motor courts(2013-08) Anderson, Jessica Lauren; Holleran, MichaelThis thesis presents owners, developers, and preservationists with models for the rehabilitation of motels and motor courts. The introductory section gives readers an overview of the evolution of the motor court and motel. It then focuses on the fates of motels and motor courts in the city of Austin, Texas, as an example of how owners and developers have dealt with the program type. The second section of this thesis discusses the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, a federal initiative to document and conserve the road itself as well as the “significant features associated with the highway” such as roadside stands, gas stations, and motels (“Route 66 Study Act,” 1990). This section also explores two examples of owner-led efforts to preserve motels along Route 66: Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri, and the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Missouri. The remaining sections of this thesis focus on four models for the rehabilitation of motels and motor courts. Case studies include Hotel San José, a motor court that was redeveloped into a boutique hotel in Austin, Texas; the Park Motel, a cottage court transformed into rentable business space in San Antonio, Texas; Arbor Terrace, an extended-stay hotel converted into supportive housing in Austin owned by Foundation Communities; and Costa Mesa Village, an SRO community in Costa Mesa, California, housed in a former Travelodge. For each case study, I discuss the site’s history, the original and current configurations and appearance, what makes the project successful, and whether aspects of the project are sympathetic with the goals of preservation. When considering rehabilitation of an historic motel or motor court, developers should consider the configuration of the building and what model would best serve the existing program. Motels in tourist districts with space to provide both private and public functions may be well served to consider the boutique hotel model exemplified by Hotel San José. A motel in a business district with flexible interior spaces able to cater to a variety of tenants might look to the Park Motel and create rentable spaces for small businesses. Those interested in pursuing a nonprofit model for rehabilitating their extant building stock could consider how they could benefit their communities by becoming SRO housing like Arbor Terrace or workforce housing complexes like Costa Mesa Village. Regardless of the project, it is clear that access to private donations, bank loans, or local and federal assistance is integral to the success of a rehabilitation project. Lambert required a sizeable loan before beginning work on Hotel San José that could only be secured when the lender was confident in the return on investment; Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds have allowed Foundation Communities to continue adding SROs in Austin. Though the Perezes didn’t divulge the amount of money spent on their adaptive reuse project, Allison Perez Johnson said that return on investment displayed by property owned by the Perez Family Trust along Broadway Street in San Antonio helped them get approved for loans for their rehabilitation project. As for properties like Harvey’s Boots Motel on Route 66, rehabilitation becomes an ongoing process that only occurs as money permits, and their ability to remain sustainable is supported by heritage tourists who patronize roadside businesses looking to find or recreate their own Route 66 adventures.Item Repair versus replace, a second look : the windows of the tower at the University of Texas at Austin(2010-05) Freeman, Emily Paige, 1984-; Gale, Frances; Holleran, MichaelThe Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Buildings promote repair rather than replacement of deteriorated features when possible. Though replacement and retrofitted elements may provide improved energy efficiency with a minor impact on appearance, there is currently no guide for objectively considering the potential benefits of such treatments for historic buildings. In an effort to provide decision-making tools to those seeking to balance both preservation and economic/ sustainability concerns, this thesis will present an approach to weighing treatment options specifically for windows, including modifications for energy efficiency that are not specifically endorsed by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. This thesis explores the critical decision processes involved in selecting to repair or replace deteriorated historic windows, and examines those of the Main Building Tower of the University of Texas as a case study. The steel windows of the Tower, which was completed in 1937, suffer from corrosion and are not performing optimally in terms of energy efficiency. An understanding of the history and significance of the building, the current condition and performance of the windows, balanced against project-specific goals and an evaluation of current treatment options for historic windows helped narrow the potential options for the Tower. Including a “decision tree” that assists users in selecting an appropriate treatment, this thesis maps the considerations necessary to arrive at an informed solution, which may be applied to other projects with varying existing conditions and project objectives.Item Revisiting brutalism : the past and future of an architectural movement(2013-05) Contreras, Kalan Michael; Holleran, MichaelBrutalist architecture, popularized in Britain in the late 1950s and heralded as a progressive form of Modernism in the United States until the 1970s, now presents a conundrum to preservationists as it ages. Once critically acclaimed, many Brutalist buildings have lost their appeal over time. The unpolished materials have proven unpopular with many who live and work in these structures, and key examples of the style are now facing demolition. Though “Brutalism” has become a nebulous architectural designation in the preservation community, this paper focuses on a specific subset of late Modernist architecture that primarily utilizes unfinished concrete to promote the philosophy of material truth and unapologetic permanence. While artistry of form and overall functionality affect preservation of Brutalist buildings in the United States, an important factor in the decision to demolish is often overlooked: the interplay of public opinion with critical acclaim, both in the past and within current architectural climates. This project examines the Brutalist approach to architecture and chronicles the shifts in critical and public perspective of several key case studies, focusing on university structures (the Yale Art and Architecture Building, Harry Ransom Center, and the University of Texas School of Nursing), theaters (Morris Mechanic Theater and Alley Theater), and civic buildings (Orange County Government Center, Boston City Hall, and Prentice Women’s Hospital). Understanding how and why shifts in opinion took place is critical in making informed preservation decisions about Brutalist architecture.Item Session 2F | From Mold Remediation to Collection Digitization(2022-05-24) Mason, MicheliaIn the Fall of 2021, a section of the oldest journals in the Tom Slick Library fell subject to extensive mold. Using interlibrary loan data, OCLC availability, and the PAPR registry, the library staff were able to validate the cost to clean and maintain the entire area. The experience highlighted the value and susceptibility of the collection in full and leads to the prospect of digitization. This reverse workshop aims to encourage a forum of digitization insights, experiences and best practices, grants and potential partnerships to help guide efforts across our organizations.Item Utilitas and venustas: balancing utility and authenticity in the stewardship of our built heritage(Texas A&M University, 2007-04-25) Reich, Alene WilmothThis thesis examines the past, present, and potential future of the practice of Heritage Conservation. Beginning with ancient Roman Architect, Vitruvius, this study establishes a vocabulary for the ideals of preservation practice. Utilitas and venustas, as two of the defining features of good architecture, are also key features to consider in the stewardship of a historic building in active use. The data set used in this evaluation comes from a symposium given in November 2004 by the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT), the United States General Services Administration (GSA), and the United States National Park Service (NPS). Historical background is presented to give a context for the symposium, which includes foundations, policy, and practice in the United States. The Venice Charter, National Historic Preservation Act, NPS, and GSA have been chosen for the Literature Review to provide this background. With utilitas and venustas as additional criteria for evaluation, the symposium case studies were mined for examples of practice that could be used to make suggestions for the future. Based on these examples and the possibilities for improving practice, this study concludes that the United States should draft a new document outlining an updated philosophy and policy for preservation. Future research would serve to develop refinements of existing frameworks and to create a new standard for "best practice".