Trends & Issues

Guidelines for Maintaining Hawaii’s Vintage Houses

Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has issued a revised brochure to assist owners of vintage and vernacular homes in Hawaii with maintenance and preservation guidelines. Originally published in the mid-1980s by the County of Kauai, the reissued brochure has been updated to include revised practices related to sustainability and environmental guidelines, including energy and water efficiency, lead paint and vegetation. The recommendations are not complicated or costly. Rather, these are maintenance-oriented guidelines and financially feasible considerations to help owners solve normal wear and tear problems. These guidelines are based on the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preservation, which are the foundation for many rehabilitation and home improvement projects in Hawaii. The purpose of this brochure is to address typical repairs necessitated by island environmental conditions – rain, humidity, strong sun, salt-air, mildew, algae and many pests that contribute to house upkeep challenges. The process of keeping your property in a state of utility through maintenance and repairs is important. Rehabilitation makes possible efficient, continuing use while saving those features of your property that are significant to its original appearance and design. 3185 Elua (Photo by Pat Griffin) 4696 Hoomana (Photo by Pat Griffin) Plantation House at Grove Farm Museum (Photo by HHF) Waimea Plantation Cottage (Photo by HHF) Good building maintenance is good housekeeping, Keep as much as possible of original materials, features, finishes, construction techniques and examples of craftsmanship that characterize the home. Keep the original style and character. If you have to replace deteriorated features, replace them with components that match the original in design, color, texture and, where possible, materials. [...]

2023-08-28T15:20:54-10:00August 28th, 2023|Categories: Trends & Issues|

A Natural Disaster Toolkit for Historic Property Owners

NATURAL DISASTERS AND HISTORIC PROPERTIES By Julia Rochhi, National Trust for Historic Preservation Homeowners face some of the most cutting impacts of natural disaster: physical displacement, loss of property, financial uncertainty, and stress. And as recent events have proved, you can never take too many precautions ahead of a natural disaster. But what if you own a historic property? Are there additional steps you should be taking? And what resources are available to you—the historic property owner—in the disaster's wake? Fortunately, there's a wealth of information out there to help historic property owners minimize the impact to their building as well as strengthen their building's resistance to extreme wind, rain, and other climatic forces. This toolkit compiles the essential steps you can take before and after the storm. 1. Create a disaster preparedness plan for your home or property ahead of time. Following a checklist in times of crisis can help focus your attention and keep you from missing important details. 2. Check your insurance coverage. Older and historic properties often use materials or building techniques you can't easily replicate today, which makes insurance companies far less likely to cover damage. A great option for insuring historic homes is National Trust Insurance Services (a National Trust subsidiary). NTIS can help value your property and ensure sufficient protection. 3. Print important information and documents ahead of time. Disasters often cause power outages and service disruptions, so in this wired age of computer and smartphone reliance, it's helpful to have critical info already at your fingertips. 4. Secure your property. Your two most important tasks immediately following a hurricane are to ensure the safety and security of people working on site, and to keep valuable or important [...]

2023-03-17T17:27:27-10:00March 16th, 2023|Categories: Blog, Featured Homepage Top, Trends & Issues|

Preservation Trades Training: Preserving Our Collective Heritage While Training the Next Generation

By Virginia Murison, Consulting Preservation Architect The importance and value of the skilled craftworker and the need to support traditional trades training has been recognized in the historic preservation field for many years. The average age of workers skilled in the preservation trades is rising. As these specialists approach retirement, it will be critical to find ways to share their expertise and build a new cadre of preservation trades workers. "Quality restoration work on historic buildings requires skilled workers in the traditional trades. Masons, carpenters, painters, plasterers, and others in the construction trades who know how to–and why we should–preserve, repair, replicate, and maintain historic materials and finishes are essential to historic preservation projects. However, the unfortunate reality is that there is an increasingly short supply of such craftspeople.” ~ Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Compounding the labor situation, the risk of significant climate-induced disasters such as severe flooding, wind and fire has become more prevalent. These extreme events can affect entire neighborhoods and/or larger regions simultaneously, leaving a trail of destruction. A workforce trained in the preservation trades can serve as an indispensable part of the recovery process, repairing much needed built sites for housing and commerce while preserving local identity and preventing history from being lost. HISTORIC RESOURCES Character-defining features convey the significance of the historical resource.  The visual aspects and physical features include materials, craftsmanship and decorative details. While all building materials can degrade over time, a thoughtful maintenance and repair schedule paired with skilled tradespeople can mitigate harm to historic structures and preserve collective heritage more effectively. The lack of trained preservation trades professionals in many markets creates an imbalance of supply and demand.  It also results in the loss of [...]

2022-02-24T08:51:28-10:00January 13th, 2022|Categories: Trends & Issues|Tags: |

Trends and Issues: Guidelines on Flood Adaptation for Historic Buildings

By Virginia Murison, Consulting Preservation Architect Flooding risk has long been a major challenge for many historic properties. Changing weather patterns, stronger hurricanes and other extreme weather events, sea level rise, increased nuisance flooding, king tides, and continuing development in flood plains are some of the factors increasing the risk of flooding events, both in terms of their frequency and magnitude In November of 2019 the National Park Service published Guidelines on Flood Adaptation for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings (Flood Guidelines) in response to a request for technical preservation guidance specific to historic properties at risk of flooding. Purpose The goal of the “Flood Guidelines” is to provide information about how to adapt historic buildings to be more resilient to flooding risk in a manner that will preserve their historic character and that will meet The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (SOI Standards). These guidelines should be used in conjunction with the Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings that are part of The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, issued in 2017. The “Guidelines” are general and intended to provide guidance in interpreting and applying the SOI Standards to rehabilitation projects involving buildings that are at a risk for flooding. They are not meant to give case-specific advice. Application The Guidelines on Flood Adaptation should only be applied to historic properties with an established risk of flooding. Adaptation treatments should increase the building’s resilience to flooding risks as much as possible, but should do so without destroying significant historic materials, features, or spaces. Adaptation Treatments The treatments described may require more change than would normally be acceptable in other contexts. Consequently, such treatments would generally not be appropriate [...]

2021-10-22T08:44:48-10:00September 24th, 2021|Categories: Trends & Issues|

About the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)

By Virginia Murison, AIA, Consulting Preservation Architect HABS' ORIGINS The Iolani Bandstand was erected in front of the ‘Iolani Palace in 1883 as a pavilion for coronation of King Kalakaua (1883 Photo). It was later moved to its current location. Begun in 1933, the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) was the nation's first documentation program of America's architectural heritage. The initial legislation stated that, "A comprehensive and continuous national survey is the logical concern of the Federal Government." As a national sur­vey, the HABS collection is intended to represent "a complete resume of the builder's art." Thus, the building selection ranges in type and style from the monumental and architect-designed to the utilitarian and vernacular, including a sampling of a vast array of regionally and ethnically derived building traditions. COUNTERPARTS TO HABS THAT WERE ADDED LATER INCLUDE: HAER: The Historic American Engineering Record established in 1969 as a companion program to HABS that would record historic engineering and industrial sites. HALS: The National Park Service permanently established the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) program in 2000 for the systematic documentation of historic landscapes. PURPOSE: The HABS program was set up by Congress to perform several functions: Document the rapidly disappearing body of buildings constructed before 1860 (an initial requirement which has since been expanded to any historic era); Provide work during the Great Depression for qualified unemployed architects, photographers, and historians; Provide information on structures subsequently lost for academic study; and Serve as insurance for a significant structure, so it could be rebuilt in the case of a catastrophic loss. Gradually the program transitioned into summer work projects for students overseen by qualified architects and related professionals. COMPONENTS: Following Standards established by the [...]

2021-08-02T09:26:58-10:00July 1st, 2021|Categories: Trends & Issues|

Adaptive Reuse: New Life for Old Buildings

By Alison Chiu, LEED AP, Fung Associates Adaptive re-use is a common buzzword these days, but what is it, really, and why should we do it?  With a variety of influential factors that includes rapid technological progress, uncompromising economic demands and the daily necessities of work and home life, people’s needs within their spatial environment are constantly changing at any given time. Thus, the demands placed upon a city and the way we use buildings, new and old, are also constantly evolving. Vanguard Lofts, a residential development in Honolulu, gave new life to a commercial building. Adaptive re-use is the transformation of a building from its original function to a new purpose that addresses and better reflects current needs; for instance, a historic theater now used as a community church (Waipahu Theater is one example). It refers to the evolution and possibility of multiple uses over a building’s lifetime. Through doing so, it encourages creativity and versatility in design, which can be a catalyst for lively regeneration within a city, instead of the final act of demolition. Projects often include exterior restoration or rehabilitation, as well as modifications to update the interior physical fabric for contemporary use. Appropriate setback additions may also be incorporated to increase square footage while maintaining the original footprint in a dense, urban area. The possibilities for adaptive re-use are endless. Successful examples of re-use projects in Hawai‘i include: military facilities transformed as museum, office and research areas (NOAA Daniel K. Inouye Regional Center, one of many examples of repurposed aircraft hangars); commercial space remodeled as luxury apartments (The Vanguard Lofts on Kapi‘olani); a historic estate converted to a school campus (La Pietra School for Girls) or as an [...]

2021-08-02T09:27:34-10:00June 14th, 2021|Categories: Trends & Issues|

National Historic Preservation Action Section 106 Consultation Tips and Best Practices

A significant tool for communities saving historic places is the process of Consultation. State, federal and local laws and regulations include processes that provide a systematic way to understand and address any potential effects to historic properties when projects or activities are proposed.  The method by which agreements are reached is called Consultation, which is a process to seek, discuss and consider the views of various stakeholders, and, where possible, reach agreement on matters arising in efforts to identify and resolve effects on historic properties. Historic Hawai‘i Foundation has compiled tips and best practices for various components that together create a climate in which effective consultation can occur. Downloads PART 1: MEETING LOGISTICS AND PRACTICALITIES PART 2: MEETING FACILITATION PART 3: RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND BEHAVIOR PART 4: HISTORIC PRESERVATION & SECTION 106 CONSULTATION

2021-10-28T16:25:16-10:00July 17th, 2020|Categories: Trends & Issues|

Zoning, Special and Historic Districts

The field of historic preservation is closely related to land use planning and its associated regulations, such as zoning, subdivision regulations and design controls. Many of these systems use overlapping terminology, with similar connotations but important distinctions. “Districts” are specific geographic areas that are regarded as distinct units because of a particular characteristic. In a land use context, there are several types of districts. Land Use Districts In Hawai‘i, the State Land Use Law (Chapter 205, Hawai`i Revised Statutes) was adopted in 1961, establishing a framework of land use management and regulation in which all lands in the State are classified into one of four land use districts: Urban, Rural, Agriculture or Conservation. Within these broad districts, more specific regulations occur. Urban districts are primarily under the jurisdiction of the respective Counties, which control them through County ordinances or rules Rural districts have shared jurisdiction between the State and County Agricultural districts are under the jurisdiction of the State Land Use Commission Conservation districts are administered by the State Board of Land and Natural Resources Zoning Districts Zoning is the control of the use of land and buildings. It is comprised of two parts: a map showing the geographic area where a “zone” applies, and the language that describes the allowed uses and buildings within that zone. Since first established in the early 20th century, traditional zoning regulation was based on allowed uses—such as Residential, Commercial and Industrial—and separating those uses (so that, for example, a slaughterhouse would not be allowed in a residential neighborhood). Over time, many municipalities have added a mix of uses that may be allowed or required in some circumstances. Zone District language also addresses [...]

2019-05-07T13:57:25-10:00May 7th, 2019|Categories: Trends & Issues|

Hawaiian Diacritical Marks

By Lilinoe Andrews Specialist, University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu Hawaiian diacritical marks comprise just two symbols: the glottal stop (ʻokina) and the macron (kahakō). Are they important? Worth the extra time it takes to insert them into your text? That depends, so let’s discuss. Simply speaking, the two diacritical marks are a way to show how a Hawaiian word should sound to a person unfamiliar with a particular word. More importantly, those two little marks are keeping the Hawaiian language alive. In 1826, a committee of seven missionary gentlemen thought diacriticals were important enough to wrestle mightily with them in the challenge to put the once oral language to print. They decided, after doing similar work in Tahiti, that Hawaiian should have just twelve letters. The ʻokina appeared in Andrews’ dictionary in 1865 and the kahakō in Judd, Pukui, and Stokes’ dictionary and grammar in 1945. In 1978 the ʻAhahui ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi published “Recommendations and Comments on the Hawaiian Spelling Project” and standardized the use of the ʻokina and kahakō. Not only do the ʻokina and kahakō change the sound of a word, they often end up changing its meaning. For example, these are separate words: pau=completed paʻu=soot paʻū=damp, soaked pāʻū=woman’s skirt Diacriticals are important to keeping Hawaiian (the fastest growing native language in the U.S.) alive because they help expand the lexicon and give the language the subtlety that fluent speakers know by heart. And they are helpful for those unfamiliar with the language, like little cheat marks to keep you from getting your pāʻū all paʻū. Your kumu hula would not be happy. There are a few contexts where diacriticalizing is not seen. For example, in the Niʻihau church where the [...]

2018-12-21T00:46:58-10:00December 21st, 2018|Categories: Trends & Issues|

Natural Disasters and Historic Properties

 By Julia Rochhi, National Trust for Historic PreservationHomeowners face some of the most cutting impacts of natural disaster: physical displacement, loss of property, financial uncertainty, and stress. And as recent events have proved, you can never take too many precautions ahead of a natural disaster.But what if you own a historic property? Are there additional steps you should be taking? And what resources are available to you—the historic property owner—in the disaster's wake?Fortunately, there's a wealth of information out there to help historic property owners minimize the impact to their building as well as strengthen their building's resistance to extreme wind, rain, and other climatic forces.This toolkit compiles the essential steps you can take before and after the storm.1. Create a disaster preparedness plan for your home or property ahead of time. Following a checklist in times of crisis can help focus your attention and keep you from missing important details.2. Check your insurance coverage. Older and historic properties often use materials or building techniques you can't easily replicate today, which makes insurance companies far less likely to cover damage. A great option for insuring historic homes is National Trust Insurance Services (a National Trust subsidiary). NTIS can help value your property and ensure sufficient protection.3. Print important information and documents ahead of time. Disasters often cause power outages and service disruptions, so in this wired age of computer and smartphone reliance, it's helpful to have critical info already at your fingertips.4. Secure your property. Your two most important tasks immediately following a hurricane are to ensure the safety and security of people working on site, and to keep valuable or important building fabric from the debris heap. Saving architectural fragments, building materials, decorative plaster, [...]

2018-08-22T16:58:39-10:00August 22nd, 2018|Categories: Trends & Issues|
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