1. Practical Ideas for Making History & Context Matter in Design Decisions
Mary E. McCahon
Senior Historian

2. When History Is the Context …
“How do we make history live and at the same time point the way to the future?”
I. M. Pei

3. Yesterday’s Context, Today’s or Tomorrow’s?
Courtesy: Fred Gottemoeller

4. Yesterday’s Context, Today’s or Tomorrow’s?
Columbus, OH
Courtesy Fred Gottemoeller

5. History and Context Are Supposed to Matter
Regulations Require it.
Community Wants to Be Considered Historic & Special.
Only Imitation of the Past Will Fit.
Engineers Do It To Appease Preservation & Public.
It’s Cheaper & Easier to Make Standard Bridge Look Sort of Old.
Preservation Hates Because Creates False History.
No Winners.

6. History and Context Are Supposed to Matter
Too Often History & CSS Ends Up Being Applied Decoration
Are Context-Sensitive Design Choices Really Limited To (Poorly) Imitating the Past?

7. Take Away Point -- Contemporary Is Often Better Choice
How Much More Appropriate Would This Railing Be For Modern Bridge in Rural Setting, Like At the Mill?
-- Meets Design Criteria & Makes Historic & Contextual Sense.

8. Modern Bridges Where History Matters
Old Bridge
Modern Replacement
There are Good Choices Beyond Decoration – Ones
That Defer To Past But Don’t Create False History

9. History Not Understood: Old Was Once Modern
Modern 1914 Encased Stringer
Decorated Box Beam Replacement

10. History Not Understood: This Is Decoration, Not Preservation
New Bridge Creates False Sense of History: Design is Pure Conjecture

11. History Not Used to Inform Design of New Bridge
That a wider bridge at the busy crossing in an area of suburban sprawl was needed there was not doubt, and the decision to go onto a new alignment was wise. But what happened after that takes the breath away from plenty of historians and good design advocates. First, the new bridge and road shown in green were sited to cut through the historic landscape and to isolate the historic bridge shown at the top center of the map. This rather than take advantage of an opportunity to skirt the historic district with the new road by following the district boundary along the back channel and leaving a large section of the historic road through the estate in place for recreational use.

12. Historic Roads Through Estate
New Bridge & Road
Historic Bridge
HD Boundary
Back Channel
Historic Roads Through Estate
That a wider bridge at the busy crossing in an area of suburban sprawl was needed there was not doubt, and the decision to go onto a new alignment was wise. But what happened after that takes the breath away from plenty of historians and good design advocates. First, the new bridge and road shown in green were sited to cut through the historic landscape and to isolate the historic bridge shown at the top center of the map. This rather than take advantage of an opportunity to skirt the historic district with the new road by following the district boundary along the back channel and leaving a large section of the historic road through the estate in place for recreational use.
New Bridge and Road
Historic Bridge Isolated

13. Real Stone Masonry Is Historic Material

14. History Overshadowed by Applied Decoration

15. More Appropriate Designs for Rural and Suburban Settings
Simple, Quiet Designs
Use Color To Blend
Let Context or Setting Make Statement

16. National Policy Since 1979
Since 1979, codified (36 CFR 67) measure of appropriateness for federally funded or permitted work to identified historic properties.
10 Points Guiding Rehabilitation & New Construction

17. Criteria Against Which Effects Assessed
3. Changes that create a false sense of historical development shall not be undertaken.
9. New Construction shall be differentiated from the old and be compatible with the massing, size, and character of the setting…

18. Creating False History
Decorated Box Beams Attempt to Recreate Arch Bridge
Not Conform to SOI Standards
Old Arch
Box Beam Superstructure

19. Old
New Bridge Uses Principles of Good Design to Be Compatible with History: Meets SOI Standards
New
TY Lin International’s Olympia-Yashiro Friendship Bridge Olympia, WA

20. Good Contemporary Design Compliments Historic & Scenic Contexts
Yuma, AZ I-8

21. Looking Forward In Historic District
Source: Anonymous

22. New Sauvie Island Bridge Modern Technology …
and history in the making.
Courtesy Robert Hadlow, ODOT

23. Many Times Workhorse Bridge Is OK
P. Brandenburg
Standard Designs Are Often The Correct Design: It’s Our History Too

24. Historic Districts –
Generally All About Scale and Material
Moderns Still Needs to Blend with Historic

25. Old Informs New to Preserve Historic Significance
Oregon’s Stealth Railing Provides 10 Kip Containment ; Used When Design Exception Can Be Supported.

26. Old Informs New To Preserve Historic Significance
Same Intent –
Preserve Original Design While Making Adequate for Current Use
Carroll Co. Indiana

27. Old Informs New To Preserve Historic Significance
Successful Modification of Standard Design

28. Forming (and Enjoying) Traffic Railings

29. Old Informs New To Preserve Historic Significance
Is This An Adverse Effect?
Let’s Talk …

30. Dayton @ Confluence 4 Rivers -- 10 bridges 1907-1927
City Embark on Construction Campaign Using Good Contemporary Design Based on Old City Beautiful Movement Philosophy

31. 8 Bridges At End of Useful Life – Rehab Not Prudent
Washington St.
“We learned a lot on this one.”

32. The Learning Curve
Ridge Ave
Monument Ave
Monument Ave

33. New Does Not Have to Replicate Old …
SHPO Agrees
Old Bridge

34. Stewart St Replacement Moves To Strong Statement of Own Time
and Context Reflects Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Design Team
Woolpert Engineering
TY Lin International

35. Thank You
Mary E. McCahon