Fall 2024 Newsletter

Fall back, and forward!

As summertime slowly ends, my favorite season comes into view, and we at APT-DVC have a lot to look forward to ... and a lot to look back on as well.

First and foremost is the 40-year celebration of our Chapter's founding in 1984. I started my architectural career in Philadelphia at that time, and while there was a fair amount of new construction going on, the firm I worked with was focused on adaptive use of old buildings and conversions to apartments. That experience led me to embrace preservation and restoration as a specialty. The Association for Preservation Technology was an early influence in that regard, and farsighted practitioners in the Delaware Valley came together to start the chapter that I now chair.

We want to celebrate that legacy and show appreciation for the folks who carried the preservation technology torch for the last four decades. We also want to welcome the younger generation of leaders who will continue to impact and make relevant our collective work for the next 40 years.

Our celebration will be held at the Woodlands on October 22, 2024, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Please join us to share stories of your relationship to APT-DVC and enjoy a night of music, drinks, and delicious food at an amazing 18th-century landmark. You can register HERE, and if you register at one of our higher supporting tiers, you will be recognized in the commemorative program in addition to receiving additional event tickets.

October also brings the Cement Age/Concrete Nation conference at the University of Pennsylvania's Weitzman School of Design, which APT-DVC is co-organizing with other industry groups. It's a perfect example of how we continue to collaborate with educational institutions in the area to help bring valuable programming to our members. This two-day conference will offer an in-depth study of the origins of modern concrete heritage, its conservation issues and methods, and current demands for sustainability and ecological transition. You can register HERE.

As I close this newsletter, I leave you with this charge: as part of your reflection on what the next 40 years might bring, I'd like to ask you to consider joining our Board when the call for applications is sent out later this fall. We have a few Board members whose terms are wrapping up and we are looking for new colleagues in the preservation industry to join us as we continue to develop APT-DVC programming and education into the future.

I hope to see many of you at these upcoming events, and enjoy what we all hope will be a beautiful and peaceful fall.

Chuck DiSanto, Chair