Aaron Moriarity HPCP 4/17/2012

Board of Architectural Review At the meeting of the Board of Architectural Review held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday February 22 there were a total of eleven structures reviewed. I unfortunately could only attend three of the review sessions. These three locations included: 6 Elliott Street, 120 Market Street, and 334 Meeting Street. All three of these structures are preserved structures meaning they must go before the board of architectural review in order to make any changes such as additions or demolitions. In this meeting the first case on 6 Elliott Street was requesting for permission for demolition. The second case on 120 Market Street requested permission for an addition and the final case on 334 Meeting Street was up for its final review for being renovated into a hotel. Each one of these cases is directly related to this course in their own way. Each case is unique in its own way too in that each structure is very different from one another. The case on Elliott Street is a residential structure, while the one on Market Street is a business in the old and historic district, and the third is a Federal Building renovated into a hotel. The first two review sessions went rather quickly. However surprisingly the third in comparison was like pulling teeth. The residential structure on 6 Elliott had requested approval for demolition of a second floor addition and an exterior stair case. This residential structure is located in the old and historic district. The reasons for requested demolition included the staircase being not original to the historic house and the second floor addition is awkward and also non-historic. According to the owner and entire Board of Architectural Review the removal of the staircase and second floor addition would entirely enhance the buildings historical feel. This structure was approved for demolition very quickly and effortlessly. The whole review process for this residence took maybe ten minutes. Second came the review of 120 Market Street. This is the Walden Books at the bottom of the Charleston place hotel. The

Aaron Moriarity HPCP 4/17/2012

request was for the approval for the addition/transformation of the front window into a new entrance. This was a very logical request because the store is a candle shop and wants to be able to engage pedestrian traffic without restricting the only entrance being the main entrance to the mall. This structure is also located in the old and historic district therefore any additions must be consistent with the buildings historic feel and that is exactly what they were moving for. The owner proposed granite steps the same as the other steps on the building and consistent with the buildings facade. Because of this the board had no reason to deny the request and the addition was approved. This case also took just under ten minutes. The third and final review session was definitely my favorite. This was the request for the final approval for alteration and renovation of the federal building into a new hotel. This was my favorite case because I have recently gained a new appreciation for the horrid structure. Originally the buildings demolition was preferred over its preservation. The majority of the reason people wanted the building gone was because of its ugliness and it felt out of context. The Rivers Federal Building has significance in that it was a federal structure that now represents a time period different from now. This is what I do believe the reason to be as to why the session lasted about an hour for this structure, the peoples input. Everything that went through the BAR for this structure seemed to have much more weight, as in it was way harder for the board members to approve requests from the owner Mr. Dewberry than in any other reviews. This session was the only one I witnessed that had public opinion from a professional. The owner had one final request that was approval of lime washing the brick. This lime wash in person had an off white grey color to it which helped with the contrast between the marble and brick. Just like I expected the board members were against this proposal. They believed the grey lime wash was less effective than the white and had an adverse effect on the marble. I

Aaron Moriarity HPCP 4/17/2012

had to disagree and was quite frustrated with the BARs nitpicky-ness but finally one board member moved for approval. Finally after that they approved the final request to renovate the federal building into a hotel. All of these structures are historical and are related to this course in many ways. The case of 6 Elliott Street was a historical residential structure that had been altered for the worst. If this structure wanted to be listed under the National Register of Historical places, changes would definitely have to take place. This residence would meet the age requirement if it was entirely original but since the addition and stairs were unoriginal this causes it to fail the age and integrity aspects of qualifying for National Registration. 6 Elliotts integrity would fall short because the materials and workmanship aspect was jeopardized by the addition and staircase. Also the staircase stole from the facades character. The case of 120 Market Street involved modifying a historic structure that has been commercialized into a store. The request for modification was very casual and sensible. Since the addition was consistent with the rest of the structure and didnt take from its historical feel at all it didnt need a second thought for approval. However if the request had been for the addition of something modern and indifferent then there would have been no possible chance for approval. This coincides with Vitruvius idea of decorum in that the function of the addition conforms to the culture and is consistent with surrounding elements while conforming to the setting and climate of nature. Finally the Federal building is related to the course in that I witnessed the final approval for the rehabilitation of a historic Federal or Adam style structure. The adaptive reuse of the Rivers Federal Building is a good example of how we must not be close minded about the importance of a building solely on its superficial looks. I am extremely excited to see how the project turns out. These structures

Aaron Moriarity HPCP 4/17/2012

were located in Charlestons old and historic district which is significant to the class in that it was the first to pass legislation to protect historic buildings and created the first Board of Architectural Review. Attending this meeting of the Board of Architectural Review helped me gain more appreciation for historical preservation in Charleston. I truly feel that any student at the College of Charleston would benefit from attending one of these BAR meetings. Being a local Charlestonian I have grown up taking the historical surrounding for granted but this class has definitely caused me to have a greater appreciation for the city and its structures. On top of that the BAR meeting really brought the difficulties of preservation into perspective for me as a student taking historic preservation and believe any student taking this class should be required to attend at least one meeting.