Moravian Preservation Master Plan.indb - Society for College and ...

Moravian College • Preservation Master Plan
annually and incorporated into relevant
budgets. Maintenance needs should not be put
on hold in lieu of new construction projects.
A prioritized work program and associated
budget will ensure that necessary maintenance
projects, both short- and long-term, are
incorporated into the capital improvements
program.
6. Maintain a Preservation Technical
Library
A library of literature relevant to preservation
treatments and techniques should be created
that is accessible to maintenance and operations
staff.
7. Train Maintenance Personnel
All staff at Moravian College who are
responsible for the maintenance of historic
academic and residential buildings should be
trained to identify maintenance problems and
treatments that are specific to historic resources.
Grounds staff should be familiar with the
unique landscape needs of each character
area and be encouraged to develop areas of
expertise. All maintenance staff should be
familiar with the preservation guidelines and
recommendations for buildings, landscapes,
and new construction as defined in this
Preservation Master Plan. The plan should be
distributed to all maintenance personnel so they
can become familiar with the purpose, existing
conditions, issues, and recommendations for
the campus’s historic resources. Also, a set
of the National Park Service’s Preservation
Briefs series should be acquired and used. A
training program should be developed to assist
facilities staff in identifying potential problems
and appropriate treatments. Training should
be held on a regular basis to ensure that staff
is up-to-date on procedures and maintenancerelated
issues.
8. Defi ne Maintenance Protocols for
Building Tenants
Preservation protocols should be established
for tenants of historic buildings to ensure that
individual users do not make modifications to
buildings that would adversely impact their
historic integrity. Parameters for allowable
alterations, best maintenance practices, and
practices to avoid should be clearly identified
and distributed to all maintenance staff and
building tenants. This is particularly important
for preserving remaining historic interiors, as
interior modifications are more likely to be
conducted by individual building tenants.
Guidelines for New Construction
It is understood that Moravian College will continue
to construct new buildings on its campuses to
accommodate future growth and change. The
pending campus master plan will identify possible
locations for new construction and will be the
guiding document for growth. This preservation
plan is intended to be complementary to the
proposed master plan.
The character of institutional landscapes relies
heavily on the visual continuity established by the
repetition of similarly-designed façades. Exterior
additions to existing buildings and new construction
can both play important roles in contributing to
that rhythm. The key is to position and design
new construction so that it enhances rather than
detracts from a campus’ historic buildings. Newly
constructed buildings should be designed to reflect
the height, scale, massing, setbacks, and directional
emphasis established by surrounding structures. It
is also important for new buildings to contribute to
the pedestrian-oriented character of the campus.
Contemporary Design – New buildings and
additions that are constructed in a historic context
should have a contemporary design that is respectful
of surrounding historic buildings. Historic
elements and imagery should be avoided in new
construction because false historicism diminishes
the historic integrity of the campus and confuses
the understanding of what is old and what is new.
Each building should speak of its own time.
Design for Compatibility – New construction
should be visually sympathetic to the character
of surrounding buildings and should preserve
important views and vistas. Materials, massing, and
form are the most critical elements to respond to
in the creation of good design. In order to increase
the potential for good design, an architectural
firm noteworthy for its design and demonstrated
experience working with historic buildings should
be selected. Flexibility is required to achieve good
design in a historic context. Careful thought,
sensibility, and quality are the most vital skills with
which to work when designing for compatibility.
John Milner Associates • October 2009 • Chapter 10 • New Construction • 319