Vol. 6 Presenter: Shawn Evans
Presenting
A Future-Oriented Preservation
Summary
When we consider "roots" we most often look back, positioning ourselves as the leaves on a family tree. We think of historic cities like Santa Fe much the same way, forgetting that they haven’t always been historic places. How can we turn preservation on its head to re-emphasize the future rather focusing on the past? How can WE be the roots and start growing forward? This presentation will explore the work of AOS Architects and their 2018 Venice Biennale exhibit that posed these questions. Future-oriented preservation isn’t an oxymoron, it is a means of providing agency to contemporary peoples balancing their heritage with a better future—something Santa Fe desperately needs.
Bio
Shawn Evans, AIA, is Principal and Director of Preservation and Cultural Projects at AOS Architects, a 27-person firm with offices in Santa Fe and Philadelphia. An innovator in historic preservation, he has spoken at many regional and national tribal, preservation, and museum conferences and is a James Marston Fitch Fellow. Shawn has consulted on more than 100 historically designated buildings including 12 National Historic Landmarks. A graduate of Texas A & M, he received his Master of Architecture and Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. He has taught architecture, planning, and preservation at Temple, Penn, and UNM.