Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Aitkin Age column: Old buildings are the best

My latest column at the Aitkin Independent Age is about renovations and architecture:

Many are concerned about the upcoming courthouse construction because of the cost. I’m also concerned because of the beauty.
There are many reasons people renovate: repair of deteriorated features, need for more space or new functionalities, conformity to codes and regulations, and updating according to current design sensibilities. I arranged these reasons in descending order of how much, in my opinion, they are worthy of changes to architecture. The last I find of little worth at all.
For the preservation of history, man’s material craftsmanship should not be destroyed. This could be taken to a ridiculous extent, saving every scrap of ephemera, but in the case of buildings, we should not assume because something is a few decades old it’s of no value and should be conformed to present day fashion.
Read the rest here.

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