research synthesis
Distilling field research into a usable format to inform an architectural restoration
Waldorf Astoria
This project is an architectural finishes study of The Waldorf Astoria Hotel that I completed as part of my past career as an Architectural Conservator. This project demonstrates my ability to conduct in-depth research, identify patterns within data and then communicate the necessary information to the architectural team to inform their design decisions.
The scope of this project was to conduct and finishes study of 15 rooms at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. These public spaces has been designated as interior landmarks, so, per regulation, the developer had to be restore them to their original appearance.
The objective of this deliverable is the help convey the original appearance of each space to the Architect so they could understand how these spaces would fit into the larger hotel renovation. The documents also identified areas original material so that the architect understand how the room could be modified to meet more modern standards while still adhering to regulation requirements.
What’s a Finishes study?
Generally speaking, previous coats of paint are not completely stripped prior to repainting. Therefore by removing small samples from the original materials, such as plaster and wood, and doing cross-sectional microscopy, it is possible to see all of the paint layers that have been applied over the years. From the cross-section and small-scale exposures, it is possible to color match and recreate original paint schemes.
pROJECT pROFILE
PROMPT:
Perform field analysis of existing materials to determine the original finish materials and appearance, and to identify later alterations. Present findings to the design team in an accessible way to inform the design process.
ROLE:
Co-manager of field-work. I managed the paint analysis for 7 rooms.
DURATION:
5 Months (15 rooms total)
COLLABORATORS:
Erica Morasset, Kat Gardner, Karen Stone and Emily Rinaldi
DELIVERABLES:
Schematic design summary report
PROCESS:
Archival research
Paint sampling in the field
Microscopic lab analysis of field samples
Synthesis of analysis with team
Final Report
RELEVANT SKILLS:
Information synthesis
Pattern recognition
Communication
Collaboration
Project Management
Removing paint samples in the field.
Labeled sample ready for transport to our office lab for analysis.
Collection of bulk samples (foreground) and boxes of samples mounted on glass slides ready for microscopic examination (background).
Photomicrograph of a paint sample, showing the plaster substrate and the layers of paint that were on the wall.