Pipal and the Peterson Prize
Charlie Pipal has taught our Physical Documentation class since the onset of the millenium, and during that time his students have won six Charles E. Peterson prizes in the NATIONAL competition for the best HABS measured drawings. Charlie never takes the credit and always gives it to the students. He is right, but HIS students have done this six times in eight tries, so I would suspect he has something to do with it.
Last year I wrote a blog calling Charlie the Michael Phelps of preservation because his students’ drawings took home not only the fourth Honorable Mention for a set of HABS drawings, but a Third Place! Continue Reading
Vikings Win
Well, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express web contest to restore Chicago area landmarks is over and the Vikings ran away with it. Actually, the runaway rabbit winner was the Pui Tak Center in Chinatown, built in 1924 as the On Leong Merchants Association, which led the voting by a wide margin from Day One of the contest. Naturally, as a prominent Sinophile, I am well pleased with the outcome. So why did I say the Vikings won? Because the Viking Ship managed to finish second, fending off a strong challenge from Von Steuben High School? No, because Vikings finished first and second if you count the architects of On Leong: Michaelsen and Rognstad. Continue Reading