Welcome to the Preserving the Recent Past 4 (PRP4) conference! Join Historic Preservation Education Foundation (HPEF) at the Boston Architectural College for a five-day conference filled with engaging discussions, workshops, and networking. There will be many opportunities to explore the recent past in Boston and the surrounding area through walking and bus tours, organized by Docomomo US and Docomomo US/New England.
Attendees will be eligible to receive AIA Continuing Education Credits.
The cost for General Admission will increase to $500 after January 31, 2025.
The cost for Single-Day Admission will increase to $325 after January 31, 2025.
Registration includes the Opening Reception on the evening of Wednesday, March 19, the Opening Keynote session on the morning of Thursday, March 20, 2025, the Friday Closing Keynote and Reception on Friday, March 21, 2025, as well as the paper sessions and provided box lunches on Thursday, March 20, 2025 and Friday, March 21, 2025.
REGISTRATION FOR THE WORKSHOP AND TOURS ARE ADDITIONAL UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025: 8:30AM-5:15PM | Documenting the Recent Past Workshop
Hosted by the National Park Service’s Heritage Documentation Programs (HABS/HAER/HALS) and the Historic Preservation Education Foundation, this daylong workshop on documenting recent past sites will use the BAC’s 1966 brutalist building as a case study. The program will include hands-on laser scanning, field sketching, and hand measuring sessions, presentations on historical reports and photography, and a round table discussion about the future of documentation. While the focus will be on sites from the 1960s to 1990s, and approaches that follow HDP guidelines, the lessons will be applicable to other resource types and documentation objectives. AIA Continuing Education Credits will be available. Morning refreshments and box lunch are included.
Thursday, March 20, 2024: 12:45PM-1:45PM | The National Register and Resources of the Modern Era—Discussion Session
The National Register of Historic Places program is developing support for the nomination of Modern Era resources. This one-hour working session will begin with a brief presentation on Modern Era listings in the National Register, and then engage the audience in small breakout groups to gather information on what may assist proponents in preparing a successful nomination. All are welcome to participate and provide feedback, but you are encouraged to register for this free session in advance.
Friday, March 21, 2024: 1:00PM-2:00PM | Advocating for the Postmodern Past: The Experiences of the Society of Architectural Historians—Discussion Session
A discussion intended to address the challenges and opportunities of advocating for the recent past, from the perspective of members of the Heritage Conservation Committee of the Society of Architectural Historians. This session examines some of the difficulties in advocacy that the committee has faced in recent years, given that much of its current focus falls on postmodern architectural resources. Challenges include negative opinions within the professional communities of architectural historians and architects, difficulty in addressing construction materials and assemblies with relatively short lifespans, complications presented by National Register criteria that are weighted toward older and more traditional architectural resources, and a public perception that these resources are not historic. All are welcome to participate and provide feedback, but you are encouraged to register for this free session in advance.
Thursday, March 20, 2024: 5:30PM-7:30PM | Emerging Professionals Happy Hour
Gather to enjoy a drink, some conversation and the incredible vista at this free event at View Boston at the top of the 1993 Prudential Center. This networking opportunity is focused on providing emerging professionals and preservation students the opportunity to meet, discuss and connect with each other and supportive colleagues. All are welcome to attend, but space is limited, so please register for this event in advance.
Please choose only one tour per time slot to ensure that your tours do not overlap.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025: 12:00PM-2:30PM | Skyline Stories: Boston's Financial District (Walking Tour)
No generic corporate lobbies here. On this walking tour of Boston’s Financial District, discover the Late Modern and Postmodern marvels that define the city’s skyline, as well as the infrastructure and green spaces of the urban landscape that support this hub of economic activity. See the towering glass façades of International Place, consider the evolution of TAC projects to suit the aesthetics of the corporate office, and admire how Postmodern skyscrapers reference classical forms, celebrating historical context while pushing design forward.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025: 12:00PM-2:30PM | Chinatown's Heritage through Art, Architecture, and Urban Planning (Walking Tour)
Boston’s Chinatown is a vibrant cultural enclave that has thrived amidst adversity since the late 19th century. Hear stories of early Chinese immigrants who found refuge here, forging a community that continues today. Starting at the Chinatown Gate, see how this cultural influence has translated into housing, businesses, architectural details, art, urban planning and more, from traditional to Modern and Postmodern sites. Among other sites, the tour will visit the China Trade Center, Hong Luk House, Boch Center - Wang Theatre, Chinatown Community Education Center, Tai Tung Village, and Josiah Quincy School.This tour is organized in collaboration with the Asian Community Development Corporation.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025: 1:00PM-1:45PM | Frank M. Costantino Exhibition Tour
Free curator-led tour of the exhibition Frank M. Costantino: Visionary Projects at the Boston Athenaeum. RSVP required due to space limitations.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025: 3:00PM-3:45PM | Frank M. Costantino Exhibition Tour
Wednesday, March 19, 2025: 3:00PM-5:30PM | West End Reflections: Urban Renewal and Resilience (Walking Tour)
On this eye-opening tour of Boston’s West End and Government Center neighborhoods, witness how ambitious urban renewal efforts transformed once-thriving communities. Begin by exploring the remnants of the West End, where 1950s redevelopment displaced thousands of residents, replacing historic structures with modern towers. Move on to Government Center, a mid-century project that reshaped Scollay Square into a hub of administrative complexes and walkways. See Paul Rudolph’s striking Boston Government Service Center complex and explore the Hurley Building, part of an ongoing preservation advocacy effort. The tour concludes at the iconic Boston City Hall, right in time to enjoy the conference opening reception.This tour is organized in collaboration with the West End Museum.
Thursday, March 20, 2025: 12:30PM-2:00PM | In and around Christian Science Plaza (Walking Tour)
Mary Baker Eddy founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in New England in 1879. Its impressive headquarters in Boston’s Back Bay is located just a short walk from the Hynes Convention Center. Make the most of your lunch break and join us for a stroll around the monumental Christian Science Plaza, Boston’s largest publicly accessible private open space. In the 1960s, I.M. Pei & Partners, with Araldo Cossutta as the lead architect, was hired to design the plaza, reflecting pool, and three new buildings to complement the original Mother Church (1894) and domed Extension (1906). Sasaki, Walker and Associates collaborated on the plaza design and reflecting pool. View the 28-story Administration building (1972), the Colonnade building (1972), and enjoy the rare opportunity to go inside the “Sunday School” building (1971), now known as Reflection Hall.
Thursday, March 20, 2025: 12:45PM-1:15PM | Tour of the BAC Building and Library Collections
Free tour of the Boston Architectural College building at 320 Newbury Street, including the building's interior and special collections. RSVP required due to space limitations.
Friday, March 21, 2025: 10:30AM-11:00AM | Tour of the BAC Building and Library Collections
Free tour of the Boston Architectural College building at 320 Newbury Street, including the building's interiors and special collections. RSVP required due to space limitations.
Friday, March 21, 2025: 12:45PM-1:15PM | Tour of the BAC Building and Library Collections
Please choose only one option below.
Friday, March 21, 2025: 3:00PM-4:00PM | Walk-through of Kresge Auditorium
Free walk-through of the recently renovated Kresge Auditorium, offered in advance of the afternoon paper session. RSVP required due to space limitations.
Saturday, March 22, 2025: 9:30AM-5:30PM | Lincoln and Lexington: A Vision of Progressive Living (Bus Tour)
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, architects from the Boston area began to explore the western suburbs, which were largely undeveloped at that point and offered cheap land. The result was several intentionally planned communities that professed progressive, egalitarian ideals. Spend a day exploring a couple of these residential groupings, including Peacock Farm in Lexington and Browns Wood in Lincoln. Experience how midcentury architects reimagined the suburban home, placing light, space, and function at the forefront. The highlight of the day is a guided tour of the Gropius House. Designed by Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School, this National Historic Landmark reveals how Modernism found its voice in New England’s quiet suburban landscapes.This tour is organized in collaboration with Historic New England, Friends of Modern Architecture – Lincoln and the Lexington Historical Society.
Saturday, March 22, 2025: 9:30AM-12:30PM | Icon or Eyesore: Exploring the "Ugly Valley" in Boston's Back Bay (Walking Tour)
All style is cyclical. This is true of architecture too. The “Ugly Valley,” describes the time period when a building may seem “out of style” or “ugly” and is also “too young” to be protected by local landmarking, leaving it underappreciated and vulnerable to alterations or demolition. Even preservationists can fall prey to this line of thinking, although there has been a lot of push within the field to counter this. On this guided tour, explore the “ugly valley” buildings of the Boylston Street Corridor and consider what the future may hold for these projects.
Saturday, March 22, 2025: 9:30AM-12:30PM | Harvard: A Legacy of Modernism and Beyond (Walking Tour)
On this guided tour of the Harvard campus and Harvard Square, explore how traditional façades engage with bold Modern and Postmodern creations. Begin by strolling through historic quadrangles, then transition to cutting-edge structures, where steel, glass, and concrete redefine learning spaces. Highlights include contemporary science complexes and recently completed academic centers blending sustainability with avant-garde design. Moving into Harvard Square, discover how surrounding streets host “recent past” resources—adaptive reuse projects, cultural venues, and innovative retail hubs. Together, these varied architectural layers reveal a campus and community forever evolving.
Saturday, March 22, 2025: 9:30AM-1:00PM | Roxbury’s Recent Past: A Cultural Mosaic (Bus Tour)
Discover a dynamic tapestry of midcentury and recent past architectural sites shaped by the trailblazing Black-owned firm of Stull & Lee, founded by Donald Stull and David Lee. Learn how Stull & Lee’s thoughtful designs offered a deep sensitivity to community needs. Showcasing the area’s architectural and cultural diversity, the tour will also include Madison Park High School, a later work by Marcel Breuer with Tician Papachristou, the recently restored Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library, and the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center.
Saturday, March 22, 2025: 11:00AM-11:45PM | Frank M. Costantino Exhibition Tour
Please choose only one tour per time slot to ensure that your tours do not overlap. (*Note that the Lincoln and Lexington bus tour above is a full day program)
Saturday, March 22, 2025: 2:00PM-5:30PM | MIT & Kendall Square: Architectural Innovation from Midcentury to Today (Walking Tour)
Experience a captivating blend architectural experimentation and innovation on a guided walking tour of Kendal Square and the MIT campus. This collection of cutting-edge buildings reflects the forward-thinking ethos of MIT and the many iconic architects and designers who have walked its halls. The tour will feature buildings spanning the latter half of the 20th century through today, including the undulating brick façade of Alvar Aalto’s Baker House, the serene MIT Chapel, sweeping curves of the newly restored Kresge Auditorium, I.M. Pei & Partners’ Wiesner Building and Frank Gehry’s Stata Center.
Saturday, March 22, 2025: 2:00PM-6:00PM | Synthesis of the Arts: Campus Planning and Design at Wellesley College (Bus Tour)
Explore more than a century of campus planning and architectural evolution on the Wellesley campus. Starting in the quad, contrast the traditional collegiate-Gothic façades and Frederick Law Olmsted landscape with Paul Rudolph’s Jewett Arts Center (1958). Continue on to more recent past highlights including the Davis Museum (1993), the first North American project by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rafael Moneo, the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center (2005), by Mack Socgin Merrill Elam Architects, and the Science Center, a recent major renovation by SOM that overhauled a collection of buildings on Science Hill.
Sunday, March 23, 2025: 12PM-3PM | UMassBRUT: Highlights of the Dartmouth Campus (Self-driving Tour)
Paul Rudolph’s comprehensive building plan for the UMass Dartmouth campus is an absolute must-see if you are in the area, which is why we are squeezing it in on the day after the conference ends! Participants will provide their own transportation to campus, where we will have a guided walking tour of the exteriors and landscape features before warming up inside two of the most impressive spaces, the Claire T. Carney Library and LARTS (the Liberal Arts building). Heading off campus, the tour will make a final stop at the nearby Portsmouth Abbey Church designed by Pietro Belluschi.
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