NCPTT’s program goals to convene leading authorities and promote cultural stewardship through education are being accomplished through a PTT Grants project awarded to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Historic Preservation Professional Interest Group.
The NCPTT grant allowed ASLA to sponsor symposia in New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Francisco in 2002 to develop landscape documentation guidelines and standards. Each symposium engaged 25-30 experienced professionals from academia, private practice and the public sector, representing the fields of landscape architecture, history, ethnography, archeology, photography and associated disciplines.
Much of the discussion centered on the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS). Based on the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), HALS is intended to document significant historic landscapes throughout the United States via narrative history, drawings and photographs.
Previous landscape documentation work by a variety of professionals and organizations was reviewed during the symposia, identifying similarities and differences between landscape documentation and the documentation of buildings, structures and engineering processes. The existing HABS/HAER documentation standards and guidelines were reviewed to determine what aspects of the existing framework are applicable to landscapes and what needs to be added (landscape dynamics such as seasonal color and vegetative growth over time, etc.).
Each symposium lasted between 2-3 days with lots of thought-provoking conversation. There was a public reception at each site to inform and educate the local preservation community about HALS and how they might participate in the HALS program development.
Throughout the meetings several documents were created. These included Project Selection Criteria and Draft Annotated Outlines for the Measured Drawing, Photography and Written History Guidelines. These drafts, along with other HALS information, can be found at the ASLA website at http://host.asla.org/groups/hppigroup/.
As with the HABS/HAER teams of students in landscape architecture, architecture, planning, horticulture, and related disciplines, as well as interested professionals, will conduct fieldwork for HALS in short-term projects. Guided by HALS documentation professionals, the participants will record significant historic landscapes nationwide through measured and interpretive drawings, large-format photography, written narrative and other documentation techniques.
The results will not only document significant landscapes, but will instill a greater understanding of the relationship between land and history for the participants. Promoting this critical ethic among future stewards and design professionals mirrors what HABS/HAER has done over the past 50 years as it has educated hundreds of preservation professionals.
The location, duration, and complexity of HALS projects is being determined on the basis of historic significance, landscape type and potential partnership opportunities. HALS will work with the ASLA, state, local and national preservation organizations, academic institutions and other interested parties to develop projects and explore funding possibilities for both short and long-term documentation efforts.
HALS encourages partnerships with private, government and educational institutions to develop landscape documentation and encourage landscape preservation.