Master of Heritage Conservation students learn how to strengthen communities using existing places and the stories they tell. Each student selects a thesis topic that fuels their passion, pushes the boundaries of the field, and has very real consequences for the built environment. How do we use places to advance racial equity and social justice, address climate change, and foster healthy communities? How do we choose which places and stories matter? Having chosen their master’s thesis topics in 691a, graduating students use this course to complete their thesis under directed research.
Industrial Sites and the Sublime
Former industrial sites, now often relegated to the role of historic landmark or museum, have undergone a transformation in how they are viewed and valued. No longer defined by what they produce, their very image has become the tool by which they are understood. Through the legacy of industrial landmarks, this thesis aims to glean important lessons on how artistic movements, along with their associated values, influence the preservation process. It specifically examines how artistic concepts such as the sublime, in its many forms, are internalized by preservationists as they interpret said industrial sites.
Main photo
Carrie Blast Furnaces & Rankin Deer viewed by tour guests (2023)
https://riversofsteel.com/a-sustainable-look-at-the-arts-and-grounds-of-the-carrie-furnaces/
Additional photos
Dudley, Worcestershire by J.M.W. Turner (~1832)
https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/dudley-worcestershire
Criss-Crossed Conveyors, River Rouge Plant, Ford Motor Company by Charles Sheeler (1927) https://www.moma.org/collection/works/49016
Postmodern Malls
Postmodern-style malls, once icons of splendor and spectacle, are vanishing fast and are dismissed as outdated, unserious, and “dead.” This thesis reclaims their architectural and cultural value as heritage sites worthy of conservation. Focusing on Southern California, it examines Horton Plaza, Westside Pavilion, and Universal City Walk to explore adaptive reuse, historic tax credits, and community-driven placekeeping. From punchy pastels to mall walkers to movie cameos, these spaces hold layered memories and civic meaning. By developing a toolkit tailored to the unique challenges of both PoMo and mall design, the thesis argues for an expanded preservation ethic that embraces color, complexity, and community memory in the commercial landscape.
