Biography
Background
Mr. Rhodes, experienced in the design, coordination and direction of historic preservation projects of national significance and new construction in historic contexts including large and complex works as well as more humble structures of the historic vernacular. Serving as an architect as productive on a scaffold as at a computer or drawing board, he has vividly illustrated how a professional preservation specialist establishes a close, personal working knowledge of site conditions and the preservation potential. Skilled as a draughtsman, conservator, manager, photographer, technician, designer and advisor, Mr. Rhodes confirms that the architect is at the foundation of the project team, recalling the traditional Master Builder–commanding diverse disciplines and specialties.
Rigorous research and respect for varied cultures and traditions that contribute to a property are only the beginning of the design process; integration of contemporary needs, attitudes and economies must be applied throughout a project’s development in order to truly embrace our past, serve the present day and convey our heritage to future generations. Mr. Rhodes sees the continuum, and our interventions a vital episode in the lifeline of a property–but not the final hand.
An advocate of sustainable design through preservation and reuse, and with commitment toward merging the irreplaceable skills of tradesmen with effective technological advances, Mr. Rhodes has lectured in this country as well as in Australia, England and Sweden.
Education and Organizations
University of Virginia, B.Arch., 1969; Corcoran School of Art, 1963. Currently active with the Association for Preservation Technologies (APT, International and Northeast Chapter), and other professional and civic organizations.
Former Secretary of the Kitchawan Institure, a voluntary organization of concerned citizens, business and design professionals researching, advocating and advancing sound environmental practice; sponsor of the Pocantico Conversations.
Preservationist-in-Residence: AIA volunteer teaming with the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, inspecting damage and personally advising residents of neighborhoods stricken by Hurricane Katrina.
Recognition: Mr. Rhodes’ investiture in 1991 as a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) was specifically based on his Achievement in Historic Preservation.
Publications
Preservation & Adaptive Reuse of the Villard Houses, Technology and Conservation, Winter/80
Keynote Papers, Historic Interiors, Sydney, Australia, 1983
Ellis Island, the Restoration Challenge, Monuments Historiques, 1986 with John Stubbs
Grand Central Terminal, Monuments Historiques, 1991 with Deborah Fulton Rau
