Anna Kindt Earns Historic Architect Certification
“When you dig into an historic building, you can read the history of materials and craft over time. 'Reading' historic buildings tells you a lot about the culture, workmanship and the people who built it.”
— Anna Kindt
Today we are celebrating our very own Anna Kindt as she has recently become a Certified Historic Architect. We sat down with Anna to get the nitty-gritty on what this means and the process that was required.
Anna is a registered architect, is LEED certified, and has been a part of the Cornerstone team since 2017. Additionally, she supports the Grand Rapids community by serving as a member on the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission. This newly earned certification makes Anna the third Historic Architect on our team, joining the ranks with Tom Nemitz and Mara Lancaster.
Tell us a little about the process you had to go through to become a Certified Historic Architect.
The official term is a "36 CFR Part 61 Certified Historic Architect". The certification standards are made at the federal level by the National Park Service. The review and records are done at each state by the State Historic Preservation Office. I submitted through the education path which counts graduate level study in architectural preservation. My submission included course descriptions, major coursework, field work, publications, recommendations, and transcripts from my Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan and coursework related to sustainable preservation during my Masters of Architecture at University of Oregon.
How long did it take to achieve this accomplishment?
Well, my official preservation coursework started in 2011, though my interest goes much further back. Growing up, family trips always included significant architectural and historic sites both in cities and rural areas, new and old. My first preservation field work was around 2009- I would drive back to my hometown from college on the weekends to volunteer on the preservation of a local theater. During my graduate work, I also found that the concepts in historic preservation align well with my interest in sustainability. While earning my M. Arch, I also earned a Certificate in Ecological Design and focused my research and writings on sustainable preservation.
What do you hope to accomplish and/or work on now that you are certified as a historic architect?
I hope to work on preservation projects that impact the community in a positive way. The theater I volunteered on in college has been a major positive force in the downtown area of my hometown. It's amazing to see the impact historic projects can have. I also enjoy applying the skills to projects that may not be historically significant, but can benefit from an understanding of previous construction techniques and materials. I also wanted to become certified to support my volunteer work as a member of the Grand Rapids Historic Preservation Commission. I think it shows the community that I have the skills to apply the local ordinance and national preservation laws to benefit our local historic resources.
What do you find interesting about historic architecture?
When you dig into an historic building, you can read the history of materials and craft over time. 'Reading' historic buildings tells you a lot about the culture, workmanship and the people who built it. And also, how to repair and maintain it. These skills can be applied on an historic project, the adaptive reuse of an old building, or the renovation of any building. It keeps things interesting! Just last week I discovered an unbuilt mid-century exhibition hall buried in an old set of record drawings- it was very cool.
Join us in congratulating Anna on this accomplishment!