{"684228":{"#nid":"684228","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Preserving Peachtree Center: Historic Preservation and John Portman","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Georgia Tech Library for Preserving Peachtree Center: Historic Preservation and John Portman Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Scholars Event Theater, located on the first floor of Price Gilbert.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDean of Libraries Leslie Sharp hosts a conversation with a panel of experts to explore the significance of Peachtree Center and the importance of historic preservation in Atlanta. Join us to uncover the stories behind Peachtree Center\u2019s iconic design, explore why preserving Atlanta\u2019s landmarks matters, and understand how preservation shapes vibrant, connected communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPanelists Include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDean Baker, Lead Architectural Historian Southeast and Southwest, Chronicle Heritage\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJennifer Ball, Chief Operating Officer, Central Atlanta Progress, Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAlex McGee, Head of Archives and Special Collections \u0026amp; Curator of \u003Cem\u003EDefining Skylines\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDavid Yoakley Mitchell, Executive Director, Atlanta Preservation Center\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EJeffrey Jensen, Doctoral Student, Georgia Tech School of Architecture and Retired Preservation Specialist, General Services Administration\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDanielle S. Willkens, PhD, Assoc. AIA, FRSA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Professor, Georgia Tech School of Architecture\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2018, Peachtree Center, a prominent mixed-use district located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, known for its distinctive modernist architecture and extensive network of interconnected buildings, was added to the National Register of Historic Places due to its significance under architecture and community planning and development for the work of architect and developer, John C. Portman, Jr.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the panelists\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDean Baker\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAn award-winning, internationally recognized expert in architectural history, Dean Baker brings three decades of experience in preservation planning and documentation, with a particular focus on\u0026nbsp;twentieth-century\u0026nbsp;and recent past resources. His\u0026nbsp;expertise\u0026nbsp;spans modern and post-modern architecture, cultural landscape analysis, and community-based historic preservation. Before joining Chronicle Heritage, Mr. Baker served more than a decade at the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, where he managed large-scale historic resource initiatives, including pedestrian streetscape enhancements and the rehabilitation of historic train depots.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EHe later\u0026nbsp;established\u0026nbsp;a successful preservation consulting practice, where he advanced the field of recent past documentation by leading the 2018 National Register listing of John Portman\u2019s 1961\u20131988 Peachtree Center Historic District in Atlanta, then the youngest contributing resources to be listed. Mr. Baker is widely recognized for his work on mid- to late-twentieth-century Modern and Post-Modern resources, an architectural legacy that increasingly defines\u0026nbsp;sun-belt\u0026nbsp;growth-era heritage. He has also held executive, board, and chair positions with nationally significant cultural resource organizations,\u0026nbsp;demonstrating\u0026nbsp;his commitment to advocacy, stewardship, and the integration of preservation within broader planning efforts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDanielle S. Willkens\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EDanielle S. Willkens is an Associate Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT) School of Architecture, and the Initiative Lead for Resilient and Informed Communities for GT\u2019s Institute for People and Technology. She is a practicing designer, historian, and FAA Remote Pilot, as well as the author of The Transatlantic Design Network: Thomas Jefferson, John Soane, and Agents of Architectural Exchange (2024) and Architecture for Teens: A Beginner\u2019s Book for Aspiring Architects (2021). She has extensive experience in archives, community-engaged research, and the digital documentation and interpretation of heritage sites. Her research has been supported by the Association for Preservation Technology International, the American Institute of Architects, the American Philosophical Society, Dumbarton Oaks, the National Park Service, the National Center for Preservation Training and Technology, the International Center for Jefferson Studies, and Sir John Soane\u2019s Museum Foundation. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EShe holds a PhD in architectural history and theory from UCL\u2019s Bartlett School of Architecture, a M.Phil from the University of Cambridge, a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation from Savannah College of Art and Design, and a M.Arch and BS from the University of Virginia. She is on the Board of Trustees for the Atlanta Preservation Center and the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District, and she currently serves as the secretary of the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJeffrey Jensen\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EJeff is presently in the PhD program in the History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp; This is following his retirement after a nearly 25-year career as a Historic Preservation Specialist with the US General Services Administration, first in the Atlanta Regional Office, then moving to GSA\u0027s Central Office in Washington DC, working in the Center for Historic Buildings. In his time at GSA, Jeff managed consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and advocated for reuse of and investment in GSA\u0027s portfolio of historic Courthouses, Custom Houses and Federal Office Buildings.\u0026nbsp;Jeff has a degree in History from Georgia State University where he also completed his Masters in Heritage Preservation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Ball\u003C\/strong\u003E \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EJennifer Ball is the Chief Operating Officer at Central Atlanta Progress, Inc. Jennifer\u2019s role with Central Atlanta Progress affords her the opportunity to impact many facets of the people-centered growth of a thriving and economically viable Downtown Atlanta.\u0026nbsp; In addition to supporting business operations, she also directs economic development, urban planning, transportation, and public realm initiatives.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecent initiatives under her direction include the Atlanta Arts \u0026amp; Entertainment District; stewardship of the Stitch vision; the Sweet Auburn Technical Assistance and Redevelopment Grant Program; the Downtown Atlanta Master Plan; and the on-going implementation of over $40 million worth of public space improvements.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJennifer holds bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees from the Georgia Tech College of Design.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDavid Yoakley Mitchell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDavid Yoakley Mitchell graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA-96) and studied photography and anthropology. He is the Executive Director of the Atlanta Preservation Center.\u0026nbsp; During his tenure he has been able to participate in the preservation of 229 Auburn Avenue \u2013 Atlanta State Savings Bank and 250 Auburn Avenue - the Oddfellows Building.\u0026nbsp; He has also assisted in getting both South View Cemetery and Tuxedo Park on the National Register.\u0026nbsp; Finally, he has partnered in the processes that have seen St. Mark AME Church, Pershing Point Park, Chastain Arts Centre, and the Randolph-Lucas-Jones Home being locally landmarked and protected. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EHe is also proud of his work with the University of Georgia Special Collections Library, Georgia State Special Collections Library, Georgia\u0026nbsp;Tech Special\u0026nbsp;Collections Library, Mercer University Special Collections Library, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Special Collections Library, North Carolina State University Special Collections Research Center (SCRC), the Auburn Avenue Research Library, the DeKalb History Center, the Alabama\u0026nbsp;Department of Archives and History, Oglethorpe University Museum of Art, High Museum of Art and the Breman Museum and Cultural Center to expand their collections.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EHe is the Chair of the Penn Center, in Beaufort, South Carolina - which is the campus\u0026nbsp;of the\u0026nbsp;former Penn School, one of the nation\u2019s first schools for formerly enslaved people, and is one of the most significant African American institutions in existence today.\u0026nbsp; This historic and cultural institution is a National Historic Landmark District and comprises two of the four sites in Reconstruction Era National Park, and UNESCO World Heritage Site. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EHe is also the President of M.H. Mitchell, Inc. -\u0026nbsp;which promotes the understanding of the southeastern region through cultural, social and structural preservation.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex McGee\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAlex McGee is the Head of Archives \u0026amp; Special Collections at Georgia Tech. She holds an M.A. in history and certificate in public history from Georgia State University and a B.A. in history and women\u2019s studies from the University of Georgia. She is a certified archivist and earned her Digital Archives Specialist certificate in 2020.\u0026nbsp;McGee oversees archives operations, providing leadership to a team of archivists. In addition, she is dedicated to promoting accessibility, research, and instruction through archives and special collections.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Defining Skylines: \u003C\/strong\u003EJohn Portman and the Architectural Evolution of Downtown Atlanta\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis event is part of the Georgia Tech Library\u2019s exhibit, Defining Skylines: John Portman and the Architectural Evolution of Downtown Atlanta, now on display in Price Gilbert\u2019s first floor gallery through December.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA proud Georgia Tech alumnus, Portman reshaped the city\u2019s skyline with his innovative designs, including the groundbreaking Hyatt Regency and Peachtree Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis exhibit offers an exclusive look into Portman\u2019s creative process, architectural achievements, and lasting influence on urban design featuring artifacts from both the Georgia Tech Archives \u0026amp; Special Collections and the Portman Archives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExplore how Portman\u2019s connection to Georgia Tech helped shape his remarkable career and continues to inspire future generations of architects and designers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe invite the Atlanta community to join us in celebrating the enduring legacy of one of Atlanta\u2019s most influential figures.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Georgia Tech Library for Preserving Peachtree Center: Historic Preservation and John Portman Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Scholars Event Theater, located on the first floor of Price Gilbert.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Join the Georgia Tech Library for Preserving Peachtree Center: Historic Preservation and John Portman Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. in Join the Georgia Tech Library for Preservinthe Scholars Event Theater, located on teh first floor of Price GIlbert. 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