Protecting Our Architectural Legacy: The Do’s and Don’ts of Preservation
March 19, 2016
David Marshall, AIA, NCARB, is well-known for his restoration and reconstruction work on buildings in Balboa Park—the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, the Museum of Man, and the House of Hospitality, to name a few. However, his work in historic preservation also is found throughout Downtown—in the Western Metal Supply Company building, the Showley Brothers Candy Factory, and other warehouse district buildings. He is a past president of Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), served as a historic architect on the City of San Diego’s Historical Resources Board (HRB) from 2002-2008, and is a Trustee with the California Preservation Foundation. Mr. Marshall also lectures on historic preservation topics and is called upon for his advice on historic building codes and materials conservation. In 2009 Marshall and Stacy LoMedico, former San Diego Parks and Recreation Director, shared a People in Preservation Award for their work to restore the San Diego Museum of Art and the California Tower.
David graduated from Cal Poly Pomona and joined Heritage Architecture in 1990. David became co-owner and President of Heritage Architecture & Planning in 2004, taking over for Wayne Donaldson, FAIA, who founded the firm in 1978. Until preservation and environmental movements developed in the 1960’s, historic landmarks were often lost for lack of effective citizen protest. Since that time, demolition may still occur, but there is a more involved process and more options for saving buildings through restoration, renovation, reconstruction, rehabilitation, relocation or reuse (the many R’s of preservation architecture). David likes to remind people that “preservation architecture is compatible with sustainability when buildings are recycled. So much energy is wasted in demolition, but adaptive reuse is both eco-friendly and energy-saving.”
David also collects historic postcards, 200 of which he featured in a book he wrote, San Diego’s Balboa Park in 2007. He first delivered an FSDA lecture in October 2011 on “Great Lost Buildings of San Diego” and we look forward to his return.
