I am an active advocate of historic preservation. I believe that the community as a whole has a right to the architectural heritage of its place, and it is our responsibility as architects, engineers, and contractors to preserve its authenticity and add to it in a way that thoughtfully comments on its presence.

Over the past year, I have been giving a talk titled “A New Generation of Tilt Wall Icons” to various audiences across the country. The talk makes the case that despite the tilt-up’s stellar reputation as the world’s most efficient building system for big-box buildings, the construction system has roots in serious architecture. Through exploration of tilt-up’s early-phase adoption, disruptions brought on by World War II, and significant works of architecture completed in the early to late 1990s, attendees come to understand how tilt-up methodology has regained the attention of some of the architectural community’s most creative minds, and how the history of the method has informed and shaped its present state. It’s not enough to talk about these buildings, though. I want our industry to have the opportunity to experience them.

At the heart of tilt-up’s origin story sits the iconic La Jolla Women’s Club in La Jolla, California. Constructed in 1913, the project is one of the most celebrated works by famed American Architect Irving Gill, a pioneer of the modern architectural movement. The building, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, will serve as the centerpiece for the Tilt-Up Concrete Association’s first iteration of its new Tilt-Up Icon Tour series (March 1-2).

Limited tickets will be available soon for an exclusive and educational behind-the-scenes tour of several iconic tilt-up structures in San Diego, including a trio of award-winning buildings at the University of California San Diego. Each tour will be led by members of the project team as well as owner’s representatives. A memorable dinner event at the historic La Jolla Women’s club will anchor the tour.

More information is available at www.tilt-up.org/events.

“Because of the old

I will defend the new until I die

and the old I will defend

throughout my life because of the new.

The old that was new

and is as new as the newest.

Augusto de Campos (In: Verso, reverse, contraverso)