Skip to content

Tag: USC Heritage Conservation Program

April 18, 2024
sandmeie
Comments closed

Season 4, Episode 9

Posted in Episodes, and Season 4

There’s an App for That: 3D Scanning with a Smartphone

Tools for documenting historic buildings evolve constantly, but professional 3D scanners remain out of reach for most of us. Alumna Ye Hong, our first dual-degree student in Heritage Conservation and Building Science, sees a path to more equitable heritage conservation in the nearly ubiquitous smartphone. For her thesis, she tested the potential and limitations of mobile apps to scan Reunion House, designed by Richard and Dion Neutra. In this episode, co-host Trudi Sandmeier discusses this exciting project with Ye, as well as (fellow alum) Sian Winship of the Neutra Institute for Survival through Design.

Read moreSeason 4, Episode 9

March 28, 2024
seidenbe
Comments closed

Season 4, Episode 8

Posted in Episodes, and Season 4

Documenting Black Women’s History at the Wilfandel Clubhouse

Dedicated students at the University of Southern California have pulled out the laser scanners and measuring tapes to document the Wilfandel Clubhouse in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Wilfandel Club, the oldest Black women’s club in Los Angeles, was founded in 1945 by Della Williams (wife of architect Paul R. Williams) and Fannie Williams as a safe place for social, civic, and community events. In this episode, producer Willa Seidenberg visits the clubhouse to see the students in action, hear what they’re doing and why, and talk with longtime member Jan Morrow Bell.

Read moreSeason 4, Episode 8

March 7, 2024
seidenbe
Comments closed

Season 4, Episode 7

Posted in Episodes, and Season 4

The Midcentury Spa-Tels of Desert Hot Springs

New alumna (and Save As producer) Willa Seidenberg has enjoyed the mineral-water spas of Desert Hot Springs for decades. In the 1950s, the Coachella Valley town became a destination for middle- and working-class families who frequented the simple spa motels, or “spa-tels.” Willa and co-host Cindy Olnick took a road trip to Desert Hot Springs to see the remaining spa-tels and talk about Willa’s thesis, Spa City: The Midcentury Spa-Tels of Desert Hot Springs. You’ll hear about Willa’s research journey down rabbit holes that led to valuable discoveries. You’ll also learn about tools the town could use to boost its economy by celebrating its heritage.  

Read moreSeason 4, Episode 7
February 15, 2024
seidenbe
Comments closed

Season 4, Episode 6

Posted in Episodes, and Season 4

The Hidden Heritage of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf

A San Francisco native, alumna Emi Takahara always wondered why so many locals dismiss the historic Fisherman’s Wharf as a tourist trap. Sure, it has overpriced food, but it also has a culinary history that might surprise you—as well as longtime businesses trying to weather the changing times. In this episode, Emi talks with producer Willa Seidenberg about her thesis, The Restaurant That Started It All: The Hidden Heritage of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, how Italian immigrants shaped Fisherman’s Wharf in the nineteenth century, and how it’s evolving in the twenty-first.

Read moreSeason 4, Episode 6

January 25, 2024
sandmeie
Comments closed

Season 4, Episode 5

Posted in Episodes, and Season 4

Rehabbing Old Houses into Affordable Housing

Alumna Isabel Thornton grew up in the Rust Belt town of Roanoke, Virginia. After graduating from USC, she eventually returned home and took note of the city’s beautiful Victorian homes, many vacant and in a state of disrepair. Linking her experience in affordable housing with her passion for historic places inspired her to create her non-profit Restoration Housing. In this episode of Save As, Isabel talks with Trudi about how her organization is successfully rehabilitating neglected houses into unique high-quality affordable rental housing. 

Read moreSeason 4, Episode 5

December 14, 2023
olnick
Comments closed

Season 4, Episode 4

Posted in Episodes, and Season 4

[Update] Meet You at Lenchita’s

Alumna Sara Delgadillo grew up in Pacoima, a blue-collar neighborhood in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. Sara joined us in Season One to discuss how growing up in Pacoima influenced her life, studies, and career in heritage conservation. She also shared some of the enclave’s rich history, including some of the longtime small businesses that serve as centers of community and cultural continuity. One of them, Lenchita’s Restaurant, recently won a $5,000 Legacy Business Grant from the Los Angeles Conservancy! Hear about this well-deserved honor in a brief update with Sara and Chef Art Luna, a culinary instructor and grandson of Lenchita’s founder Angelita Alvarez Rentería. Then enjoy the original episode—and get in line for your holiday tamales.

Read moreSeason 4, Episode 4

University of Southern California