Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology

01/27/2026

Join , PMM & for an evening of networking and refreshments on Friday, February 6th at Steam Pump Ranch in Oro Valley!

This historic landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was established in 1874 by George Pusch and is renowned for its innovative steam pump that once supplied water to livestock and travelers. Today, Steam Pump Ranch serves as a vibrant public park and event venue, featuring the Pusch House Museum, beautifully preserved historic buildings, and scenic grounds. The site hosts a variety of activities, including farmers markets, tours, and concerts, all dedicated to celebrating and preserving the area’s rich ranching heritage.

Register for free today at WCAPT.org! Space is limited to just 25 participants—reserve your spot now.

12/18/2025

Join on Saturday, January 24th as we step into history at a beloved landmark!

Originally designed by the legendary architect Paul R. Williams—the first licensed African American architect west of the Mississippi—and built in 1926, this stunning Romanesque Revival church is more than just a building. It’s a cornerstone of African American heritage in Los Angeles and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Did you know? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached here many times and affectionately called it his “West Coast home.” The church has long been a gathering place for civil rights leaders, community members, and those seeking inspiration and unity.

After being closed for several years due to structural deterioration, the church’s main sanctuary has triumphantly reopened, thanks to a generous grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. This support brought together a passionate preservation team—including a historic architect, historians, structural and MEP engineers, and documentation specialists—who completed a Historic Structure Report (HSR), conducted a thorough conditions survey, and developed thoughtful design recommendations to ensure the church continues to serve its congregation for generations to come.

Join us for a special presentation where the team will share highlights from the HSR, documentation efforts, and design planning. You’ll also learn about the grants that made this restoration possible. After the presentation, enjoy a guided tour of the beautifully restored church and experience firsthand the legacy of a place that helped shape history.

Documentation Workshop and Tour
Saturday, January 2, 2026
9:45am - 12:30
Second Baptist Church
2412 Griffith Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011

Lunch will be provided.

More information and registration at wcapt.org and link in bio.

10/29/2025

SAVE THE DATE!!! 📅📅📅

Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology and Napa County Landmarks are pleased to announce:

2026 Symposium: Earth, Wind & Fire: Resilience and Recovery of Historic Structures and Landscapes 🌍🌪️🔥

THURSDAY MARCH 12 – SATURDAY MARCH 14, 2026

Join us in beautiful Napa, CA for presentations, case studies, workshops, tours and panel discussions at our upcoming symposium dedicated to the resilience and recovery of historic structures and landscapes following major natural disasters. The symposium will focus on the impacts of earthquakes, severe wind events (such as hurricanes and tornadoes), land fires fueled by wind, flooding, and sea-level rise, in addition to exploring best practices, innovative solutions, and lessons learned in safeguarding our cultural heritage related to these events.

And wine. Wine will definitely be involved. 🍷🍇😁

Symposium Objectives:

To share knowledge and experiences regarding the challenges and successes in restoring historic buildings and landscapes after natural disasters.

To highlight interdisciplinary approaches to resilience, including engineering, architecture, conservation, urban planning, and community engagement.

To foster collaboration among professionals, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders working in disaster recovery and heritage preservation.

To discuss policy frameworks, funding mechanisms, and advocacy strategies that support the protection and recovery of historic sites.

The symposium welcomes professionals in preservation, engineering, architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, emergency management, government, academia, community organizations and other interested parties.

Watch this space and wcapt.org for more information regarding a call for proposals, registration and lodging details.

For questions or further information, please contact the organizing committee at [email protected].

10/28/2025

Join us THIS SATURDAY for a very special tour of historic Judson Studios in South Pasadena. A few spots left - don't miss this one!

More info and registration at wcapt.org.

🎨 Join the Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology for an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience and explore the artistry and craftsmanship of Judson Studios, a world-renowned family of stained glass artisans creating architectural masterpieces since 1897.

🗓️ Saturday, November 1, 2025
⏰ 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (PDT)
📍 Judson Studios, 143 Pasadena Avenue, South Pasadena, CA 91030

🔸 Guided presentation & tour of this historic Los Angeles studio
🔸 See where five generations have crafted Old-World-style stained glass
🔸 Lunch mixer and networking with fellow preservation professionals
🔸 Learn about their iconic work with Frank Lloyd Wright and UNESCO Heritage Sites

This is a rare opportunity to witness the intersection of fine art, craft, and architectural preservation in action.

🎟️ Register now: wcapt.org/event-6384347
📷 Photo: Judson Studios

10/27/2025

ONLY A FEW WEEKS UNTIL APT BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOTING DEADLINE

🗳️ Vote in the 2025-2026 APT Board Elections 🗳️

It’s that time of year! As a member of APT - The Association for Preservation Technology International, on Friday, September 12, you should have received an invitation to vote for the nomination slate for the Board of Directors from Balloteer.

Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology is highlighting candidates from our membership in the running - Ann Gray, FRICS, FAIA, RIBA for Board of Directors, Namrata Dadawala for Emerging Professional Director and Saanchi Singh Kaushal, Ph.D for Emerging Professional Director.

Make your voice heard! Please consider these three qualified candidates when casting your ballot for some West Coast representation! 📣 Cast your ballot no later than November 12, at 5 p.m. ET.

06/26/2025

Join , and for a very special pair of events on Thursday, July 10th. First, get a sneak peek 👀 of the ongoing restoration of the iconic Castro Theatre, then head to the headquarters of Rainbow Waterproofing & Restoration for a hands-on Decorative Finishes workshop, led by . We’ll explore techniques employed at the Castro and elsewhere before we have a chance to get our hands dirty. Lastly, the group will head to a nearby watering hole for a happy hour tipple. Register today at WCAPT.org - only a few spots left!

06/09/2025

Through the WCAPT Student/Emerging Professional Scholarship Fund, Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology provides financial support to current students, recent graduates, and those who have recently entered into the field of historic preservation or related fields in architecture, engineering, conservation, materials science, documentation and related fields to specifically help with expenses towards attending the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI) annual conference, WCAPT Symposium, or other WCAPT or APTI sponsored events. WCAPT awards two scholarships each year (one $2,000 stipend for a student applicant and one $1,000 stipend for an emerging professional applicant) pending availability of funding and number of applicants. Complimentary registration for the 2026 WCAPT Symposium in March is also included to award recipients.

Students enrolled or recently graduated within six months from a full-time program at the time of scholarship application, studying historic preservation or related technical fields at a community college or university in California, Arizona, or Nevada, and with an intended professional career in this area of study are eligible and encouraged to apply.

New professionals at the time of scholarship application, with up to five years of professional experience in historic preservation or related technical fields working in California, Arizona, or Nevada are eligible to apply. New professionals may include recent graduates, trades workers, or others with a demonstrated commitment to applied preservation technology.

Applicants must be current WCAPT members at the time of application (note: student membership is free).

Award recipients must be able to attend one APTI or WCAPT event within 12 months of the award.

Scholarship details may be found here: wcapt.org/scholarships

Please email applications or send any questions to [email protected].

Application deadline is July 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM PST.

03/31/2025

We invite you to connect with Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology and KFA Architecture at KFA's offices in Culver City on Thursday, April 24th from 6:30-8:30pm for a networking opportunity and to learn about KFA's latest adaptive reuse projects. Guest speakers include Tarrah Beebe & Johanna Hauser of KFA, and Dick Gee at Spectra Company. Come early, grab a drink and a nosh, and catch up with with fellow WCAPT members!

More info and registration at wcapt.org/event-6093065.

02/12/2025

Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation TechnologyWestern Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology is pleased to announce that registration is now OPEN for our 2025 Annual General Meeting being held at Hearst Castle on Saturday, March 15th, in conjunction with California State Parks.

We have a full day planned of special tours and presentations, lead by experts and staff involved in the numerous past and ongoing preservation projects at the iconic site, followed by our Annual Business Meeting, with a reception to follow.

Thanks to generous contributions from our AGM Key Sponsors, registration fees are as follows:

Members: $150
Student Members: $75
Funds generated from the AGM provide for Educational Scholarships for our student members.

AGM Key Sponsor:
Spectra Company is pleased to have worked on the Hearst Window and Roof Restoration Projects.

The Morgan Hotel is providing registrants a discounted rate for March 14-16 starting at $165/night. A code will be provided for the discounted rate upon event registration. Please note that a limited block of rooms is available for reservation through February 28, 2025 ONLY.

Registration and additional details may be found at wcapt.org/event-6056208.

**REGISTER TODAY, AS SPACE FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENT IS LIMITED.**

All photos by Stephen Schafer (habsphoto.com).

01/29/2025

VOTE TODAY! https://forms.gle/XT3YD2zoCBc7M8nG7

Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology's 2025 Board of Directors election and member poll is now open! Make your voice be heard, express interest in getting more involved, and let us know if you have any thoughts to better improve the organization for our members.

Election via https://forms.gle/XT3YD2zoCBc7M8nG7 or through wcapt.org.

Vote today and Happy New Year!

01/29/2025

Don't forget to sign up for next week's lunchtime webinar, where WCAPT Board Member Ariana Makau will be speaking in detail about NZILANI GLASS CONSERVATION LLC's restoration of the glass dome found within the historic First Church of Christ in downtown Oakland. The curved, 12 panel, multi-colored dome had undergone at least one partial repair since its construction, but had not been completely conserved to its original state until now, preserving an important artifact of early 20th century Bay Area architecture.

Register here: https://wcapt.org/event-6009682

And if you aren't already, please consider becoming a member of WCAPT: https://wcapt.org/membership

01/10/2025

Please join us for a lunchtime webinar on Wednesday, February 5th at 12:30pm, featuring WCAPT Board Member and President and Principal Conservator of Nzilani Glass, Ariana Makau.

In early 2019, the company was contacted by Resurrection Church in downtown Oakland to conserve the 12 panel, inverted stained-glass dome in their sanctuary. The building had originally been owned by the First Church of Christ, Scientist (1902-2015), then been purchased to be converted to a retail space (2015-2019), then bought in 2019 by ResOak, Oakland to used again as a church.
At 118-years-old, the dome was in a critical state of disrepair, requiring multi-approached conservation involving engineers, metal-smiths, stained-glass, scaffolding and documentation. This included glass stabilization, re-leading and the re-engineering of its structural support system. The uncommon inverted orientation of the dome required the team to come up with innovative new methods to return the dome to its original state, while also improving its structural integrity, allowing a new generation of congregants and the public at large to enjoy its beauty. The project garnered Nzilani Glass a 2020 California Preservation Foundation Award.

Register today to hear more about this project, as well as Nzilani Glass' studio and mission statement of Be Safe - Have Fun - Do Excellent Work.

Wednesday, February 5th, 12:30pm

Register at wcapt.org/event-6009682