10/07/2026
Walking through the door into some exciting times!
The American Lighthouse Foundation continues to work towards its goal of helping make lighthouses more resilient in the face of climate vulnerabilities.
One of the latest happenings, which kicked off on October 1, 2026, is an exciting collaboration between the American Lighthouse Foundation, World Monuments Fund, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, and Maine Preservation.
Randall Mason, PhD FAAR, Professor and Chair of Historic Preservation at the Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania, and Erica Avrami, PhD, James Martson Fitch Associate Professor of Historic Preservation, Columbia University, are teaching graduate preservation/planning studios this fall focused on Maine lighthouses.
The University of Pennsylvania’s studio is approaching a small number of specific lighthouses at the scale of building, site, and landscape – seeking to gain familiarity and experience with the comprehensive process of project/site decision-making through ‘conservation planning.’
According to UPENN’s Professor Mason, “Preservation concerns are newly urgent in the face of damaging storms, sea-level rise, community dislocation and other longer-term challenges. Standard preservation options for lighthouses are inadequate to these challenges – simply repairing or rebuilding in-place, or in some extreme cases moving buildings entirely. What are the alternatives? Adding new fabric? Redesigning landscape? Using digital technology? Applying a ‘curated decay’ approach?”
Columbia University’s studio is approaching the entire collection of 60+ lighthouses through systems perspectives, looking regionally at climate impacts, community well-being, economic factors, and more.
According to Columbia University’s Professor Avrami, “Rather than asking how lighthouses might be protected, this studio reframes the question to examine how the frontline locations of lighthouses can make them drivers of climate action that protects communities – their economies, livelihoods, and built environments – through co-learning, participatory planning, and innovation. Emphasis is placed on analyzing social-spatial conditions, policy and institutional contexts, and historical and contemporary factors contributing to the climate vulnerability at the community level.”
Stay tuned for updates on this amazing collaboration!
Petit Manan Lighthouse - one of the studio sites for the Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
