January 6th, 2021 will forever be remembered as a dark day in our American history. I stood, paced, and cried in horror as I watched the events of this day unfold on the screen in front of me. As the AIA South Dakota Advocacy committee chair, and a member of the Daughters of the American…
This post was written and submitted by Koch Hazard Architects. McVicker Plaza The Vermillion Chamber & Development Corporation needed their own office space after years of leasing around downtown. When a prominent location on a corner of Main Street became available, they leapt at the chance to create a meaningful improvement to the historic streetscape…
I brought donuts to work this morning. I’m not supposed to because COVID, but that just means I’ll eat them all myself. I’m celebrating, because it is one of my favorite days, as someone who loves obscure and esoteric things. It the feast day of St. Bernward of Hildesheim, a more obscure patron of architects…
Now for something completely different! We have some iconic buildings, be them good or bad, scattered throughout our State. To feature some of these buildings, I created a scavenger hunt with the assistance of some colleagues. The images below feature details/close-ups from some buildings with iconic or perhaps “unique” detailing or style. Take a look…
Happy November! The cold temps are truly upon is as we’ve seen this past week, and for me that gets me inwardly focused on my house as I get it buttoned up and ready for winter. Fall is my favorite time to look through one of my favorite magazines – This Old House. Recently I…
SHPO Staff The South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in Pierre is preparing for its federal fiscal year 2020 grant application and invites public input on the state’s preservation needs and projects. In other words: we need your help to allocate our budget effectively! For those who are unfamiliar with the SHPO, we are…
The Black Hills are home to several historic buildings, each with their own unique story to share with visitors and residents. Badger Hole in Custer State Park is one of these buildings that is still around today, despite the hail, snow, and passing time. Badger Hole was home to South Dakota’s first poet laureate,…
Constance Walter, Communications Director, Sanford Underground Research Facility In early spring 2019, crews began preparing for the removal of the old machine shops at Sanford Underground Research Facility. The three buildings—Machine Shop, Motor Shop and Iron House—were used during mining operations. However, since 2002, the shops have been largely empty and were used as cold…
(Content submitted by Stone Group Architects) Stone Group Architects recently got the opportunity to restore and remodel the East Side Fire Station to use as our office. Like any historical remodel, it was not without its problems, but the rewards just keep coming. Occupying the southwest corner of Heritage Park near downtown Sioux Falls, the…
Sofia Mattesini, Historic Preservation Specialist South Dakota State Historical Society I recently attended the Preserving the Recent Past 3 conference in Los Angeles. This was the third of a series, the first and second being in 1995 and 2000 respectively. The purpose of all three conferences were to inform professionals that work with the built…