Suzana Radivojevic
2023 Fitch Mid-Career Fellow
Architectural Plywood: A Study of Product Development and Properties for Material Conservation
Architectural plywood finishes are important features of numerous twentieth-century building exteriors and interiors that are increasingly being recognized for their historic significance. Historic preservation practitioners need a thorough technical knowledge to appropriately address the conservation of original plywood panels. Previous studies have identified a lack of readily available information on the material properties of historic plywood products and a scarcity of case studies documenting plywood use and performance in modern and recent-past buildings as the main impediments to the development of assessment and conservation guidelines. This research proposal aims to collect, review, and summarize resources pertaining to the manufacturing and characteristics of plywood products commercially available between the 1930s and 1970s, and to develop a corresponding case study inventory of extant buildings featuring architectural plywood. This research will expand the range of technical guidance available to practitioners and will facilitate the development of guidelines for architectural plywood condition assessment and conservation treatments. Research products will be disseminated through conference presentations, industry webinars and peer-review journal publications.
Image (left to right): Plywood facade, Jorgensen House (1938-39) John Yeon; Plywood fretwork, Gordon House (1957) Frank Lloyd Wright