Preservation as Sustainability: Surya Prabhakaran Interview on Weitzman Hall

Building Performance Researcher Surya Prabhakaran was interviewed by Weitzman News along with UPenn Weitzman School of Design’s Dean and Paley Professor Fritz Steiner and the Andrew Gordon Professor of Architecture and director of the Center for Environmental Building Design Bill Braham for its series The Making of Weitzman Hall.

The discussion focused on renovating the historic Morgan Building beyond insulating the building envelope.

“Preservation as sustainability also means working creatively within the constraints of what exists to achieve modern performance standards—including healthy environments. Given that this serves fine arts students working in studios with toxins and airborne substances from art-making processes, we were challenged to build on existing qualities to improve ventilation and indoor air quality. We prioritized daylight and views—features the existing building provided. These weren’t just nice-to-haves but became fundamental to student wellbeing and the learning experience.” —Surya Prabhakaran

Read more from The Making of Weitzman Hall series including KT staff, Penn community, and talented consultants:

• Penn Campus
• Architectural Renewal
• Bricks
• The A to Z of Capitol Projects