Cheers to 2 years, Ivy!

Please help us congratulate Ivy Weeks on her second anniversary with PMA Architecture! Ivy is an integral part of our team! As an Architectural Historian, she leads the firm's historic projects on naval and military bases across Virginia, Maryland, and DC. Ivy graduated cum laude from the College of Charleston with a degree in Historic Preservation and Community Planning and lives in Charleston, SC today, working remotely for PMA.

For the love of history and old buildings

Ivy has always been passionate about history and the thrill of uncovering its mysteries. Growing up in a historic foursquare home of Downtown Orlando’s Lake Eola Heights Historic District, she spent her weekends with family, “blasting Aretha Franklin and working on various home improvement projects.” Surrounded by diverse historic architecture, she loved biking around the neighborhood with her family and debating their favorite houses.

We recently asked Ivy about the trends in historical architecture that captivate her the most. She shared that she is particularly fascinated by the building science behind historic architecture. Ivy finds it intriguing how architects and builders designed structures to be passively heated and cooled by harnessing natural elements like the wind and sun in a time before modern conveniences. For example, she describes the common local house type known as the Charleston Single House as "one room deep with a porch (called piazzas here) that runs along the side of the whole house. This allows for the wind coming off the harbor to be corralled and cooled in the shade of the porch before it comes in to cool the house." We couldn't imagine a more perfect place to live when you love history as much as Ivy!

When asked about current events in the preservation world, Ivy expressed deep concern over the alarming state of cultural resource management at the federal level. She noted, "It appears that the guardrails put in place to protect historic resources are being attacked from every angle. From the significant weakening of NEPA, the firing of NPS staff, the pause in grant funding, and many more. Most historic preservationists are very concerned about the resulting irreversible changes to our most treasured buildings if this continues." Ivy’s and other historic architects' work is crucial in preserving significant buildings and cultural resources; even a minor disruption in funding and support can result in loss. We share Ivy's concern and urge everyone to support preservation efforts by staying informed, advocating for stronger protections, and contributing to organizations that safeguard our cultural heritage.

Reflecting on 2 years at PMA

After working at PMA for the last two years, we asked Ivy about the most rewarding part of her time here. She said she loves the creative problem-solving that we do as a team. Ivy understands that working with historic buildings requires experience and flexibility to develop a design sensitive to the original structure. She noted, "PMA has so many talented architects and interior designers, all bringing their unique experiences and ideas to each project; it's fun to be a part of.”

Even though Ivy is a remote worker, we consider her an integral and indispensable part of the PMA family. We love not only her endless knowledge about preservation and construction management but also her humor and good nature. We’ve enjoyed having her visit when she can and even got to throw her a baby shower last year. “Everyone was so thoughtful; it really warmed my heart.” She has since welcomed a lovely daughter, Ada, with her husband and now spends her spare time “playing peek-a-boo and secretly coaching her to say ‘Mama’ before she says ‘Dada’.”

Thank you, Ivy, for two incredible years with us at PMA! We appreciate your passion for history and unwavering dedication to preservation. Your contributions and commitment set a high standard for all of us, and we look forward to growing our preservation work in the years to come. In the meantime, here’s to enjoying this magical time with your family. We’re rooting for her daughter to say "mama" before "dada." (Sorry Mike!) Cheers!