Course: Historic Preservation Studio II

Link: In Search of Black Bohemia

"This studio focused on the Tenderloin neighborhood of Manhattan during the period of 1870-1920, when it was home to a significant Black population. Students interrogated Black histories and claims to space in an effort to elevate these stories through reparative preservation efforts. The studio researched how patterns of White-led exclusion emerged historically, repeated over time, and are embedded in the built environment, affecting what survives in the urban landscape today and how these stories are encountered. Students used the lens of restorative justice to develop proposals that reclaim narratives of Black history and that underscore the significance of the Tenderloin as a context of Black agency."

Sections written by Ashlyn Pause: 93-102, 133-136, 148-154, 322-335

Course: Digital Heritage Documentation

Description: The work produced within this course included the development of new skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Photogrammetry, 3D Laser Scanning with FARO Scene, and Adobe software. The deliverables of this course include: 15+ ArcGIS maps created from data collected in the corresponding Historic Preservation Studio II course at Columbia, along with an ArcGIS StoryMap combining the data and deliverables from these two courses. Additionally, laser-scanned renders from data collected in the field using FARO and Photogrammetric models of sculptures on Columbia's campus were created. The ArcGIS StoryMap is titled "Preservation of Black History in the Tenderloin," and the corresponding QR code can be found at the bottom of this section. 

Courses: Digital Heritage Documentation and Historic Preservation Studio II

Link: Preservation of Black History in the Tenderloin

Description: The goal of this story map is to show how Black history is being represented, or underrepresented, in the Tenderloin of Manhattan in both local and national preservation policy and practice. The following data was collected by the students in Historic Preservation Studio II at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. Through this story map, the lack of preservation of one of Manhattan's most prominent Black neighborhoods will be examined and critiqued through the analysis of New York City's Landmarks Preservation Commission, the National Register of Historic Places, Federal Historic Tax Credits, and Special Purpose Districts.

Disclaimer: This story map was created by Ashlyn Pause for the course Digital Heritage Documentation in the Spring 2025 semester using data collected in Historic Preservation Studio II at Columbia University, NYC Open Data, and CRIS Online.

Course: Historic Preservation Theory and Practice

Project Description: When given a tombstone fragment and told to "complete it," my first instinct was to find the person to whom the stone belonged. After months of research, I was able to identify the now unmarked grave of Ms. Isabella Barnes in Boston, Massachusetts. Through working with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, I was able to locate the other half of the tombstone. With the assistance of Daedalus Conservation Lab in Boston, we were able to address delamination issues and reassemble the two pieces. Following the unexpected outcome of the project, the tombstone will hopefully be further restored and returned to Boston to once again mark the grave of Ms. Barnes. 

For more information, please see the Google Link created outlining the semester-long process of this project's completion: https://sites.google.com/view/isabellabarnesfragment/home?authuser=1

Course: Visualization Technology for Architectural Preservation

Description: Within the scope of this six-week course, I was introduced to Rhinoceros, Blender, MeshMixer, and 3D printing. The course involved learning to render images and animations from Blender, create analog architectural drawings and live trace drawings in Rhinoceros, and prepping 3D models in MeshMixer for printing. The deliverables for this course included Blender renderings, Blender animation videos, Rhino architectural drawings and live tracings, and 3D modeling and printing. 

This course opened up a variety of software and skills that I had not yet been exposed to in my career. Through the rewarding challenge of learning new skills, I now feel more capable in my digital documentation capabilities.

Below are images of my final presentation and a link to the animation video produced for this course.