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Scott Henson

Principal, FAIA

a man in a suit and blue shirt standing on the street

Scott Henson advances the field of preservation, elevating traditional building practices to globally conscious, sustainable design. Henson’s crafted approach embodies building stewardship and advocates adaptive reuse to the profession.

Scott Henson’s career in Historic Preservation began as a surveyor documenting early 18th-century farmhouses slated for demolition. Henson apprenticed under traditional tradespeople to restore and adaptively re-use a historic 18th-century grist mill and apprenticed under a Master Carpenter in Japan.

Henson’s groundwork in traditional craftsmanship led him to the preservation and adaptive re-use of historic buildings, a practice critical in the development of sustainable building practices. In 2020, Scott Henson was elevated to the prestigious College of Fellows in the American Institute of Architects.

Henson’s work on the iconic Eberhard Faber Pencil Factory, built-in 1872, vacant since 1956, and partially demolished in the mid-1980’s exemplifies his success. New York City officials long wanted the National Historic Landmark rehabilitated, but had difficulty attracting interest in conversion due to its structural instability. Scott’s stabilizing solution preserves historic elements and encourages building stewards in the city to think of preservation as a building’s evolution through time, instead of an exact reproduction of the past.

The Knickerbocker Telephone Company Building, 1893, included the meticulous restoration of nearly all the building’s original historic features, including the brickwork, brownstone, cast iron storefronts, and pressed tin cornice. Original brick arches and timber details on the interior were revealed and incorporated into the new modern fit-out.

The Robbins House for Management and Technology, 1892, is located on UPenn’s historic Locust Walk. This renovation and addition to the building is the result of working with Studio Joseph. The team was challenged with balancing the dichotomy of new versus old to create a contemporary addition that would be distinguished from, but sympathetic to the existing historic fabric. The project received LEED Gold Certification for the sustainability standards that were built into the restoration.

The Hunter’s Point Passive Townhouse, 1885, is renovated to the Certified Passive House standard known as EnerPHit – Quality Approved Energy Retrofit with Passive House Components. Henson developed a contemporary addition that references historic details found in the district including clapboard siding and the rhythm of punched openings. Under Henson’s direction, the historic character of the house is seamlessly combined with modern systems to achieve superior energy efficiency.

Henson’s on-going initiatives include presentations and training on preservation and sustainability. As an integral member of the Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI) Henson leads programs on the relationship between historic preservation and environmental sustainability. He is a leader in developing the Zero Net Carbon Collaboration (ZNCC), providing a critical resource to responsibly bring historic places to Zero Net Carbon (ZNC).

Experience

2003 - Present

Henson Architecture

New York, New York

1999 - 2000

Anderson Architects

1992 - 1996

Prajna design & construction

Education

1996 - 1998

Harvard university graduate school of design

Master of Architecture

1987 - 1992

University of Kentucky College of Architecture

Bachelor of Architecture

The Keimeisha Foundation

Nusumi-Geiko (Stolen Lessons) Translations of Traditional and Contemporary Architecture
Kyoto, Japan

Registered Architect

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania

Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD)

American Institute of Architects (AIA)

New York Chapter, Historic Buildings Committee (HBC)
Committee on the Environment (COTE)
Energy Technology + Building Science subcommittee

Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI)

Zero Net Carbon Collaboration subcommittee (ZNCC)
Technical Committee on Sustainable Preservation subcommittee (TCSP)
Online Sustainable Conservation Assistance Resource (OSCAR) Member
Association for Preservation Technology Northeast (APTNE) Member

Society of American Registered Architects New York (SARANY)

Vice President

New York Landmarks Convervancy

Preservation League of New York State

Historic Districts Council (HDC)

Preservation Trades Network International (PTNI)

Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS)

New York Passive House (NYPH)

Passive House Institute US (PHIUS)

Urban Green Council (UGC)

United States Green Building Council (USGBC)

Architects Council of New York (ACNY)

Gramercy Park Neighborhood Associates

Park Slope Neighborhood Association

2019

Homepage

AIANY Design award of merit

Honor Award in the Architecture category for the restoration of the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

Homepage

World Architecture & Design Award

First Place winner in the Educational category for the restoration of the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

Homepage

SARA New York Award

Winner in the Design Awards of Merit for the Fuller Hat Manufactory Building

Homepage

SARA National Design Award

Winner for the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

Homepage

Global Architecture and Design Award

Winner in the Institutional category for the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

Homepage

International Architecture Award

Awarded by the Chicago Athenaeum for the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

2018

Homepage

Architecture, Construction & Design Award

Winner in the Institutional/Built category for the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

Homepage

AIANY Design Award

Honor Award for the restoration of the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

Homepage

Architizer A+ Award

Finalist for the Architecture & Preservation Category for the Restoration of the Knickerbocker Telephone Company Building

Homepage

Architizer Special Recognition Award

Recognized in the International Competition for the restoration of the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

Homepage

SARA New York Award

Winner for the University of Pennsylvania Larry Robbins House

2017

Homepage

Ortner Preservation Award

Winner for the Exterior Restoration of The Tracy Mansion, presented by the Park Slope Civil Council

Homepage

Traditional Building Palladio Award

Winner in the Adaptive Reuse category for the Restoration of the Knickerbocker Telephone Company Building

Homepage

Gold Award

Winner for the Restoration for the Mill at Middletown, presented by the Brick Industry Association

2016

Homepage

SARA New York Award

Design Award of Excellence for the restoration of the Knickerbocker Telephone Company Building

2014

Homepage

MASterworks Award

Winner of Best Restoration Category for the Engelhardt Addition at the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company Building by the MAS of New York

Homepage

Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award

Winner for the Engelhardt Addition at the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company Building, presented by the New York Landmarks Conservancy

2013

Homepage

Preservation Commendation

Winner for the Restoration of the Banner Building, presented by the Victorian Society of America

Homepage

Preservation Award

Winner for the Restoration of the Banner Building, presented by the Victorian Society in America

2012

Homepage

Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award

Winner for the Restoration of the Banner Building, presented by the New York Landmarks Conservancy

Homepage

Gold Award

Winner for the Restoration of 38 Gramercy Park North, presented by the Brick Industry Association

2011

Homepage

Award of Excellence

Winner for the preservation of the Sanderson Hotel building, presented by the Gramercy Neighborhood Associates

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AIA Tri-State Design Award

Winner for the Restoration of the Banner Building

Homepage

AIANY Design Award

Winner in the Historic Preservation Category for the restoration of the Banner Building

Presentations

August 2023

NYC Department of Design and Construction

Climate-Based Design for Carbon Reduction

Cory Rouillard
New York, New York

Fall 2020

AIA New York Committee on the Environment (COTE) and Historic Buildings Committee (HBC)

How Low Can We Go – Historic Preservation and Carbon Reduction: Case Studies in Carbon Reduction for Modern Heritage Buildings

Panel Organizer and Moderator
New York, New York

Fall 2019

AIA New York Committee on the Environment (COTE) and Historic Buildings Committee (HBC)

Panel Organizer and Moderator
New York, New York

Spring 2019

New York University

Historic Preservation & Sustainability
New York, New York

Spring 2019

University of Kentucky Quad Conference

The Architectural Perspective
Lexington, Kentucky

Spring 2019

University of Kentucky Quad Conference

Adaptive Reuse: Passive House
Lexington, Kentucky

2014

AIA New York, Center for Architecture

What to Expect When You Renovate
New York, New York

1998

Nusumi-Geiko (Stolen Lessons)

Kyoto, Japan

Publications

2018

NYPH 2018: From Small to Extra Large

Hunter’s Point Historic Townhouse Retrofit: Queens, New York

April 11th, 2018

6SQFT

$4M Duplex in Park Slope’s Tracy Mansion is Dripping with Historic Details

Hannah Frishberg

February 22nd, 2018

Brownstoner

Tracy Mansion, Brooklyn Lyceum Among Winners of 2017 Ortner Awards in Park Slope

Craig Hubert

November 11th, 2017

Architizer

Behind the Scenes: The Art of Preserving New York’s Historic Architecture

Chlo Vadot

June 11th, 2017

Traditional Building

Saving History in SoHo: The Knickerbocker Telephone Company Building

Gordon Bock

May 18th, 2017

Curbed

Park Slope’s Historic Tracy Mansion is Reborn as Seven Pricey Condos

Amy Plitt

March 27th, 2017

Masonry Magazine

Restoring History: The Mill at Middletown

Dan Kamys

November 29th, 2016

The Architects Newspaper

The Knickerbocker: See the Top-To-Bottom Restoration of this Nineteenth Century Soho Loft Building

Audrey Wachs

November 10th, 2015

Traditional Building

Restoring the Bleecker-Bond Building’s Cast-Iron Facade

Eve M. Kahn

June 24th, 2014

Archdaily

2014 MASterworks Awards for Design Excellence in NYC

Conner Walker

June 23rd, 2014

World Architects

2014 MASterworks Awards

John Hill
June 18th, 2014

The Architects Newspaper

Brooklyn Dominates 2014 Municipal Art Society MASterworks Awards

William Menking

June 17th, 2014

Brooklyn Bridge Park

2014 MASterworks Awards Recognize Excellence in Architecture and Urban Design

Municipal Art Society

February 1st, 2012

The Architects Newspaper

The Banner Building

Aaron Seward

September 1st, 2005

Habitat Magazine

The Wall (Didn’t) Come Tumbling Down

Jody Shen

May 22nd, 2005

The New York Times

For a Frail Old Tenement, a Fortifying Dose of Goop

Eve M. Kahn