Historic Preservation in Coastal Communities of Florida

Historic places change over time. We can’t stop change, but we sure can manage and direct it! This lecture will detail Florida Historic Places and provide 10 rules\/guidelines to follow in order to protect and preserve their uniqueness and historical context. these 10 rules were developed by the presenter Rick Gonzalez and will provide the listeners with knowledge of numerous Florida Historic Places, and ways these historic buildings and districts can be preserved. Emphasis will be given on appropriate and proper contextual development inside and around these areas, relocating historic structures as opposed to demolition, adaptive reuse viability, proper infill design, and the overall importance of historic preservation in Florida.

About the Speaker

Rick Gonzalez, AIA has over 38 years of experience in historic preservation and the architectural profession. Rick received two architectural degrees from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. with additional coursework completed at Miami-Dade College, Francisco Marroquin University in Guatemala City, and the Autonomous University of Central America in San Jose, Costa Rica. Mr. Gonzalez is a past Board Member and past President of the Florida Trust of Historic Preservation from 2008 to 2020 and a member of the American Institute of Architects since 1988 and was appointed to the Florida Historical Commission (FHC) by Governor Charlie Crist in 2008 to present and to Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design (BOAID) by Governor Bush for two terms 2000-2007 (Chairman 2005 & 2006). Mr. Gonzalez was awarded the PB AIA Gold Medal in November 2020.

In March 2020, Rick was appointed by President Trump to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, (ACHP) where he also temporarily served as the Vice Chairman/Interim Chair. Mr. Gonzalez is an award-winning architect, whose design standards have been used as examples for Palm Beach County’s Architectural Guidelines, Florida CNU Guidebook & ULI Land Development Handbook. Mr. Gonzalez lectures on historic preservation and urbanism in Florida and Columbia and is also an expert witness on these matters throughout the State of Florida. Mr. Gonzalez works in conjunction with the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, offering Walking Tours on Friday afternoons from December until April for the past 21 years. He also provides tour guide services at the City of West Palm Beach Green Market events on Saturday mornings from December until April.