Tag Archives: Michael Yusem

The Northern Neck and Beyond, The People

The Gang’s All Here

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Well, they were, anyway. In June of this year, members of The Menokin Project design team traveled to the Northern Neck for a planning meeting.

In attendance were the architects from Machado and Silvetti, the cultural landscape historians from Reed Hilderbrand, and members of the Menokin staff and board of trustees.

We were treated to a wonderful dinner at King Copsico Farm, the home of Helen and Tayloe Murphy, which is situated on a gorgeous bluff overlooking the Potomac River.

Left to Right:
Jose Ribera – Project Manager/Machado & Silvetti
Rodolpho Machado – Principal/Machado & Silvetti
Jorge Silvetti – Principal/Machado & Silvetti
Leslie Rennolds – Assistant Director/Menokin Foundation
Tayloe Murphy – Board President/Menokin Foundation
Alan Brown – Consultant for Reed Hilderbrand
Michael Yusem – Senior Associate/Machado & Silvetti
Sarah Pope – Executive Director/Menokin Foundation
Ryan Ives – Reed Hilderbrand
Penelope Saffer – Trustee/Menokin Foundation
John Grove – Reed Hilderbrand
Helen Murphy – Trustee/Menokin Foundation
A view of the Potomac River from King Copsico Farm.
The House, The People

Architecture Firm Chosen To Lead The Menokin Project Team

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We have chosen the architecture firm of Machado and Silvetti Associates, LLC to lead an interdisciplinary team in the planning and design of the Menokin Project. We are certain that Machado and Silvetti will implement our vision to present Menokin through its many parts and pieces rather than through a traditional reconstruction. Further, this renowned firm will help our Foundation realize its goal to become an internationally recognized learning center for heritage and natural resource conservation through innovative practices and technology.

Our glass house project is an innovative and groundbreaking approach to historical preservation.  We will not restore the house to how it looked in the late 1700s, but instead recreate the missing parts of the house by using glass.

After the loose pieces of the house were removed and categorized,  we  were faced with the challenge of stabilizing and preserving the house, while at the same time furthering the public’s understanding of how the house was built and the historic make-up of the house. We wanted the ruins to be a safe place where people could learn and discover. The glass concept allows visitors to see the inner workings of the architectural structure  of the house, while also allowing visitors to envision what the house looked like at its prime.  Menokin, through this project, fulfills its aim to interpret Francis Lightfoot Lee’s life as well as further current knowledge of architecture, archaeology, and preservation.

Machado and Silvetti, headquartered in Boston, is best known for its contemporary designs that are attached to historic settings. The firm is one of the few practices in the United States that specializes in merging innovative and contemporary agendas with historic structures and contexts. A recent project includes designing a research and exhibition center within a historic landmark fort in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

We are confident Machado and Silvetti will further our aims to be an innovative and internationally renowned education center. Construction on the glass house is projected to begin in 2015. We will continue to post updates on the glass house project at Menokin. We welcome any comments or questions!