Reconnaissance- and Intensive-Level Surveys
AECOM’s architectural history group has extensive experience surveying and evaluating historic architectural resources for a variety of clients and projects throughout the United States. Our highly-trained architectural historians and historians routinely conduct reconnaissance and intensive-level historic architectural surveys for regulatory compliance projects under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 4f of the Department of Transportation Act, and for municipal and county preservation planning efforts. Recently, AECOM has begun using handheld tablets and GPS-enabled cameras to digitally capture, record, and synthesize data in the field to minimize error and maximize efficiency back in the office, making us a technological leader in cultural resources management. In addition, we have in-house GIS expertise that allows us to analyze historic resources through the production of geospatial maps and other web-based mapping.
A reconnaissance-level survey is often the first phase of a regulatory or planning project with the purpose of identifying and characterizing historic architectural resources in preparation for more detailed studies and analysis. These surveys typically include background research to understand the architectural or historical context of the resources and a windshield or pedestrian survey to document their physical condition. Reconnaissance-level surveys can be a valuable and systematic means of surveying a large project area with many resources to identify resources that may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
As the name suggests, an intensive-level survey is a more in-depth investigation of historic architectural resources and often based on the findings of an earlier reconnaissance-level survey. Typically in an intensive-level survey, fewer properties are surveyed and in greater detail than a reconnaissance survey. The purpose of this survey is to conduct comprehensive archival research and a thorough physical inspection as a means to fully assess the resource’s eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. In the case of regulatory compliance projects, the intensive-level survey is usually followed by an analysis to determine if the project will cause effects to historic properties that are listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
AECOM’s architectural history team has recently made the foray into survey for disaster planning and post-disaster recovery. This specialized work includes assisting communities in the preservation of historic and cultural resources in immediate disaster response, as well as in long-term community recovery. Our team is also assisting several counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on future mitigation efforts by surveying flood-prone historic resources and collecting flood elevation data using the latest laser range-finding technology.
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