The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum engaged a multi-disciplinary team, led by Pamela W. Hawkes FAIA of Scattergood Design and Michael C. Henry PE AIA of Watson & Henry Associates, to develop a comprehensive Conservation Assessment for the Home and Studio of the American modern artist Georgia O’Keeffe.  O’Keeffe (1887-1986) is recognized as one of the most significant artists of the 20thcentury. The site in Abiquiú, New Mexico, located about 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe, exemplifies her singular modernist aesthetic and served as the inspiration for some of her most significant works, such as the In The Patio series and Winter Road. 

In the 1940s, O’Keeffe purchased the abandoned 18thcentury adobe house, incorporating modernist elements in its restoration, such as oversized plate glass windows and skylights. Presently, the Home and Studio is part of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and is a National Historic Landmark. Open to the public, it has experienced sharp increases in visitation in recent years. The Conservation Assessment, which includes documentation and monitoring, will focus on long-range preservation strategies for the unique assemblage of traditional materials and modern aesthetic. The final report will guide the historic site’s interpretation and conservation.

Project Team:  Michael Henry PE, Watson & Henry Associates;  Peter Aaslestad, Aaslestad Preservation Consulting, photogrammetry and three-dimensional imagery;  Anthony Crosby, adobe conservation;  Michael Schuller and Dave Woodham, Atkinson-Noland & Associates, structural engineers; and Dorothy Krotzer, Building Conservation Associates, finishes conservation.