HSPV Studio

HSPV Studio: Catasauqua, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania

This studio used the canal town of Catasauqua as a lens through which to explore preservation possibilities that reflect patterns and preservation challenges found in similar towns throughout Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. The region has a long and diverse history, best known for its industrial heritage as both a source for raw materials and manufacturing. Today the Lehigh Valley is growing, through immigration and industrial developments, requiring planning that balances growth with residential quality of life and care for its historic assets.

Students proposed reuse possibilities for disused ex-industrial sites, including the historic Crane Iron Works seen here (Katie Levesque, 2023).

Slag mounds (a byproduct of iron manufacturing) like this one are still visible across the region’s landscape, a legacy of both industry and environmental degradation.
Students developed proposals to integrate the town’s heritage to the region’s ecological and recreational systems in support of a more sustainable future for the benefit of residents and visitors alike. These included adaptations of vacant historic sites (such as the ruins of the historic Crane Iron Company), reuse/reinterpretation of the area’s legacy industry and its environmental consequences, the reactivation of underused historic sites as new nodes of activity, and new connections to link the town with the popular recreational trail along the town’s riverfront.
Overview of proposed interventions (Anusha Khansaheb, 2023).

HSPV Studio: Catasauqua, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania

Students

Faculty