Research & Production

Overview

My research interests include construction history, sustainability and urban resilience, PDR (post-disaster rebuilding), HBIM (Historical Building Information Modeling), and construction management best practices. Combining these threads, I specialize in the analysis of past building practices (recent and distant past) in service of creating a stronger and more resilient built environment. I use digital imaging, historical research, and data mapping in my research.

Much of my professional work runs in tangent with my academic work; projects impact my academic teaching and study in a variety of ways including keeping my teaching of industry practices current, providing new source material for classroom use, supporting research topics, and connecting with other practice/research subject matter experts. The information below reflects research and creative production efforts.

Publications

Journal Articles and Conference Papers

  1. Zylstra, Geoff and Jill Belli, Candido Cabo, Sean MacDonald, Robin Michaels, Anne Marie Sowder, and Christopher Swift. 2024. The Importance of Humanities in a Career-Focused Educational Environment. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Education, 13(2), 61-80. https://doi.org/10.32674/a6307h71
  2. Sowder, Anne Marie and R. Raymond Issa. 2024. “HBIM For Historic Concrete Buildings: Benefits of Documentation and Analysis for Historic Preservation.” Presented in Montreal, Canada. International Society for Computing in Civil and Building Engineering at the ICCCBE Conference. August 25 to 28, 2024.
  3. Brandt, Susan, and Anne Marie Sowder. 2023. “Contextualising Tragedy in Places of Assembly through Cases of New York City Social Club Fires.” Architecture_MPS 24 (1). https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.amps.2023v24i1.004.
  4. Sowder, Anne Marie. 2023. “Case Study for the Verification of Historic Concrete Structures in the Florida Keys.” Presented in Little Rock, Arkansas: Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (SESAH.
  5. Anne Marie Sowder. 2023. “Framework for Recovery: The 1935 Hurricane Houses of Islamorada as a Case of Successful Post-Disaster Rebuilding.” Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. University of Florida. October.
  6. Brandt, Susan, and Anne Marie Sowder. 2023. “What Will We Return to When We Return? Contextualizing Building Health and Safety Concerns of Entertainment Venues in a Post-COVID-19 World.” Special Issues Architecture MPS, UCL Press.
  7. Sowder, Anne Marie. 2022. “Application of Reality Capture Techniques for Documentation and Analysis of Historic Concrete Structures.” Presented in Memphis, TN: SESAH 40th Annual Conference. Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.
  8. Sowder, Anne Marie, and Raja R.A. Issa. 2021. “Agents of Modernization in the Florida Keys: FERA, The American National Red Cross, and the Concrete Hurricane Houses.” Florida Historical Quarterly 100 (2). https://stars.library.ucf.edu/fhq/vol100/iss2/5.
  9. Sowder, Anne Marie, and Susan Brandt. 2021. “What Will We Return to When We Return? Contextualizing Building Health and Safety Concerns of Entertainment Venues in a Post-COVID-19 World.” In AMPS Conference Proceedings Series, ISSN 2398-9467. Syracuse University: Architecture EMPS.
  10. Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Constructing Urban Stables In New York City: Gallop Nyc And The Four Barns.” In Eleventh International Conference on The  Constructed Environment. University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
  11. Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Divisive Materials and the Hurricane Houses: Modernizing 1930s Residential Building with RC Construction.” In 7ICCH – Seventh International Congress on Construction History. Lisbon, Portugal. Virtual.
  12. Sowder, Anne Marie. 2020. “Agents of Modernization in the Florida Keys: FERA, The American National Red Cross, and the Concrete Hurricane Houses.” In SESAH 2020 Annual Conference. Virtual: Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians. https://sesah.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020SESAHPaperAbstracts9-25-2020_created_3-2-21.pdf.
  13. Sowder, Anne Marie and Edward Sowder in Campbell, James W.P., Nina Baker, Karey Draper, Michael Driver, Michael Heaton, Yitang Pan, Natcha Ruamsanitwong, and David Yeomans, eds. 2020. “Indestructible: 1930s Construction Techniques Used for Steel-Reinforced, Cast-in-Place Concrete Hurricane Houses in the Florida Keys.” In Iron, Steel and Buildings: The Proceedings of the Seventh Conference of the Construction History Society. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Construction History Society.
  14. Sowder, Anne Marie. 2020. “Solving a Problem-Based Project: CET Senior Capstone Expands Understanding of an Urban Refuge at GallopNYC Sunrise Stables.” In AMPS: Teaching-Learning-Research: Design and Environments. Virtual. https://architecturemps.com/teaching-research-conference/.
  15. Sowder, Anne Marie. 2019. “The Labor Day Hurricane: The Emergence of the Hurricane House as  a Floridian Vernacular Dwelling.” Presented at the SESAH 2019 Session 2.4 Atmospheres and Climates, Greenville, SC, October 10.
  16. Sowder, Anne Marie. “The Sacred and the Sustainable: Changing Regional Demographics.” Regional Studies Association Winter Conference 2014 Proceedings.” In Regional Studies Association Winter Conference 2014 Proceedings. London, United Kingdom: Regional Studies Association, 2014.

Additional Presentations, Posters, and Mentions

  • Sowder, Anne Marie. “Career and Research Portfolio – Construction Management and Post-Disaster Rebuilding.” Presented in Oxford, OH: Invited Scholar for Lecture Series at Miami University Department of Architecture. March 18, 2024.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. “Strategies for Success in a Male-Dominated Industry.” Presented in New York, NY: CUNY Women’s Conference Week, March 19, 2024.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie, CĂ©lia Hinard, Michael Watson, and Yeneneh Terefe. 2022. “Technology and Historic Preservation at Notre Dame, Trinity Church, and the Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana: Conversations between CMs and Preservationists.” Panel, New York City College of Technology, April 27.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2022. Industry Expert Opinion on the Construction Industry Labor Force Changes Pre- and Post-Pandemic Interview by Laura Bratton. Phone.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2022. “Challenges of Women Faculty in STEM Panel.” Moderated Panel presented at the H-AGEP Annual Conference 2022, City College of NY, September 22. https://eses.ccny.cuny.edu/registration-annual-conference/.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie, and Calvin Walters Jr. 2022. “The Living Breakwaters PDR Efforts, Conceptual Schedule.” Presented at City Tech Poster Presentation.
  • Cahen, Claire. 2021. “In the Spotlight: CMCE Career Site.” The Open Road (blog). October 11, 2021. https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/openroad/in-the-spotlight-cmce-career-site/.
  • Cahen, Claire. 2021. “In the Spotlight: Anne Marie Sowder’s Portfolio.” The Open Road (blog). October 25, 2021. https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/openroad/in-the-spotlight-anne-marie-sowders-portfolio/.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Building Unbound ETF: Combats Modern Slavery in the Built Environment and Verifies Slave-Free Supply Chain for Real Estate-Construction Sector Investors.” In 2021 Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge. Evanston, IL: Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Campus Reopening – Online Engagement Using Collaborative Software.” Presented at the Tech & Design Faculty & Staff Town Hall, CUNY City Tech, Brooklyn, NY, March 25.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Engaging Students in Collaborative Work Using MIRO.” Presented at the Faculty Commons Faculty Fridays, Brooklyn, NY, May 7.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Engaging and Assessing Students Through Virtual Teaching Environments.” Presented at the CMCE Adjunct Learning Workshops, Brooklyn, NY, October 7.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Framework for Recovery: Use of HBIM and GIS Technology to Document Hurricane Resilience in the Upper Florida Keys.” Center for Advanced Construction Information Modeling, University of Florida, October 8.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie. 2021. “Un-Flattening Learning for Online Delivery of Construction and Design Education.” In AMPS: Online Education: Teaching in a Time of Change. Virtual. https://architecturemps.com/online-ed-conference/.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie, Sabrina Dugan, Calvin Gardner, Kahlil Ricketts, Jin Deng, and Jovana Grdinic. 2021. “Innovative, Sustainability-Focused, Community-Centric Planning, Design and Construction Solution for the Site Redevelopment of the Decommissioned Fire Station #1 in Downtown Gainesville, FL.” Presented at the 2021 Witters Competition, Gainesville, FL, January 31.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie, Aalaa Mohammed, Jude Vallon, and Calvin O. Waters, Jr. 2021. “Investigating Project Success Factors in Post-Disaster Rebuilding Efforts in NYC.” Presented at City Tech Poster Presentation.
  • Sowder, Anen Marie. “Building the Hurricane-Proof House, 1935-36.” Poster Presentation at City Tech. Brooklyn, NY, 2019.
  • Howard, David et. al. “Leveraging Innovative Partnerships with Higher Education Institutions towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies.” Panel accepted to UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. New York, NY, 2018. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf.
  • Sowder, Anne Marie, panelist. “Restorative Cities and Regions: Crisis, Austerity, Resilience 5” as part of the Regional Studies Association Winter Conference. London, UK, 2014.

Details

The Construction History Society (CHS), based in the Department of Architecture at Cambridge University (UK), is a global society comprised of builders, architects , engineers and surveyors, conservation professionals, archaeologists, and academics. Its aim is to collect and distribute information relating to construction history and it sponsors events and publications to support this aim. CHS also operates as a publisher of books on building construction. I authored chapter content in the following book of peer reviewed content:   Campbell, James W.P., Nina Baker, Karey Draper, Michael Driver, Michael Heaton, Yitang Pan, Natcha Ruamsanitwong, and David Yeomans, eds. “Indestructible: 1930s Construction Techniques Used for Steel-Reinforced, Cast-in-Place Concrete Hurricane Houses in the Florida Keys.” In Iron, Steel and Buildings: The Proceedings of the Seventh Conference of the Construction History Society. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Construction History Society, 2020.

I authored the following peer-reviewed article (as later collected in book form, above):   Sowder, Anne Marie, and Edward Sowder. “Indestructible: The Construction of Stormproof Concrete Hurricane Houses in the 1930s Florida Keys.” In Iron, Steel and Buildings: The Proceedings of the Seventh Conference of the Construction History Society, 13. Cambridge University, United Kingdom: Construction History Society, April 2020.

 The Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (SESAH) was founded in 1983 as a regional chapter of the national Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) and covers Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Members come from the southeast, throughout the U.S., and throughout the world. Their annual peer-reviewed journal, Arris, launched in 1989 and now publishes in partnership with the University of North Carolina Press in Chapel Hill. For presentation at their October 2019 conference, I authored the following peer-reviewed article:   Sowder, Anne Marie. “The Labor Day Hurricane and the Emergence of the Hurricane House as a Floridian Vernacular Dwelling.” In The 2019 Annual Meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians. Greenville, SC: Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, 2019.

The Regional Studies Association (RSA) has operated for over 50 years as a place for researchers and policymakers to collaborate on regional studies, the examination of innovation, political, economic, social and environmental change at a regional spatial scale. The organization reflects the irrelevance of governmental boundaries to many of the natural and man-made challenges of our times. RSA supports regular events and publications to foster this discussion. For presentation at their winter 2014 conference, I authored the following peer-reviewed article:   Sowder, Anne Marie. “The Sacred and the Sustainable: Changing Regional Demographics.” Regional Studies Association Winter Conference 2014 Proceedings.” In Regional Studies Association Winter Conference 2014 Proceedings. London, United Kingdom: Regional Studies Association, 2014.

Creative / Professional Works

Projects in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry undergo a rigorous peer review cycle of pre-review, production, and post-build inspection. This cycle is overseen by industry experts and compliance professionals, a peer review system. I previously produced work in the following areas:

  • Oversight of commercial construction projects
  • Oversight of property redevelopment and reuse
  • Oversight of sustainable construction

Details

Systems/packages built:

  • Earthwork and SOE (excavation, grading, support of excavation)
  • Concrete (CIP, pre-cast, reinforced)
  • Masonry (CMU, brick, stone, landmarked)
  • Steel and misc. metals (steel framing, aluminum and galvanized systems, interior support systems, custom, engineered)
  • Insulation and waterproofing (rolled and sprayed waterproofing, rigid and spray insulation, SOFP, intumescent paint)
  • Roofing (hot and cold applied)
  • Custom doors, windows and storefront systems
  • Glass and glazing (IGU, custom, channel systems, vision and spandrel, art and bent glass)
  • Custom curtainwall and rain screens
  • Carpentry and millwork (framing, drywall, custom millwork, structural backup systems)
  • Finishes (paint and plaster; tile, wood flooring, epoxy, GFRC and GFRG, foam and fabric panels, curtain systems)
  • MEPFP (mechanical and boiler, electrical and low voltage, AV/IT, systems integration, BMS, plumbing, sprinkler and standpipe)
  • Furniture (theater seating, office, FFE coordination, custom builds)
  • Specialties and equipment (bathrooms, kitchen, UPS, broadcast systems); etc.

Sample Projects Pre-Con or Built:

  • TV and Radio Broadcast Studio $11M
  • High End Academic Building  Expansion $14M
  • Landmarked Warehouse Commercial Redevelopment $18M
  • Museum $50M
  • New Hospital Wing $250M
  • Multi-use Performance Space $300M
  • Multi-use Academic Building $350M

Agencies and organizations interfaced:

  • NYC DOB, NYC DOT, NYC DEP, NYC ECB, NYC DDC, NYC Parks, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, OSHA, USGBC (LEED)

A sample of projects is below.