September 19, 2009

Historic Preservation graduate student Sarina Otaibi has been selected for the 2009 Minnesota Preservation Award for Emerging Leader. Her project, which she completed while an undergraduate, was one of 15 selected from a competitive field of applications. The award program, sponsored by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, is in its 25th year.

Donald Linebaugh, Director of the Historic Preservation program notes that: "Sarina exemplifies the leadership approach we take in the graduate program in preservation. She will find many opportunities here to apply her drive and passion to community preservation projects."

Project description from the Preservation Alliance:

Sarina Otaibi, Weaver House, Granite Falls

In 2005, the historic Julian Weaver House was listed as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. In 2008, Sarina Otaibi, an undergraduate college student, saved the house from demolition.

The Granite Falls Historical Society and the City of Granite Falls had looked for three years to find a buyer to no avail. In January 2008, just as the home was slated for demolition, Sarina offered to purchase it. In May 2008, she moved the home out of the floodplain, the original reason for the home’s potential demolition, to a new location about three blocks away in an area of older homes and mature trees. As part of the move, the home’s more recent back addition was removed, which improved its historical integrity.

The project did not end after the house was relocated; Sarina continues to restore the home. During the summer and fall of 2008, plumbing, electric, and heating were installed and a certificate of occupancy was issued. Sarina is removing carpet, stripping wallpaper, refinishing wood floors, and painting plaster walls. She is furnishing the house with period pieces and plans to rent it as a vacation home. Sarina plans to continue exterior restoration by removing vinyl siding, remodeling of the kitchen, and replacing woodwork where some of the baseboards have been removed. Her interest in history and restoration has inspired her to continue her education with a master’s degree in historic preservation at the University of Maryland.

 

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The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland is home to four academic disciplines: architecture, urban planning, historic preservation and real estate development. Committed to educating its students and community about the importance of sustainability and smart growth, the School practices an interdisciplinary approach to education, research, creative work, and community and professional service. For more information, please e-mail us or call 301.405.8000.

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