“Manhattan used to be, among other things, a city of awnings.”
The New York Times, 1978
An Onera Prize for Historic Preservation
About the Researcher
Anne Maxwell Foster is a preservation professional with over 15 years of experience in design and stewardship of the built environment. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Boston College and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she was awarded the 2025 Onera Prize for Historic Preservation for research examining the decarbonization potential of passive cooling strategies for older and historic buildings.
She is a former Fellow with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Columbia University’s Climate School Earth Network. Her work has focused on policy-relevant research at the intersection of preservation, climate, and institutional practice.
Project Support
This research was made possible through the support of funding partners and the rigorous guidance and critical engagement of academic advisors and professional collaborators.
Prof. Erica Avrami,