Since 2013, BVL HPR has been on a mission to uncover & honor the stories of as many historic spaces & places as possible.
BVL Historic Preservation Research is an architectural history firm that provides exceptional research services as on-site consultants and investigative researchers. BVL HPR has become a leader in National Register of Historic Places nominations, historic tax credit consulting, and property/house histories, proudly serving clients nationwide for over a decade.
Brittany V. Lavelle Tulla
Proprietor & Lead Architectural Historian
-
BVL HPR was established through Brittany’s passion to “humanize” old spaces and places. Eager to use research to bring soul, identity and purpose back to misunderstood or forgotten structures, Brittany has dedicated her life to showcasing stories of past generations so that we may better understand, honor and USE America’s historic buildings. In addition to leading BVL HPR, she serves as an adjunct professor in Clemson University’s School of Architecture, where she teaches a course on researching historic properties, serves on the board of the Preservation Society of Charleston's Charleston Heritage Symposium and is a member of the SC250 Steering Committee. She formerly served as the executive director and lead architectural historian for the non-profit Charleston World Heritage Coalition, which was dedicated to gaining World Heritage recognition for historic resources in Charleston, as a former commissioner of the Town of Mount Pleasant Historical Commission and received the Drayton Hall Wood Family Fellowship in 2015. Brittany holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elon University, and she earned a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from Clemson University joint program, where she was awarded the Ann Pamela Cunningham Award. Her graduate thesis focused on the powerful role of the women of Drayton Hall.
Before establishing BVL HPR, Brittany served as an architectural historian for a cultural resources management firm in her home state of New Jersey. She conducted historic research, architectural surveys and conditions assessments on large-scale government preservation projects, including the Statue of Liberty. While consulting, Brittany assisted her community in rebuilding following Hurricane Sandy by documenting and showcasing the historic architecture of the Central Jersey Shore through her weekly architecture blog. She served as a contributing feature historian for several local newspaper and magazine publications.
Since the firm's founding, Brittany was one of ten women honored in the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America's national “Power in Preservation” exhibit in Washington, D.C. that celebrated the role of women in preservation, named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 40 Under 40: People Saving Places, one of three women featured in Historic Charleston Foundation's inaugural “Women Who Impact Preservation” series and has presented her research at both professional conferences and events across the nation.
Emilie Crossan
Researcher and Architectural Historian
-
Emilie first interned at BVL HPR in the Fall 2019 semester. She was hired part-time to continue her work as a research assistant. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 2021 with a BA in Historic Preservation and Community Planning and a BA in Jewish Studies. Taking the following year as a gap year, she continued her work with BVL HPR and took an additional research position at Pearlstine/ Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture, documenting the history of South Carolina's synagogues and congregations. Emilie took a year of absence to earn her master's degree in architectural history and recently graduated from University College London’s Bartlett School of Architecture. Her dissertation combined her passions in architectural history and Holocaust studies in her thesis titled “The Proposed UK Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre:
A study on Holocaust memorial architecture, the history of the UK's memorial project, and a critique of its design and success.” She is excited to have returned to Charleston to pursue her passion of uncovering the stories of marginalized communities through architecture and house histories.
Interviews & Talks
Charleston Magazine
Discover How Architectural Historian Brittany Lavelle Tulla Uncovers The Hidden Stories Of Old Buildings
CreativeMornings with Brittany Lavelle Tulla
How Old Buildings Cultivate Tradition in Communities
Homeworthy: Every Home Has a Story
From Frat House to Forever Home | The History Behind a Classic Charleston Home
Charleston's OHM Radio
Creative Brief feat. Brittany Lavelle Tulla
Between Two Brokers Podcast
Historic Preservation with Brittany V. Lavelle Tulla
“Power in Preservation” Exhibit
National exhibit in Washington, D.C. honoring the past & present role of women in preservation
“Loving Living Local” Segment
News Channel 2 interview with Brittany of BVL HPR