Q: What do you think of the emerging look of Fayetteville Street as these old buildings are effectively unmasked, the past coming back storefront by storefront?

A: The city is rediscovering its spirit with the uncovering of the old storefronts as though a weight is being lifted from the shoulders of downtown. The old and the new can be continued into a new urban framework. The mixing of new additions and the old is a pattern set by Memorial Auditorium. The Convention Center continues this tradition by establishing a scale derived from the historic factory while utilizing new strategies.

Q. It seems unusual that so many old buildings on Fayetteville Street escaped the wrecking ball. Does Raleigh have an opportunity to create a rare mix of old streetscapes and soaring towers, a sense of history and the future?

A. It is indeed fortunate that downtown escaped the wrecking ball. The challenge will be to find a way to ensure that the sense of family business is also not lost. ... It is natural that old and new co-exist. It reminds us of the extended families that make up North Carolina society. Healthy families celebrate members of all ages. Each generation teaches the next, and the next generation challenges the previous.

Q. Is it important that the buildings be restored down to historic detail, or just that they be restored in a general way with a lot of modern underpinnings?

A. True restoration -- down to historic detail -- must be reserved for places that have significant meaning. For the most part, renovation sensitive to past memories while advancing new uses and building methods is appropriate. Recent projects such as the Raleigh Times and the Briggs Hardware buildings are memorable and appropriate along Fayetteville Street.

Q. In Raleigh, code requirements make it expensive to bring old buildings back. What would the ideal system that encourages renovation look like?

A. There are many aspects of public health, safety and welfare that demand careful attention and are therefore worth the investment of those who aspire to develop new uses in the old buildings. For example, issues that relate to structural stability, universal access, fire safety and energy consumption must be addressed. The restoration of old buildings requires architects to interpret codes to meet performance standards, and this frequently involves compromise. Architects and city officials need to work together in a mature fashion.

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