Melita Rodeck
Publications and Drawings, 1953-1984

Ms92-028
1.5 cu. ft.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Melita Rodeck was born on April 12, 1914, in Milan, Italy, to Austrian parents. After the outbreak of World War I her family returned to Vienna where she was educated. She enrolled at the Vienna Polytechnic in 1932 to study architecture, and emigrated to the United States in 1939. In 1950 she moved to Washington, D.C., and worked for the General Services Administration of the U.S. federal government. She became a registered architect of the District of Columbia in 1952 and established her own office in 1958, where she designed residences in Maryland and Virginia and restored townhouses in Washington, D.C.

From 1968 to 1973 Rodeck worked as an architect for special research projects at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, then from 1973 to 1980 as a coordinator for architectural research for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was a program manager of Radiological Emergency Preparedness Programs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1980 to 1985 and designed guidelines to minimize or eliminate flood damage to buildings. She retired from federal government work in 1985.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Melita Rodeck papers consist of architectural drawings designed by her while in private practice and as an employee of the U.S. federal government. The collection also includes various pieces of literature she wrote for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

PROVENANCE

The Melita Rodeck papers were donated to the International Archive of Women in Architecture in 1992, 1993, and 1997 by Ms. Rodeck. Integration of all of the processed materials was completed in January 1998 by Gina Ellis, student assistant, and Laura Katz Smith, Manuscripts Curator, Special Collections Department.

INVENTORY

Box1:

• Folder 1: 1968--Space and Utilization Plans and Design Criteria for Army Guest House, Department of the Army, Office of the Chief of Engineers.
• Folder 2: 1970--Construction--Space and Planning Criteria for U.S. Army Service Schools , Technical Manual, 5-843-1, for Department of the Army.
• Folder 3: 1971--Interim Guidance for Two-Step Construction Contracting, Contracting Department, for the U.S. Army.
• Folder 4: 1972--Historic Preservation--Booklet from the Office of the Chief of Engineers.
• Folder 5: 1979--Flood Emergency and Residential Repair Handbook, FEMA.
• Folder 6: 1981--Design Guidelines for Flood Damage Reduction, FEMA publication.
• Folder 7: 1984--Elevated Residential Structures, FEMA publication.
• Folder 8: n.d.--St. Stephens Parish Center, Washington, D.C.--architectural drawings.
• Folder 9: n.d.--Miscellaneous papers, including newspaper clippings and biographical information about Rodeck.

Oversized Folder:

• June, 1953. Renovation of Dental Clinic for Health, Education and Welfare, South Building. Washington, D.C.
• June, 1953. Renovation of Dental Clinic for Health, Education and Welfare, South Building. Washington, D.C. Plumbing.
• June, 1953. Renovation of Dental Clinic for Health, Education and Welfare, South Building. Washington, D.C. Electrical.
• June, 1953. Renovation of Dental Clinic for Health, Education and Welfare, South Building. Washington, D.C. Air conditioning.
• June, 1953. Federal Records Center. Alexandria, Virginia. Replace roof.
• May 31, 1957. Rehabilitation of Mess Hall Building L-18. Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Architectural.
• May 31, 1957. Rehabilitation of Mess Hall Building L-18. Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Interior Details and Schedules.
• May 31, 1957. Rehabilitation of Mess Hall Building L-18. Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Exterior Details--Architectural.
• June 10, 1957. Rehabilitation of Mess Hall Building L-18. Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Electrical.
• April, 1959. St. Andrew's Hanger, Washington, D.C. 13 sheets.
• October 5, 1959. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory--Stairway and Hallway Fire Protection. Various Buildings. Plans Building 1.
• October 5, 1959. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory--Stairway and Hallway Fire Protection. Typical Details Buildings 1, 12 and 30.
• October 5, 1959. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory--Stairway and Hallway Fire Protection. Various Buildings. Plans Building 12.
• October 5, 1959. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory--Stairway and Hallway Fire Protection. Various Buildings. Plans Building 13.
• August, 1960. Queen Anne's Lane Project, 36 sheets.
• June, 1961. Annex Building for 60 foot antenna, U.S. Naval Radio Research Station. Sugar Grove, West Virginia.
• October, 1965. Proposed Office Building for Mr. Leonard M. Seigel.
• March, 1966. 12 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Electrical Notes. Panel and Service Equipment Service. Power Riser Diagram.
• March, 1966. 12 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Wheaton, Maryland. Plumbing Diagram. Typical Wall Section.
• March, 1966. 12 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Wheaton, Maryland. East, West, and North Elevations.
• April, 1966. 12 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Wheaton, Maryland. Floor Plans.
• April, 1966. 12 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Wheaton, Maryland. Notes. Legend. Final Schedule.
• June, 1966. Store remodeling and office conversions, Washington, D.C.
• March, 1967. 6 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Schedule. Zoning Information. Notes.
• March, 1967. 6 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. First Floor Plan.
• March, 1967. 6 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. North, South, East and Southwest Elevations.
• March, 1967. 6 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Plumbing. Electrical.
• March, 1967. 6 Unit Apartment Building, Wheaton, Maryland. Electrical Notes. Power Riser Diagram. Panel and Service Equipment Schedule.
• June, 1967. Addition and Alteration to Flat, Washington, D.C.
• 1975. Architectural drawing, Air rights development in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.
• n.d. Holly Cottage. District Training School. Department of Welfare. Laurel, Maryland. Mechanical.
• n.d. Holly Cottage. District Training School. Department of Welfare. Laurel, Maryland. Electrical.
• n.d. Holly Cottage. District Training School. Department of Welfare. Laurel, Maryland. Mechanical. Basement Plan. Details and Schedules.
• n.d. Holly Cottage. District Training School. Department of Welfare. Laurel, Maryland. Electrical. First Floor Plan.
• n.d. Dogwood Cottage. District Training School. Department of Welfare. Laurel, Maryland. Basement Plan. Electrical.
• n.d. Dogwood Cottage. District Training School. Department of Welfare. Laurel, Maryland. First Floor Plans, Details and Schedules. Electrical.
• n.d. Dogwood Cottage. District Training School. Department of Welfare. Laurel, Maryland. Basement Plan. Detail and Diagrams. Mechanical.
• n.d. St. Stephens Parish Center, 4 sheets.
• n.d. Banner of Resurrection, drawing.
• n.d. Residence of 801-25th St. NW, Washington, D.C.
• n.d. Saltbox of Monterey Place, Lot 4.
• n.d. Renovation of Dental Clinic, Project # 13744.
• n.d. Three miscellaneous drawings and sketches.

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IAWA Archivist, University Libraries
Virginia Tech, P.O. Box 90001,
Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001