"We never set out to become one of the world's leading nonprofits devoted to historic  

preservation and adaptive reuse. In 1979, we bought the Armory because we didn't have 

the money to build something new. But it was beautiful, and it had history, as we felt  

like our tiny little school might benefit from living in a place with a good story." 

—Paula Susan Wallace (The Bee and the Acorn, 2016) 

SCAD's Beautiful Lai Wa Hall 

The Savannah College and Design (SCAD) acquired this beautiful mansion in 2002. Its renovation was honored with a significant Historic Savannah Foundation award the following year. 

Initially built in 1877 as the family home for a wealthy Savannah cotton broker and financier named Thomas M. Butler, this classical revival-style residence now serves as the gorgeous quarters for the executive administrative offices at SCAD.  

Located with a picturesque view of beautiful Forsyth Park, this opulent former residence of nearly 4700-square-feet is where SCAD co-founder and current President Paula Wallace hangs her stylish hat. 

After SCAD purchased and refurbished this remarkable residence, the college renamed it Lai Wa Hall after Dr. Chan Lai Wa, who long served SCAD's Board of Trustees as Second Vice-Chair. 

The beauty of SCAD's Lai Wa Hall wonderfully resembles the accomplishments of its remarkable namesake from China. In 2012, Time Magazine named Dr. Chan Lai Wa to its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Only a few years ago, she was the wealthiest female entrepreneur in China. What she’s done for the world of art, successfully deploying her wealth, is even more impressive. 

Chan Lai Wa was born in 1941 in the Summer Palace of Beijing, China — making her a direct descendant of the noble Manchu Family from the Qing Dynasty. Of course, the imperial nobility of her family didn't assist her in advancing in China after the Communist-led People's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China in 1949. But her knowledge of art certainly did help underwrite her rise again. 

Living in distressing poverty as a girl, Chan left high school to help support her family. Soon after, she started a furniture repair business, which fertilized and watered the business roots that eventually grew into her immensely plush future fortune. Her deep knowledge of the traditional furniture made of Red Sandalwood, the wood favored by the discerning elite during the Qing Dynasty, became her passion as a restorer and collector of these incredible and valuable works of art. 

Having made the bulk of her Billion-dollar fortune in Chinese real estate, large construction projects, and the formation of several diversified industries, Chan Lai Wa focused her artistic hand on the Red Sandalwood. In 1999, she opened The China Red Sandalwood Museum in Beijing. I recommend watching a video tour of this unique museum found on its website. 

The Pterocarpus Santalinus, or red sandalwood, is one of the world's most precious timbers. Sandalwood has a tough texture, making it a perfect material for forming long-lasting, beautifully carved furniture and sculptures. Creating a pair of matching chairs for the emperors — the Dragon Thrones — might easily have taken an experienced sandalwood artisan two months or more to complete. 

I'll end this Postcard from Savannah as SCAD President Paula Wallace once signed off a letter sent to me: Ans longa, vita Brevis! —meaning: skillfulness takes time, but life is short! Indeed. A perfect aphorism for every creative artist to keep firmly in her mind. It's also a great life lesson these two extraordinary women taught us all. Thank you, Chan Lai Wa and Paula Susan Wallace for leading the way.