CONS509 MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES IN ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION

Course Objectives

With a focus on historical/traditional building(s), the students will be able to have an understanding of the interdisciplinary conservation process within a settlement (urban and rural) context. Based on a case study defined in relation to CONS 506, the students will have a methodological approach that can be used in the conservation of historical/traditional building(s). The students will participate in a multidisciplinary conservation research project in accordance with their backgrounds and they will develop an awareness and experience in historical/traditional building(s) conservation. Consequently, at the end of the course the students will have the following skills:

• To be aware of conservation principles and research methods within a historical/traditional building(s);
• To define and assess the historical and architectural features, as well as structural and material characteristics and conservation problems of an historic building considering conservation theory as well as current approaches and tools;
• To produce a proposal or guiding document for the conservation of historical/traditional building(s).

Course Content

Study of historical, architectural, structural and material characteristics of individual historic building(s) together with its physical context in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of its values, problems, potentials as a part of an interdisciplinary conservation process. Documentation, assessment, preparation of conservation proposals focusing on the students’ own expertise and their presentation in a visual and written format.

Course Learning Outcomes

This studio course aims to set up a common study platform with CONS 506: Design in Architectural Conservation (4-8)8 and other theoretical courses. The course study has mainly three stages based on physical, socio-cultural, economic and legal-administrative aspects of the building(s) and its near surroundings; which are documentation, assessment, developing conservation proposals.

DOCUMENTATION stage covers:

• Survey and analyses of the building(s) and its near surroundings through a site survey with special emphasis on physical, socio-cultural features,
• Research on settlement (urban and rural) and building(s) history,

ASSESSMENT stage covers:

• Definition of the values to be protected of building(s) and near surroundings,
• Definition of the problems of building(s) and near surroundings related with their possible sources,
• Definition of the potentials of building(s) and near surroundings,

DEVELOPING CONSERVATION PROPOSALS stage covers:

• Approach and principles of the conservation process of building(s) and near surroundings,
• Conservation actions that provide the sustainability of values and produce solutions for the problems of building(s) and near surroundings,
• Preparation of a time schedule and research program for detailed survey on building(s) and near surroundings for the short- and long-term interventions,
• Special projects for the conservation of building(s) and near surroundings including proper details.