The course is taught by means of lectures, short teaching blocks, day schools and field trips across East Anglia to view buildings and practitioners at work. Some of the teaching takes place at Madingley Hall, a 16th-century manor house set in seven acres of landscaped gardens designed by Capability Brown, and the headquarters of the Institute of Continuing Education.
What will I be studying?
The evolution of buildings from medieval to modern times runs as a thread through the course and you will receive guidance on identification and recording and on the development of appropriate conservation strategies. The objectives are:
- to understand the development of the philosophy and ethics of conservation and the legislation and policy that protect the historic environment.
- to survey, record and analyse the development of historic buildings through the examination of their materials, construction and style.
- to learn practical techniques for conservation, repair and restoration, with the opportunity to experience the use of traditional materials.
- to be able to make informed judgments on conservation issues affecting historic buildings.
Dates of study
Each of the three termly units has a particular topic:
Unit 1: Conservation philosophy, law and practice and vernacular architecture
Lecture 1: Monday 7 October 2019 (evening)
Day school: Monday 14 October 2019
Teaching block: Friday 18 and Saturday 19 October 2019
Teaching block: Friday 6 and Saturday 7 December 2019
The first unit introduces the philosophical and legal frameworks for conserving the built heritage as a basis for students to begin developing their own approaches to conservation issues. This will be done through lectures, backed up by the examination and discussion of case studies.
Students will also begin to explore the close relationship between place, material and building crafts which is particularly evident in early and vernacular architecture, using lectures and site visits. Students will develop practical skills in observation, analysis and recording using a variety of techniques, through site visits. Visits will examine early and vernacular buildings in Cambridgeshire and will look at the mixture of materials, styles and crafts employed, considering conservation issues presented in urban contexts.
Unit 2: Building in stone, and the challenges of urban, rural and landscape conservation
Day school 1: Saturday 18 January 2020
Teaching block 1: Friday 14 and Saturday 15 February 2020
Day school 2: Saturday 29 February 2020
Teaching block 2: Friday 20 and Saturday 21 March 2020
The second unit examines in detail the use of stone as a building material, exploring the relationship between geology, place, construction and style. Construction techniques including solid wall masonry, arches and vaulting will be covered. This will be done through lectures, site visits, and through the examination of case studies, focusing on local examples and the conservation and repair challenges presented by construction in stone.
Students will also look at three broad aspects of the historic environment – the rural and urban environments, and historic landscapes. They will, through lectures, case studies and site visits, be introduced to the main building or structure types characterising each and the archaeological evidence for understanding historic landscapes, the typical conservation challenges presented in each, and will critically appraise possible conservation solutions to support the development of their own toolkit of potential responses.
Unit 3: Building with traditional materials; timber, earth, lime, plaster and thatch
Teaching block 1: Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May 2020
Teaching block 2: Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May 2020
Teaching block 3: Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May 2020
The third unit examines the use of timber in traditional buildings, including its sourcing and preparation, and the impact it has on construction and repair techniques. Timber-frames will be given particular focus. Other traditional materials and techniques such as thatching, earth walling and lime mortar will also be introduced. These topics will be covered through lectures, site visits and practical demonstrations. Students will also develop their analytical and interpretative skills in understanding the development of historic building by learning how to produce sketches and measured drawings as part of the process of interpreting and recording. They will also consider and practice the use of photography and be introduced to other techniques such as capture through motion, 3D and laser recording.
Additional information
Although this is a non-residential course, students requiring residential accommodation may be able to book Bed & Breakfast at Madingley Hall, as availability permits, at a discounted student rate. Once you have completed booking your place on the course you will be sent further information about how to book pre-allocated accommodation. Please do not book accommodation directly via the Madingley Hall website as there might not be room availability via this route.
This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by September 6th 2019 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Cancellation policy).
