MSc Architectural Design for the Conservation of Built Heritage

The class aims to provide knowledge and understanding of conservation principles and ethics.

It will immerse you into the history and theory of conservation, reviewing the main international and local schools of thought, understanding how they developed and relating them to practical realisations.

You'll be introduced to the wider picture of conservation, including the evolution of planning conservation and the understanding of the issues of public interest and economics.

This class aims to present architectural and construction history both as the wider context of the buildings and as tools for its analysis.

The course will provide an alternative reading of architecture through the technical historical processes and culture that produced them.

It'll reflect on the complex array of context, conditions and their interaction during the historic development of buildings.

Urban History will be also introduced within this module.

This class aims to give the regulatory and statutory framework, internationally, nationally and locally, for the conservation of:

• historic buildings
• historic areas and towns
• archaeological sites,
• historic and cultural landscapes giving you the opportunity to learn from their development in different countries.

It will include planning and funding aspects as well as the importance of recording, including explanation of the role of the Heritage at Risk Register in England and the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland.

This class aims to introduce and overview the research methodology and techniques used in the study of historic buildings.

You'll be able to identify survey, assess and analyse the buildings and sites as well as the sources available for its study.

It will bring the archive research, building analysis and historiography of a historic building together with more technical surveying methods and condition recording techniques. A unified approach to the analysis of a building is then promoted that will help you make informed choices during the design of an intervention.

As part of the discipline for this research, you'll be introduced to existing practices such as working through a model template of a Conservation Management Plan and/or Conservation Area Appraisal.

You'll understand the importance of the sound preliminary studies in order to identify and assess the significance of a building, including identifying critical aspects to take in account in the intervention.

The class aims to introduce and overview specific pathologies of the main historic and modern materials, developing the required technical competence in historic building conservation.

It'll examine key construction materials, will explore their most common pathologies and their mechanisms of decay.

You'll be introduced to current practices of building condition surveys, giving them the opportunity to develop their skills in assessing condition. You'll learn how to develop appropriate methodologies in accordance with the specific building or site.

Choose from the following:

• Urban History 
• Urban Theory
• Real Estate Development
• Urban Design Policy and Practice
• Sustainability
• Construction Project Management

You'll develop a project integrating the knowledge acquired in the rest of the modules, with an additional element of project management and finances.

The final aim is to establish a sound conservation strategy and design for the proposed historic building and surrounding area, establishing the levels of intervention required and possible phases.

Ultimately, you'll be able to devise architectural, structural and constructional strategies for the proposed intervention. It'll demonstrate an understanding and critical interpretation of the complex problems of historic buildings as well as a suitable design skills to enhance their conservation and transmission to the future. 

This project can be further developed during the final project/dissertation.

The class aims to offer an overview of the specific technical problems of historic buildings in terms of their structural integrity.

Initially, you'll develop an understanding of the various levels of structural surveys and an ability to identify the origin of observed defects, problems and failures.

To this aim, it is important you integrate knowledge of the main structural theories, construction techniques and the properties of building materials, allowing you to develop a method to assess the evolution of the structural behaviour of a building.

The range of repair and strengthening technology is subsequently outlined as a logical outcome of the integration of the above knowledge. Your ability to design appropriate remedial works will be assessed by a structural strengthening project.

The class aims to introduce and overview specific materials, developing technical competence in historic building conservation and repair.

You'll be introduced to the decision-making process concerning the assessment and selection of appropriate conservation and repair techniques as well as to the employment of specialists.

You'll become familiar and will understand the nature and use of materials, being able to reflect on the impact of materials and techniques choices on in the conservation of the building.

The final aim is that you'll be to identify and assess the most suitable conservation techniques and the way to prevent future material decay in the building. You'll be able to develop the most appropriate methodologies and procedures for the particular building under consideration, and justify that they follow good conservation practice.

The aim of the dissertation project is to further exercise and demonstrate independent research abilities and project development skills.

You'll have the choice to develop the Conservation Design Project, as an Advanced Conservation Design Project (including a written thesis) or to produce a written dissertation expanding the outcomes from the Conservation Design Project.

In both cases, you should combine many of the aspects learned during other modules within a specific topic and a coherent body of work.

The dissertation project should demonstrate a substantial theoretical argument, critically reviewing you own work and reflect upon specific theoretical and practical issues of architectural conservation.