History,theory and ethics of Conservation and Reuse
The history of working with existing things is fascinating as different practical and conceptual approaches have developed in different cultural and historical situations. These approaches have often combined prevailing cultural attitudes with narratives about identity, sometimes crystallising around the nation state. Traditions have been invented, often in opposition to custom and quotidian habits, and then defended through investment of time and energy in selected material culture. We draw upon the history of ideas and theories surrounding conservation of art, architecture, and ecology and adopts a comparative approach, contrasting attitudes in different places and at different times. There is a burden on practitioners to interpret history with integrity and precision – and with a sophisticated theoretical grounding – as a reliable basis for decision making around change.
Value and contemporary issues in Conservation and Reuse
Value systems that privilege scarcity imply that the destruction of one example raises the value of the remaining and risk creating a Noah’s museum of cultural artefacts – the last of their type. But it can’t be right that everything, no matter how mundane, should be conserved with equal energy and enthusiasm, at all costs. We explore the choices and categories that surround value judgements and orthodox ways of interpreting significance before asking whether the underlying frameworks are valid and coherent or in need of overhaul. Radical practice doesn’t stay radical for long, and counter-cultural movements are discussed alongside the way they are routinely de-barbed and co-opted into the mainstream.
Amandine Kastler
Julia Cabanas and Kawayan Collective.
Amandine Kastler
Comparative construction and carbon awareness
It is necessary for professionals to understand historic construction culture and how it relates to what we think of as mainstream technologies today. Architects should have a healthy scepticism of orthodoxies and be willing to challenge narratives surrounding obsolescence, technological progress, or supposed authenticity. We compare construction technologies across time and space, exploring the nature of technology as both a practical tool and a social construct. Suggesting that there are alternatives to the extractive and non-regenerative materials that have become dominant – some old technologies that can be put to new uses and some new technologies that need to be pioneered. We tackle carbon directly and introduce building physics, operational and embodied carbon, and the application of low carbon technologies to existing situations. We tease apart ideologies that underscore contemporary practice in sustainability and asks whether we are sufficiently progressive. What happens when the actions required to conserve one situation conflict with the conservation of another, or where conservation at a small-scale, conflicts with the conservation of wider earth systems?
To escape from the parochialism (of both time and space) that can limit imaginative design, students will be equipped to situate historic construction methods in a global context – seeing equivalences. The course describes phenomena in material culture and connects them to underlying ideas, circumstances and imperatives. The aim is to develop an appreciation of construction culture, past and present, to bring to light resonances between contemporary practice and traditional methods, and to recognise and challenge ideological constraints.
Understanding, assessing and changing existing things
Every example of material culture represents a snapshot of dominant norms, scientific discoveries, economic exigencies, personal ideas and inescapable practical constraints. While some places and things are well documented, practitioners are often faced with situations where there is no guidebook. We explore what to do in these circumstances and how to elicit evidence from objects and sites. Every archaeologist knows that good choices about tools and techniques can profoundly influence observation and set research off on the right track. We critically appraise different ways to gather evidence and asks students to balance the need for information with questions of utility, budget and ethics.
We are concerned with assessing materials and assemblies, recognising failures and defects, and specifying appropriate methods of adaptation and repair. The history of conservation practice is filled with diligence and rational method but also with naivety, shortsightedness, and improvisation. Every situation is unique, and while experience is of enormous value, it can also lock practitioners onto a familiar course. Technical expertise and knowledge must be accompanied by a sceptical and open mindset if practice is to evolve and adapt to emerging needs.
Skill and bravery are required to think about existing structures from first principles and to challenge dogma or reflexive orthodoxies.
Circularity, reuse and practical skills
Reuse and retrofit have become buzzwords for sustainable architecture. However, what these terms mean and how they are interpreted varies enormously. We aim to give students a critical perspective on reuse – past and present. Practical workshops allow students to get their hands dirty, familiarise themselves with construction materials and techniques, and ultimately give direction in practice with clarity, realism, and authority and from a base of experience.
We explore adaptation and reuse, designing for circularity and avoidance of waste at different scales and over different timespans. A series of comparative case studies help to illustrate imaginative ways of reusing, repurposing, or recycling buildings.
Future-oriented practice
We encourage students to have agency over their practice, to promote radical change in existing regulatory landscapes, and to be innovative, confidently taking on future-orientated roles in the world.
The programme covers fundamental topics including relevant legislation, planning, building regulations, construction contracts, and practice management in relation to working in existing situations. The goal is to identify and address the challenges that both facilitate and obstruct the conservation, continuity, change and reuse of the world around us. Understanding these frameworks increases agency and helps to drive policy overhaul and regulatory updating. We aim to equip students to engage in radical and innovative ways with policy and practice, preparing them for future-oriented roles in the industry.