HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM

ABOUT THE PROGRAM | COURSES | NEWS | RESEARCH | CONTACT | LINKS | JOBS | UVM HOME

Course goals, assignments and expectations

• This final semester course emphasizes professional and academic applications of architectural conservation and historic preservation research and technical skills through a series of seminars, site visits, research projects and written reports. The goal is prepare students for the world of professional practice by simulating typical activities, schedules, and research questions that may be presented to a historic preservation professional. Another goal of the course is to help develop knowledge and skills in the areas of project management, as well as an understanding of how various components of heritage preservation projects and professional services interact.
• In order to develop the ability to efficiently evaluate situations, obtain information, and conduct research in the field, laboratory and archives, the course assignments are based on a series of conservation assessment projects that are to be completed within the prescribed allotment of time. Plan your research and preparation time carefully. Be prepared for the unforeseen!
• Each student is to complete a series of projects, described below, that assess the condition and provide treatment recommendations for the conservation of various historic building components and systems. This should not be the same building used for projects in other courses. Numerous visits to the project building may be required, so it should be easily accessible. If you would like to discuss options for suitable project buildings, please check with the professor before Assignment 1 is submitted.
• Each project should be submitted as a professional bound report. The report should follow a professional format and include information, observations, illustrations, measured drawings, sketch plans, charts, tables, proper credits and notes (see Chicago Manual of Style). The project reports should be illustrated with digital images or scanned photographs and annotated drawings of the features being researched. Projects and reports are to be completed individually.
• To supplement the class lectures and assigned readings, plan to conduct additional research on your own through web sites, articles, trade journals, and books in the library, as well as through interviews and site visits. A HP 307 course reserve shelf in Wheeler 103 will offer background articles and other printed information.
• Course log book. Students are encouraged to record field observations, questions, references, site sketches and other information in a course log book. Log books could also include your research notes, field notes, sketches and laboratory observations for your projects.
• The class lectures, site visits and seminar discussions are all important parts of this course. Attendance is expected at all unless due to a medical reason or an emergency.
• If you cannot attend a class due to illness or emergency, please contact the professor in advance if possible by email or by telephoning the History Department at 802-656-3180. Also please contact the professor as soon as possible to arrange any make-up work or to request any extensions due to circumstances beyond your control. Requests for course incompletes should be made before December 1.
• Cell phones, e-mail and messaging systems are to be turned off and not used during all classes.
• Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date specified.

Assignments

Assignment 1 Proposal

Develop a formal proposal for your architectural conservation assessment survey project. In addition to a formal cover letter, provide a separate proposal that includes the following information:

The criteria for grading your proposal will be how effectively it communicates your plan for the project in a professional manner.

Assignment 2 Window and Door Assessment

Conduct a window survey of the exerior windows and doors on an historic building. For each window and door, document the location, design, and features. Assess the condition and functionality of each visible component feature that you can access directly or from observation from the outside. Determine the causes of deterioration or malfunctions. Offer appropriate treatment recommendations to the extent of your expertise and qualifications. The window survey report may use as a guide the outline at http://www.uvm.edu/histpres/307/windowsurveys.html . Include in the final report annotated measured sketch drawings of the building elevations and of each type of window and door. Condense information into tables and charts if possible. These drawings should be bound into the report. Also include images of all windows and doors surveyed.

Assignment 3 Exterior Assessment

Conduct an exterior envelope assessment of the roofs, walls, features and foundation of an historic building. Select a building for which you will access to both the interior of the basement and the exterior of the foundation, the exterior walls, and for which you can clearly see the roof from the ground or adjacent buildings. For safety reasons, this project is to be done without the use of ladders and without directly accessing on the roof.

Document the materials, construction techniques, design, and features of the exterior envelope and the foundation. Assess the conditions and determine the causes of deterioration. Also document the materials, construction techniques, design, and features of the roofing and flashings. Based on your observations from the ground and from inside the building, assess the conditions and determine the causes of deterioration. Offer appropriate treatment recommendations with estimates of the urgency of any repairs to the extent of your expertise and qualifications. Condense information into tables and charts if possible. Include in the final bound report annotated measured drawings or annotated digital images of all the exterior wall and foundation elevations and at least one representative basement wall from the inside. Also include annotated digital images of the roof as can be gathered from the ground or adjacent buildings. Provide specific information on any recommended replacement products or treatment materials in an appendix.

Assignment 4 Interior Assessment

Conduct an assessment of the accessible spaces on the interior of an historic building. For each significant character defining feature (including ceilings, walls, wallpapers, wall coverings, floorings or floor coverings, stairways, built-in features, cabinetry and mechanical and electrical components) document the feature and its materials, installation techniques, design, function and details. If historic, estimate its age. Assess the conditions and determine the causes of deterioration or malfunctions to the extent of your expertise and qualifications. Offer appropriate preservation treatment recommendations with estimates of the urgency of any repairs. Also discuss potential strategies to improve the energy conservation performance of the buildings. Condense information into tables and charts if possible. Include annotated digital images in the final bound report. Provide specific information on any recommended replacement products or treatment materials in an appendix.

Grading

Grades on assignments will reflect the quality of the work and its professional appearance and organization.
Grades in the "A" range will reflect work that has achieved a professional level of expectations in the preservation field.
Grades in the "B" range will reflect work that would require additional work to be well-received by a client or supervisor.
Grades below "B" will reflect professionally unacceptable work that could be rejected by a client or supervisor or could diminish one's professional reputation. Course grades will be computed as follows:

Texts

Weaver, Martin. Conserving Buildings. New York: John Wiley. 1997.

Young, Robert A. Historic Preservation Technology. New York: John Wiley. 2008.

Preservation Briefs. National Park Service.

Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. National Park Service.

Recommended readings and references

APT Preservation Technology Primer, 2008.

 

Feilden, Bernard. Conservation of Historic Buildings. Architectural Press. 2003.

Fischetti, David. Structural Investigation of Historic Buildings: A Case Study Guide to Preservation Technology for Buildings, Bridges, Towers and Mills. Wiley. 2009.
Fitch, James Marston. Historic Preservation. Charlottesville: Univ. of Virginia Press. 1992.

Garvin, James. A Building History of Northern New England. Hanover: Univ. Press of New England. 2001.

Green, Sara Wolf, ed. The Conservation Assessment. Washington: National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property. 1990.

Jandl, H. Ward, ed. The Technology of Historic American Buildings. Washington: APT. 1983.

Jester, Thomas C. Twentieth-Century Building Materials. Washington, D. C.: National Park Service, 1995.
Moss, Roger. Lighting for Historic Buildings. Washington: Preservation Press. 1988.

Nylander, Richard. Wallpapers for Historic Buildings. Washington: Preservation Press. 1992.

Rosenstiel, Helene. Floor Coverings for Historic Buildings. Washington: Preservation Press. 1988.

Shivers, Natalie. Walls & Moldings. Washington: Preservation Press. 1990.

Spennemann, Dirk H. R., and Look, David W., ed. Disaster Management Programs for Historic Sites. San Francisco: National Park Service. 1998.

Stubbs, John. Time Honored: A Global View of Architectural Conservation. Wiley. 2009.
Visser, Thomas. Various examples of Architectural Conservation Assessment professional reports

Waite, Diana S. Ornamental Ironwork. Albany: Mount Ida Press. 1990.

Weaver, Martin. Conserving Buildings. New York: John Wiley. 1997. Chapters not assigned.

Welchel, Harriet, ed. Caring for Your Historic House. Heritage Preservation and National Park Service, ed. New York: Abrams. 1998.

 

Additional online resources

APT Bulletin (accessible by JStor through UVM Library)

 

Journal of the American Institute of Conservation
Preservation Education & Research | PER Journal

Athens Charter
Venice Charter
Burra Charter
Nara Document on Authenticity
Conservation Principles for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment
Standards for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada
Interpreting the Standards Bulletins
Telling Historic Preservation Time

---

©UVM Historic Preservation Program
histpres@zoo.uvm.edu

Last updated: December 6, 2009