Architectural Conservation: History and Global Practice



Overview

Climate change presents a great threat to our cultural heritage. But managing the historic environment can also help us prepare for and respond to change. Architectural conservation has a crucial role to play in our future, by helping us adapt our built environment to be in greater harmony with the natural environment. Those entrusted with the care of our old buildings are responsible for passing on the story of how we make our place in the world.

Care for the historic built environment reflects broader cultural values. In the past, approaches varied from place to place. They depended on the local environment, for example on what materials were available. Global principles have emerged alongside these local traditions. These principles are still tied to social and environmental issues. That means architectural conservation practice has to account for complex issues and attitudes. When caring for an historic building, each case is unique. There are no right answers (although there are plenty of wrong answers!). Science can help us, but it can't make decisions for us.

Together, we will cover the origins of the architectural conservation movement. We will frame practical approaches globally and in the UK within this movement. We will discuss the role of scientific understanding in shaping these developments. Case studies will cover the tutor's work at UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Programme details

Courses starts: 2 Oct 2024

Week 1:  Global context: Lessons from Mali and Japan

Week 2:  Conservation prehistory: From the Renaissance to the Romantic

Week 3:  Emergence of theory: Ideal state or anti-scrape?

Week 4:  Towards common principles: The Athens and Venice charters and their legacy

Week 5:  Case studies 1: The Tower of London and Pompeii

Week 6:  The role of science: Understanding change in the built environment

Week 7:  Present day frameworks: Managing the historic built environment

Week 8:  Balancing values: Architectural conservation in practice

Week 9:  Future prospects: Trends in our approach to the historic built environment

Week 10:  Case studies 2: Blenheim Palace and Petra

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee for each course you enrol on. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. If you do not register when you enrol, you have up until the course start date to register and pay the £30 fee. 

See more information on CATS point

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework, but only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education, you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee. 

 

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment, whether registered for credit or not, will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Martin Michette

Martin studied Architecture and Architectural Conservation and spent several years in practice before doing a DPhil on stone conservation at the Tower of London. He is now a researcher in the Oxford Resilient Buildings and Landscapes Lab at the School of Geography and the Environment.

Course aims

To introduce the complex issues surrounding care for the historic built environment.

Course Objectives:

  • To give context to the emergence of architectural conservation theory, by covering historical developments and explaining different approaches and attitudes.
  • To locate current practical frameworks and policies within the broader theoretical framework.
  • To gain an appreciation of how scientific understanding has shaped architectural conservation, and of current trends and their potential implications for managing the historic built environment.

Teaching methods

Weekly pre-recorded lectures will create the structure for the course. You will listen to these independently in advance of the weekly webinars, which are designed to explore and expand topics raised in the lectures. The webinars will use interactive tools to maximise engagement. You will be expected to  participate actively by bringing questions and observations to the weekly webinars.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • know the key developments in the history of architectural conservation. Be able to distinguish different approaches within those developments and assign them to relevant people, charters, etc;
  • understand the role of deeper cultural values that underpin those different approaches, and be able to articulate several viewpoints on what good practice could entail in any given case;
  • appreciate the role and limit of scientific method in searching for best practice, and recognise how to apply it within prevailing frameworks.

Assessment methods

You will be invited to submit an essay of max. 1500 words at the end of the course. You can choose the subject of your essay from the broad matter of the course (for example a particular case study, or a reflection on a key development or actor), but it should engage with the complex challenges of care for historic buildings.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

We will close for enrolments 14 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (14 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

No prior experience is required.

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support