Longford Academy – 3 Day course in Advanced Conservation Techniques at Woolmers Estate, Tasmania

Course Outline

APT Australia Chapter will stage a short course in the conservation of exposed wood, metals, plasters and porous masonry materials at Woolmers Estate and Brickendon Estate in Tasmania from 19-21 May 2010.

The course will cover advanced conservation treatments for weathered wood, iron, galvanised steel and roofing systems, exterior and interior plaster finishes and porous masonry materials.

Venue

Indoor classes will be held in Woolmers Cottage, an outstanding 1840s building overlooking the Woolmers Estate. Inspections of recent conservation works, demonstrations and outdoor activities will be held on site at Woolmers and Brickendon Estates.

Cost

Tuition fees:  $750
Students / APT members:         $600

These fees cover teaching, all activities and daily meals.

Accommodation

On site B&B accommodation is available at Woolmers Estate and Brickendon Estate.

Bookings

For further information and bookings contact Jennie Chapman, Site Manager, Woolmers Estate on (03) 6391 2230

APT_Longford Academy May 2010 Woolmers_Flyer

The Longford Academy is a centre of excellence in conservation sponsored by the participants.

Preserving Modern Architecture in Canada and Elsewhere

Poultice Desalination of Porous Building Materials Workshop, New Orleans

May 24-28, 2010
New Orleans, Louisiana

	Salt cross section. Photo: Eric Doehne

From Angkor to Zanzibar and Venice to New Orleans, soluble salts are responsible for causing significant damage to porous building materials. But how does salt weathering take place, and what level of salts are harmful? Are certain salts more damaging than others? Should they be removed and if so, how?

The use of poultice treatments is well established in conservation, however the complexities of salt migration within historic structures have produced variable and unpredictable results. The Poultice Desalination of Porous Building Materials Workshop presents new applied research on the process of poultice desalination through practical applications for conservators and others whose job is to assess, treat, and evaluate the impact of salts on porous building materials.

Designed for field-based conservation professionals, this hands-on workshop will be conducted through a combination of pre-workshop reading assignments and workshop lectures, demonstrations, and field trials. It will provide participants with a solid foundation for the poultice treatment of salt-laden building materials.

Topics to be addressed include:

• Guidelines for poultice desalination
• Building pathology – understanding the building construction context for moisture and salt related damage
• A review of the behavior of porous building materials
• Salt and moisture transport through porous building materials
• Introduction to salts and salt weathering
• Working principles of poultice systems: optimizing salt removal
• Criteria for poultice selection: modifying your poultice to match your substrate
• Practical pre- and post- poultice treatment investigation and assessment methods
• The limits of poultice desalination

Poultice Desalination of Porous Building Materials is organized by the GCI Education Department as part of its Science Workshop Series: Research into Practice, which aims to disseminate the results of important research to the conservation field. This workshop is a result of research conducted through the GCI Science project, Desalination of Porous Building Materials.

Eligibility and Selection
Applicants are expected to have the equivalent of five years field experience in the conservation of porous building materials. Admission is competitive and limited to a maximum of 20 participants.

Decision notices will be sent to candidates via e-mail on February 3, 2010.

Language
The workshop will be conducted in English.

Facilitators
An international team of conservators, conservation scientists, and a conservation architect will teach the course.

Fee
USD $500

The fee for this workshop covers instruction and workshop materials only. It does not cover travel to New Orleans, meals, lodging, or other incidental expenses.

How to Apply:

Complete the online form available from the Getty website.

Built Heritage Research Fellowships

There are a couple of research fellowships at the University of SA that may be of interest to APT Australia Chapter members or their colleagues.  Applications close on Monday, so time is limited.

The collections of the Architecture Museum in the School of Art, Architecture and Design provide a rich and unparalleled resource for research into South Australia’s social and cultural history through the lens of architecture and the built environment.

The Museum has the generous support of the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH) through the SA Built Heritage Research Fellowship. This annual Fellowship provides the opportunity for in-depth investigation into an aspect of the state’s built heritage.

Since mid 2005, the Department for Environment and Heritage has been offering the DEH SA Built Heritage Research Fellowship at the Architecture Museum, University of South Australia.

Application guidelines and forms 2009/10

In 2009/2010, DEH is offering two Fellowships. One will continue the original Fellowship focus on a subject from a general list of topics and the other will concentrate specifically on the sustainability benefits of the adaptive reuse of buildings in general and of heritage buildings in particular. In each instance applicants should aim to utilise the collections and library of the Architecture Museum. The same applicant will not be awarded both Fellowships.

DEH SA Built Heritage Research Fellowship

• Guidelines and application form (Word doc)
• List of topics (Word doc)

DEH Sustainability and Adaptive Reuse Fellowship

• Guidelines and application form (Word doc)
• Case study template (Word doc)

Closing date for applications (both Fellowships): Monday 9 November 2009

Report from the (Un)Loved Modern Conference

(UN)LOVED MODERN CONFERENCE

CONSERVATION OF 20^TH CENTURY HERITAGE

Sydney, Australia:  7-10 July 2009

CONFERENCE

The (Un)Loved Modern conference on the conservation of 20^th century heritage was held at the Sydney Masonic Centre, in Sydney, Australia between 7-10 July 2009.  This conference was organized by key international organizations engaged in the conservation of 20^th century heritage including Australia ICOMOS, DOCOMOMO Australia, ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Twentieth Century Heritage, APT Australian Chapter, the Australian Institute of Architects and the International Union of Architects.  

The conference brought together approximately 230 professionals from twelve countries.  In addition to the keynote speakers, conference attendees included Gustavo Araoz, President of ICOMOS; Maristella Casciato, Chair of DOCOMOMO International; and Louise Cox, President of the International Union of Architects.

PROGRAM

The conference combined two and a half days of papers with an afternoon of field sessions.  Each day commenced with two keynote lectures, followed by three parallel streams of papers grouped in the following themes:

• (Un)Loved Modern
• Re-engaging with Original Designers
• The Single House under Threat
• Managing 20thC Obsolescence
• Re-thinking Colonial Heritage
• War in the Pacific
• Technical Challenges

Full details of the program, papers and authors are available from the conference website, www.aicomos.com

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS

The keynote presentations commenced with a survey of the state of 20thC built heritage conservation in Australia by Dr Philip Goad, Professor of Architecture at the University of Melbourne.  He postulated that there are four fundamental difficulties in considering the conservation of 20^th Century buildings: the difficult type, the difficult idiom, the difficult comparison and the difficult house.

The architect responsible for the Sydney Opera House masterplan, Richard Johnson, a principal of Johnson Pilton Walker, spoke about the challenges involved with this work, and in particular, the process of re-engaging Jorn Utzon.  His presentation was followed by a round table session involving key stake-holders in the management of the Opera House.

On day 2, Professor Leo Schmidt from the Brandenburg University of Technology at Cottbus gave a graphic demonstration of current trends in Germany involving the replication of traditional building forms at the expense of conserving modern constructions.  He challenged the audience to consider the difficulties in sharing their belief about the significance of modern architecture with the broader community.

Dr John Schofield, Head of Military Programmes with English Heritage, presented an alternative (archaeological) perspective on what constitutes modern heritage, and highlighted the importance of observing and recording what exists before it is lost because we probably don’t yet fully understand its significance.

The final day started with Dr Theo Prudon, of Prudon & Partners, and President of DOCOMOMO/US, whose presentation entitled “Housing Redux: the (Un)Loved and the (Un)Learned” explored the conflicting issues arising from efforts to conserve social housing constructed during the modern era.

Sydney’s own Susan Macdonald, now Head of Field Projects at the Getty Conservation Institute, talked about the materiality and monumentality of modernism, and concluded her presentation with 14 key points requiring consideration if 20^th Century heritage is to be adequately recognized and protected.

OUTCOMES

At the concluding session of the conference on 10 July 2009, the participants identified five key issues or actions needed to advance the conservation of 20^th century heritage:

1.    Expand and promote community appreciation of 20th Century heritage 

Expand and promote the scope of current programs for the identification and protection of 20th century heritage places to recognize the era’s richness and diversity beyond the architectural icons, and places of the Modern Movement.

2.      Record the legacy of the recent past

Recognize the accessibility of the recent past and initiate programs and actions to record its legacy using a variety of means to capture the living memory of the recent past.  Include records of personal experiences of places by communities and individuals.

3.      Engage with the original designers/creators

Record the direct experiences of the creators of the heritage of the recent past and use this information in identification and listing work. Capture the original architects’, engineers’, designers’ and commissioners’ ideas on significance and maintenance of the place while possible, and the creators’ thoughts on crucial issues for conservation which can be included, albeit contextualized, in any future change.

4.      Build support for and knowledge about 20th century heritage as part of protection and conservation programs

Recognize the need for identification and listing programs to move beyond existing procedures and include community promotion and awareness raising, engagement and educational/communication programs to build understanding about, and support for, 20^th century heritage.

5.      Meet technical challenges through advancing practice & sharing information

Expand the repertoire of tools and technologies to meet the technical challenges for conserving 20^th century heritage through sharing research, practice and publication, including developing methods to assess issues relating to cultural sustainability.

Convenor’s Report

APT Australia Chapter
OCCASIONAL REPORT

The (Un)Loved Modern conference has passed very successfully with the involvement of several APTI Members including a number from the USA. The conference provided a good opportunity to reflect on our Australia Chapter and where we might like to take it over the next few years. Some current thoughts follow.

THANK YOU TO DAVID WEST
A big thank you to David West for his tireless work in getting technical discussion into the (Un)Loved Modern conference and for attracting such high level input from Kyle Normandin (APTI Treasurer), Anne Weber (APTI Board Member and Co-Chair of Publications Committee),  and Pamela Jerome (APTI member) to name three. David’s work has assured a higher profile for our APTI local chapter that we can now exploit in our planning for future activities.

CHAPTER REACH
There was some discussion at (Un)Loved Modern about the reach of the Australia Chapter and whether it might become an Australasian Chapter, as it was in the 1980s. Some of our New Zealand colleagues would be keen for that and it has been contemplated that we might be able to also use our South East Asian connections to assist some of our neighbouring colleagues to become active in APTI. We recognize that cost of full membership would be a barrier to many in SE Asia but they all have internet connections so something should be possible. We should keep an open mind until an opportunity presents.

TECHNICAL SEMINARS
APT’s main interest is the dissemination of information, which it has been doing successfully for 40 years. The Australasian Chapter can only play its part through partnership and collaboration. A couple of ideas are taking form. But there must be more opportunities than we are aware of currently? So if you have an idea or see an opportunity for collaboration please let us know. It may be that the APTI contribution could make the difference between something happening or not happening.

INCOME GENERATION
It has never been an aim to generate income but it could be time to think more about raising some money for a good cause. For example, there are three key ways in which we could use limited funding to good effect: 

• Sponsorship of visiting technical specialists; perhaps to anchor a seminar or series of technical discussions.
• Support for attendance at the APT annual conference to ensure that we have at least one member attending each year.
• Sponsorship of students to attend the APT annual conference.

Our next opportunity to promote these ideas at the international level will occur in Los Angeles in November.

PRESENCE AT APT ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES IN NOVEMBER
Is anyone planning to attend the APT Annual Conference in Los Angeles in November 2009? If you are planning to attend please let us know so that we can assure the best value from your attendance. 

Donald Ellsmore
Convenor
APTI Australia Chapter

Salt Attack and Rising Damp wins award!

The technical publication Salt Attack and Rising Damp this week won the Education Award at the 2009 Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Awards held in Sydney, NSW.

Congratulations to all those involved, including:

• author, David Young OAM
• funding agencies, Heritage Council of NSW, Heritage Victoria, South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide City Council
• advisory panels, Technical Advisory Group (NSW), Technical Advisory Committee (Victoria)

register now for (Un)Loved Modern conference

Registrations are now open for the (Un)Loved Modern conference to be held at the Sydney Masonic Centre, in Sydney 7-10 July 2009.

Keynote speakers have been announced, and include:

Dr Philip Goad, leading Australian architectural academic and author, will introduce the problem of conserving the architecture of the post-war era using a series of case studies of important buildings slated for demolition or demolished which are appreciated by the professions but eschewed by the public and politicians.

Dr Theo Prudon, a Dutch-born American academic, author and practicing architect, will expand on the international perspective of preserving much loved and appreciated Modern icons in the US with case studies such as the TWA Terminal in New York and Modernist houses of the US north-east which enjoy no legislative protection.

Dr John Schofield, academic and author from the United Kingdom, will use Paul Klee’s (1920) work, Angelus Novus as the starting point for an alternative view of landscape – a reverse perspective on the value and significance of archaeology, landscape and memory, as they apply to the (un)loved modern.

Details of accepted papers and presenters will be made available in the coming weeks.

Register now and take advantage of the earlybird registration rate.

APT 2009 Conference Los Angeles

APT LA 2009
November 2-6, 2009
Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles
Preservation in the City Without Limits

The Association for Preservation Technology International is accepting abstracts for its 2009 Conference in Los Angeles, California, USA.

The deadline for submissions is Noon (US Central Time), 9 March 2009.

Download the Call for Papers and when you’ve decided what you’d like to present, upload your abstract via the online Abstract Submission Form 

The 2009 Conference theme is “Preservation in the City Without Limits.” Abstracts are being solicited for paper presentations and panel discussions on the sub-themes of:

• Material Matters: Preservation of Historic Building Materials
• Preserving Modernism and Post War Heritage
• The Public Domain: Infrastructure of Urban and Suburban Landscapes
• LA Unconfidential: Lessons Learned in Preserving the World City

Paper and panel presenters will be expected to register for the conference, and a discounted registration rate is available.

 

Conference Agenda
More details on the 2009 APT Los Angeles conference, including a conference agenda, are available here

 

Salt Attack and Rising Damp

A new technical publication on Salt Attack and Rising Damp has been published jointly by the Heritage Council of NSW, Heritage Victoria and SA Department for Environment and Heritage.  Authored by APT Australia Chapter member David Young OAM, this publication provides excellent guidance on the diagnosis and treatment options for rising damp and associated salt attack in masonry buildings.

The publication can be downloaded in PDF format from the web, or hard copies purchased for $25 plus postage.  Click here for details.

The guide explains how to diagnose and identify appropriate repair work for cases commonly seen in Australia.

A joint project between the heritage agencies in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the City of Adelaide, Salt Attack and Rising Damp covers various climatic and geographical conditions found across NSW and south-eastern Australia, from coastal areas to arid regions.  According to publication author David Young OAM, salt attack and rising damp are separate but interrelated processes.  Both issues must be understood to minimise damage and to take corrective action.  “While the term rising damp has been commonly used to cover both aspects, it tends to overlook the role of salt.  This is an issue that will become increasingly important as our buildings get older and soils become more saline.  While emphasis is given to buildings of heritage value, the principles apply to all older
buildings” , he said.

Dos and Don’ts of Damp

Do go out in the rain (the heavier the better) and check gutters and downpipes for blockages, leaks and overflows. Also check around the base of the building for water lying against walls.
Do check for the presence of a Damp Proof Course (DPC) – and ensure that it is continuous, and not ‘bridged’ by built up paving and garden beds.
Do remember that damp walls increase the risks of fungal rot and termite attack to floor timbers – always check beneath timber floors.
Do consider the possibility that your old building may have had previous treatments for rising damp, and that these may be obscuring the extent of the problem.
Do clean out existing air vents regularly – and monitor results before deciding to add new ones.
Do consider the possibility of salt attack decay into wall cavities – always inspect cavities for accumulation of debris (and corrosion of ties).
Do consider the implications of drying out the soils beneath your building. If it is founded on reactive (expansive) clay soils excessive drying could lead to structural cracking as a result
of differential settlement.
Do get independent advice – that way there should be no pressure to use a particular product or system. Check your adviser’s credentials.

Don’t use hard cement mortar to repoint failed lime mortar joints – that will just drive the damp further up the wall and may also damage the bricks.
Don’t even think about sealing walls with water repellent coatings.
Don’t mulch your walls. Move garden beds away from the base of walls and remove irrigation to prevent spray and pounding against walls.
Don’t dismiss the old tar and sand DPC – reduce the damp ‘stress’ on the walls, repair the DPC, use sacrificial mortars in the joints if necessary, and monitor results before considering an expensive new DPC.
Don’t undertake insertion of any form of DPC until all the basic housekeeping measures have been completed and their effectiveness assessed over a period of time (at least a year).
Don’t accept the cheapest quote for chemical damp coursing without checking the contractor’s references and the details of the proposed works, such as drill hole spacing and depth, and how the contractor will determine when sufficient fluid has been impregnated.
Don’t try to get away with using less chemicals and then locking in the inevitable damp with waterproof plasters – your client has read this too!