This site has been reproduced at that address, and all further additions will occur at that address.  This site has been retained as a historic record, but will not be updated with immediate effect from 29 January 2011.

Go to http://aptaustralasia.wordpress.com

Henceforth, we are the APT Australasia Chapter, and our region encompasses Australia, New Zealand and East Asia (currently loosely defined as the region between Pakistan in the west, and the International Date Line in the east!!).

Our intent is that the APT Australasia Chapter will act as an incubation space for future members and APT chapters in Asia.

We are investigating the process to rename this website, and will let you know in due course.

We are also pleased to announce that Ian Bowman has agreed to become a Co-convenor of the APT Australasia Chapter.  Current leadership is therefore:

Convenor:  Donald Ellsmore    (Melbourne, Australia)
Co-convenor:  David West    (Sydney, Australia)
Co-convenor:  Bill Jordan    (Newcastle, Australia)
Co-convenor:  Ian Bowman    (Wellington, NZ)

Donald Ellsmore - Convenor
Bill Jordan – Co-convenor
David West – Co-convenor

Ian Bowman – New Zealand

This year, we set up a conference blog to report on the 2010 APT Denver conference activities as they occurred.  Initial posts, including a report on the keynote opening lecture, were written.  Unfortunately, because of the lack of wireless internet access in the meeting rooms, it was not feasible to continue the blog throughout the conference, and it never really got off the ground.  Maybe next year!!

Maybe you could begin planning to attend APT Victoria in 2011 – that’s Victoria in British Columbia, Canada!

Architectural conservators in the US work in a variety of ways:  with or for government, with general contractors, with architects, owners, or as independent consultants. The architectural conservator’s role in being an advocate for preservation of the site can become interesting, and at times trying, when working with or for an owner, contractor, architect or fellow conservation consultant.  Erik will share his experiences working with a variety of construction professionals and in different roles during the restoration process.

Example projects include: Congressional office buildings, religious sites, a court house, a historic house museum and a significant Masonic Temple.  Buildings to be highlighted include: the Baha’i Temple in Chicago, Russell Senate & Cannon House Buildings, Chinese Community Church (DC), Scottish Rite Temple (featured in Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol), the District of Columbia Court Buildings and the Baha’i Shrine in Montreal.

Please join us at the Heritage Room in the Nag’s Head Hotel, 162 St Johns Road, Glebe at 5.00pm for a 5.30pm start to this talk in the APT Australia Chapter occasional talk series.  RSVP online here.  The talk will be 20-30 minutes long with questions to follow.  Drinks will be available from the bar before and after the talk.  For those keen for more in-depth discussions with Erik, there will be an opportunity to join him for dinner following the talk.

This is an exciting initiative, and it builds upon the special emphasis which the Faculty has always had on the practicalities of historic building materials and structures. These courses have been assisted by the Peggy and Leslie Cranbourne Foundation.

We are offering this material in three different ways:

• In the form of diploma and masters courses for those who intend to specialise in this area
• As electives within MSD Masters programs.
• As professional development courses for architects and other practitioners as part of our Community Access Program (CAP).

Those taking subjects for professional development may not be required by their professional bodies to sit the examination, but they may choose to do so, so that the subject can be credited if they later enrol in a postgraduate qualification.

Two of the subjects now in place (Conservation of Architectural Finishes and Conservation of Architectural Materials), and a third being planned (Conservation Technology), are three week full-time intensive courses, which will be convenient for many practitioners who are able to allocate three weeks for the purpose. This will also be convenient for local and overseas students planning the make-up of irregular courses.

Download more information.

After Macquarie – Conserving Heritage Places

In his role as Convener of the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) Australia Chapter, Ellsmore invited other professionals to volunteer to provide input into the conservation of Grantham and to explore the Brickendon and Woolmers Estates.

Volunteers were to be just that—self‐funded and willing to share their time and expertise and to engage in informal professional dialogue and debate around conservation issues on‐site. This was the premise behind the “Longford Academy”.

They were to spend three days at Grantham analysing its condition and contributing to discussion on its conservation, before visiting Brickendon and Woolmers Estates over two days to view those sites and discuss conservation challenges with their managers there.

This is the report of that professional development activity: it has been developed from contributions by a number of the participants. It records the process of an innovative and sustainable approach to professional development, and documents the findings of that brief but concentrated effort, particularly in relation to Grantham.

Participants included people with conservation and related expertise from a wide range of relevant disciplines:

• Donald Ellsmore, Donald Ellsmore Pty Ltd
• Cheryl Leary, Quality Training Concepts Pty Ltd
• Benjamin Gall, Converge Heritage + Community Pty Ltd
• Peter Freeman, Peter Freeman Pty Ltd
• Jamie McAuley, Cathedral Stone
• Barrie Cooper, Westox Pty Ltd
• David Cooper, Westox Pty Ltd
• Pamela Hubert, Hubert Architects Pty Ltd
• Ben Cordell, contractor
• David Young, David Young Pty Ltd
• Geoff Ashley, Godden Mackay Logan
• Ian Boersma, Heritage Tasmania
• Linda Clark, National Trust Tasmania
• Deirdre Macdonald, Heritage Tasmania
• Damian Saunders, Manager Woolmers Estate
• Mary and Richard Ramsay, owners Grantham
• Richard and Louise Archer, owners Brickendon
• Jo Lyngcoln, Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and the Environment
• Guests: Bob Voss, builder and Chris Tassell, National Trust Tasmania

Most participants were involved for the five days of the activity, and some provided written contributions and images that have been drawn into this report. While not all participants directly contributed to this written record, all contributed to the success of this unique event in various ways.

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.

	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.