Aim of the course

Aim of the course is to provide students with the necessary tools for reading and understanding the layered nature of the historical heritage in view of the defense of memory and the preservation of physical evidence of culture. Collective memory can allow to gain an awareness of our roots and our historical and environmental resources, and to develop a responsible and sustainable culture.

Interventions on both "monumental" architecture and diffused built heritage are highly complex and often have to balance conflicting requirements such as those dictated by safety, conservation and enhancement. In particular, fundamental restoration issues like the aesthetic and the historical instances should be balanced, not neglecting the psychological one, in view of a holistic approach to human integrity.

Contents

The main contributions to the disciplinal debate will be presented in order to offer a panorama as broad and dialectical as possible. Some definitions will be discussed such as Restoration, Cultural Heritage, protection. Some issues will be addressed as why we preserve past testimonies, the concept of time, authenticity and material document, as well as the reflections of the most important theorists and relevant international documents and codes. In view of a restoration project, tools will be given to achieve a preliminary multidisciplinary knowledge that could integrate theoretical, practical and design aspects.

A methodology will be proposed to carry out the analysis of a historical artefact, including the retrieval of bibliographic, archival, iconographic sources, the geometric (topographic and longimetric) and material survey, a representation path into semantic and cultural analysis of the Heritage from the most relevant points of view, the study of decay phenomena and of the crack pattern, the identification of the main constituent elements of the structural system, the analysis and interpretation of the mechanisms of material degradation and deterioration, the symptoms and causes of structural damage, the knowledge of the possibilities offered by destructive and non-destructive investigation techniques.

From the diagnosis of the current situation, design choices will arise for preservation, structural reinforcement, and a reuse compatible with the real conditions of the complex.

Course structure

The course will consist of ex-cathedra lectures, seminars and tutorials on topics agreed with the teachers about the project of knowledge, conservation and reuse of a building.

Assessment methods

The assessment method will be aimed to appraise the degree of achievement of the following students’ capacity: knowledge, understanding and their application, making judgements, communication skills, learning skills.

The final mark will be based on the results of the following tests: 

Written test multiple choice theoretical questions on the course topics (contents of the bibliography and of the lessons)

Oral presentation group presentation of activities developed as part of the course

Evaluation of laboratory elaborates discussion and evaluation of the group activities developed in the project studio