Architectural Conservation Overview
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architectural conservation overview The highly regarded Architectural Conservation programme at Edinburgh College of Art is over forty years old - the longest established architectural conservation course in the UK. The multi-disciplinary programme draws in postgraduate students from a wide range of backgrounds. The teaching combines the academic skills of international conservation scholarship and research with strong practical links to government and voluntary heritage bodies - all within the stimulating environment of a thriving school of architecture. An increasing number of postgraduate taught programmes are delivered jointly with Architecture at the University of Edinburgh, in collaboration with the School of Built Environment at Heriot-Watt University. Staff in the College's school also participate in joint research projects and supervision of research students with both partner institutions. The programme aims to provide students with the broad base of knowledge and skills necessary to embark on a career in one of the many professional sub-disciplines of conservation, ranging from heritage management to conservation architecture: it is one of the few conservation courses in the UK fully recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, Britain's official organisation of architectural conservation professionals. To complete their studies, students must demonstrate their familiarity with the historical and theoretical foundations and challenges of conservation; the techniques of recording and research and the technologies of building repair; the influences of planning law, contemporary architecture and building economics on the historic built environment; and the special conservation challenges of Modern Movement architecture and urban planning. Students also develop more general practical and intellectual skills, in areas such as project organisation, historical research, or graphic and oral communication. the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies at eca In the face of the inexorable forces of cultural globalisation, architectural conservation is becoming increasingly important as a way of helping nurture local, regional, and national identity. This programme is conceived as a broad introduction to the knowledge, values, skills, and experiences of architectural conservation - including the broad ethical and conceptual background as well as the technical and hands-on practical aspects. Taught in the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies (SCCS), a specialist teaching and research unit at Edinburgh College of Art established in 1990, our MSc programme balances these theoretical and practical approaches in a range of projects strongly anchored in the ancient setting of the Edinburgh World Heritage Site, with its uniquely stimulating juxtaposition of monumental medieval and neo-classical ensembles, all set in the stunning natural landscape context of Scotland. The programme is directed towards students from a great diversity of professional and disciplinary backgrounds, including archaeology, art and design, engineering, geology, history, art history and surveying as well as architecture. Students also come from all age groups and career stages, ranging from those newly graduated with first degrees to those embarking on mid-career changes or breaks. Prior knowledge is not expected, but enthusiasm and commitment are! The programme is also strongly international in character, with students stemming both from the UK and Europe, and from elsewhere across the world. For the latter, it offers a unique opportunity - complementary to conservation courses within their own countries - to combine postgraduate study with international travel to Europe, and to focus in depth on the conservation challenges of its historic cities and contemporary environments. Many former students of the programme now occupy senior positions across the UK and internationally, within this specialist area. Despite its long-established status, this is not a programme that ever stands still, and the range of study options available has recently been substantially enhanced and expanded, including new module options; the growing interconnection with Edinburgh University offers promise of further expansion of elective options over the next few years. study options The Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies (SCCS) at Edinburgh College of Art offers three postgraduate degrees (all awarded by the University of Edinburgh): o the mainstream Diploma in Architectural Conservation, or Dip AC (120 credits); o the Diploma in Architecture and Architectural Conservation, or Dip AAC (120 credits); and o the MSc in Architectural Conservation (60 credits). The SCCS postgraduate programme is modular in structure, wirh modules totalling 60 credits in each of semesters 1 and 2 (total: 120 credits); the 60 credit MSc dissertation makes up a total of 180 credits to MSc level. Choosing between the Diploma and the MSc The normal route for study of Architectural Conservation at the SCCS comprises the Dip AC followed by the MSc. The Dip AAC is of more restricted scope: essentially, it is a final-year (Diploma year) option for UK architecture students, and carries exemption from Part 2 of the ARB/RIBA Examination in Architecture; it necessitates taking two modules in Professional Studies. The taught coursework for Dip AAC is also normally followed by four months dissertation work, to attain the MSc degree. Studying full and part time There is a part-time as well as full-time study route. Both Dip AC and Dip AAC can be taken over eight months (full-time) or eighteen months (part-time). The total, combined period of study to MSc level is twelve months (full-time) and thirty months (part-time). For overseas students, the full-time study mode is normally the route followed. Monitoring of programme standards The programme is subject to continual monitoring and review to ensure that the quality and standards of teaching and learning are maintained and improved as necessary. The mechanisms for this involve Subject Area Reviews, Postgraduate Taught Course Committee Reviews, and External Examiners' Reports. Student feedback is an integral and highly valued part of the monitoring and review process: it is secured through representation on the Staff/Student Committee, the Postgraduate Taught Course Committee and through questionnaire evaluation by students of individual modules. programme structure and content The modules and other activities for each semester within the full-time Dip. AC and MSc programme are set out below: for part-time and Dip. AAC variations please contact the Academic Registry. Semester 1 (Diploma Options 1 and 2), September - December History and Theory of Conservation Building Analysis: sources and recording History of Scottish Architecture (elective) Conservation of Modern Architecture (elective) Building Description Planning Law (elective) Glass in Context (elective) World Heritage (special subject) The programme starts with a thorough grounding in the significance and the techniques of methodical recording, description and analysis, and an overview introduction to the historical and theoretical framework of architectural conservation. Although the historical overview stretches back to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, there is a particular focus on the 20th century: the conservation of modern architecture forms the subject of one elective module. Work is assessed by individual written papers, and by a group project and presentation. Two modules focus on the preparation of assessments of cultural significance, especially in World Heritage Sites. Semester 2 (Diploma Options 1 and 2), January - April Conservation Technology (in partnership with the University of Edinburgh) Conservation Masterclasses Design Intervention (elective) Area Conservation Research Methods Overseas Tour (optional) Students are introduced to the variety, nature, performance and repair of traditional building materials and the transformation of buildings and historic environments through contemporary design interventions. Some evening activities, including the weekly Conservation Masterclasses (now in their 28th year) and participation in the cases panel of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, help make this a packed semester. Assessment takes the form of individual written papers, group projects and presentations, design exercises, and report writing. The taught Diploma programme comes to an end with an examination of the issue of the conservation of areas, rather than buildings - including urban ensembles and landscapes - and a specially focused Research Methods module designed to prepare students for MSc study. The semester concludes with an intensive overseas tour, carefully designed to complement the semester 1 History and Theory module. The 2008 trip focused on sites of World War 2 destruction and reconstruction in Germany and the 2009 trip focused on central Italy. Semester 3 (MSc), May - September MSc Dissertation Completion of the two-semester programme results in the attainment of the qualification of Dip. AC or Dip. AAC. During semester 3 (May - September), MSc students research and write their dissertation, a 12,000 - 15,000 word research paper on an aspect of architectural conservation. Supervision is provided throughout the period of research and writing-up. professional experience and validation Professional validation The SCCS programme is one of only a handful of UK conservation courses fully recognised (including for CPD purposes) by the