Course content
Year 1 - Level C
Craft History & Architectural Design
You will be in a position to identify new and historic features and reproduce the component detail required for new and restoration / conservation projects.
This unit will provide the foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the development of architectural stone features. The masonry elements associated with simple post and beam through to modern stone cladding will be examined and the role and responsibilities of the artisan in the development of methods and techniques will be investigated. You will identify and understand the basic principles and techniques required to interpret and recreate geometric features and detail.
Materials
This unit will enable you to identify and classify the building stones used in the production of architectural and decorative stonework, including selecting stones on the grounds of their suitability for a required outcome and outlining methods and techniques determining the properties of building stones.
Project and Construction Technology
This is primarily to tie the units of the course together so that you gain experience of current working practice in a site-specific heritage context. There will be an opportunity for you to undertake a project from planning phase, through all aspects of practice and management to completion and publication of report.
Masonry, Carving and Letter-cutting
This units aims are to introduce you to primary geometrical masonry shapes together with carving and letter-cutting designs, methods for creating working detail and selecting and using an effective range of traditional tools and equipment. You will develop skills that enable the production of features that constitute the basis of typical new and restoration projects. You will also establish the principal skills to support advanced practical activities at Level I (Year Two).
Communication Technology and Professional Skills
This unit introduces practical ICT skills at a basic level and enables the understanding of their relevance when applied to architectural conservation. The skills concerned are of three kinds: Broadly applicable skills, Research and investigative skills and Basic use of CAD software.
Conservation Context
In this unit you will gain a general context for building conservation with an overview of the historical, organisational, financial and legislative issues. You will develop skills in understanding and interpreting historic buildings and sites.
Building Surveying Project
This unit aims to refine and integrate knowledge of historic buildings and recording skills. The Building Surveying Project aims to provide an opportunity for you to reinforce, integrate and demonstrate knowledge of buildings and recording skills learned in other level C units. Additional practical survey skills will be developed prior to the commencement of the Personal Project unit in Level I.
Work Placement
The placement aims to provide wider experience of working within masonry or conservation organisations and experience of working relationships, employment, hours and practical constraints of the working environments. You will also learn about policies, procedures and standards within a work environment.
Year Two/ Level I
Project and Construction Technology
This is primarily to tie the units of Applied Architectural Stonework and Conservation together and give you an overall experience of current working practice in a heritage context in a site-specific situation. There will be the opportunity for you to undertake a project from planning phase, through all aspects of practice and management to completion and publication of report.
Masonry
You will have the opportunity to develop your ability to manage safe and productive working environments, the skills and knowledge required for the design of new detail, interpretation of existing detail and the establishment of criteria for varied and complex arc.
Carving and Letter-cutting
This unit aims to develop your ability to design and transfer detail, take-off and interpret traditional carving and letter-cutting detail, manage and produce architectural carving and letter-cutting features typical to new and restoration work and critically review design, processes and outcomes.
Architectural Stonework Conservation
This unit will give you an understanding and practical experience of the work, materials and techniques required for undertaking a responsible conservation programme on a stone building or monument.
Surveying and Recording
This unit focuses on current and traditional methods of surveying and recording buildings and monuments. The aim is the development of skills in the use of traditional and modern surveying equipment and methods of recording information in formats that will enable judgments to be made at later dates. The core skills of digital photogrammetry will be introduced to enable the capture of rectified digital images, to aid the recording on information and the possible reconstruction of artefacts at a later date.
Personal Project
The personal project will provide an opportunity to utilise a wide range of skills and experience. There will be reinforcement of Communication Technology and Professional Skills and this unit will be supported by lectures and tutorials to enable further development of survey, research skills and professional report writing.
