Course

San Gemini Preservation Studies 2010

Surveying and Analyzing Historic Buildings (3 credits)

Session 1 (May 23 - June 19) 4 weeks

Course #: S1-2

Instructor: Max Cardillo

This course teaches students to perform multidisciplinary surveys of historic buildings to record and document both the physical aspects and also the historic / cultural nature and context of a building.

Students are instructed on the structure, process and components of a complex historic survey. They also learn the use of both traditional and the most modern instruments of surveying. Other important topics covered in the course are the cultural aspects of building surveying and how historical and cultural features are analyzed and documented. This cultural aspect includes a study on the evolution of the Italian city, traditional building types, building materials and construction methods.

The objective for this course is to give students a good theoretical and practical sense of the process involved in the survey of an historic building. We give students the opportunity to gain a certain familiarity with the instruments and recording methods in the field as well as hands on experience working in teams with individuals having different skills.

Topics explored in the course are:

• Contextual overview

Historical overview of Italy

History of urban evolution in Italy

History of San Gemini and the region

Italian building types

Traditional construction methods in Italy

• Architectural survey methods

Measuring buildings

Scope of surveys

Accuracy

Choice of tools

Organization of survey

Using surveying tools

Traditional hand tools

Optical tools

Total Stations

3D scanners

Architectural drawing and documentation

• Analysis and documentation of the state of conservation

Structural condition

Weather enclosure

Condition of finished surfaces

Condition of mechanical systems

Condition of art and contents of building

• Historical and cultural survey includes:

Historical documentation of the building

The building’s evolution

Urban context

Archaeological evidence

Stylistic analysis of its art and architecture

Survey and documentation of artwork

Building contents

Iconography

Social and religious contexts

Lecture Topics

1	History of the Italian City
2	History of San Gemini and the Region
3	The Roman City of Carsulae
4	The Medieval City – Evolution of San Gemini
5	Methods of Describing Buildings
6	Traditional Techniques of measuring and recording buildings
7	New technologies for Recording Buildings – Total Station & Laser Scanner
8	Historical Analysis of Buildings – San Giovanni Battista
9	Historic – Building Structural Systems
10	Italian Building Types
11	Historic Building Materials
12	Construction Methods – Foundations and Walls
13	Traditional Construction Methods – Walls, Floors and Roofs
14	Traditional Construction Methods –Interior Finishes- Walls, Floors and Ceilings
15	Artistic Survey and Archaeological Surveying
16	Assessing State of Conservation, Historic Structure Report
17	Paper – Material and Uses in Art Visiting lecturer
18	Metals – Uses in Art and Artifacts Visiting lecturer Bianca Fossa
19	Restoration of Historic Gardens Visiting lecturer
20	Survey and Management of Cultural Heritage Visiting Lecturer Sandro Bianchi

FIELD PROJECTS:

• Surveying the 12^th Century San Giovanni Battista Church complex

Architectural survey

Archival research (open only to qualified students)

• Survey and Restoration of the Church of Santo Gemine

• Archaeological survey of the public baths in Carsulae

READINGS:

Hearder, H & Waley, D.P., A Short History of Italy. Cambridge University Press

Peter Connolly & Hazel Dodge, The Ancient City. Oxford University Press

Stafford Holmes & Michael Wingate, Building with Lime, ITDG Publishing (Chapters 1-10)

Jean-Pierr Adam, Roman Building : Materials and Techniques,Taylor & Francis, Inc.

USEFUL SKILLS::

Drafting with AutoCAD, Digital Photography, Photoshop

USEFUL TOOLS:

Laptop computers, digital camera, AutoCAD and Photoshop software