Home

Journal of Architectural Conservation

Volume 11 Number 1 March 2005

Contents:

Wallpapers Allyson McDermott

Prediction and Prevention of Hygroscopic Salt Activity in Historic Buildings 
Paul D'Armada

Maintenance: From Philosophy to Practice Nigel Dann and Timothy Cantell

East Asian Values in Historic Conservation Seung-Jin Chung

Corrugated-Iron Buildings: An Endangered Resource within the Built Environment 
Nick Thomson and Phil Banfill

Obituary: Nigel Seeley (1942-2004) Nicolas Barker

Abstracts of the papers:

(Note that all biographies are for the date of original publication)

The further back you look, the further forward you can see

David Watt

History and heritage are inexorably intertwined, yet the role of the latter in promoting and presenting the former is too often restricted. There is much more still to be learnt about how our past might inform our future:

Heritage. Love of the past: English disease. Dr Johnson recognised this: 'The time present is seldom able to fill desire or imagination with immediate enjoyment, and we are forced to supply its deficiencies by recollection or anticipation'. (Bayley, S., A Dictionary of Idiocy, Gibson Square Books, London (2003), p. 68)

Papers in this issue of the Journal demonstrate the diversity of architectural heritage and highlight the need for greater understanding of the political, economic, social, and technological contexts within which this heritage was created and is now being conserved.

In East Asian Values in Historic Conservation, Professor Seung-Jin Chung considers how European attitudes to architectural conservation have impacted on East Asian architectural heritage, and highlights the need for a different approach that respects the often unique spiritual and naturalistic sensibilities of East Asian culture and architecture.

There is a rich heritage of corrugated-iron-clad buildings in rural areas around the world and yet much needs to be done to prevent them from falling into ruin. In their paper Corrugated-Iron Buildings: An Endangered Resource within the Built Heritage, Nick Thompson and Professor Phil Banfill describe the history, manufacture and construction of these buildings as well as emphasizing their cultural significance, need for protection and conservation. Their survey of 72 buildings in the Scottish Highlands and Islands show that nearly half are in a poor condition, empty or ruinous, and there is the concern that this situation may be repeated elsewhere.

Increasingly the significance of surface decoration and finishes of all ages is being recognized in works to the historic built environment. Whether in the form of wall paintings, fabric hangings, or ceramic tiling, surfaces cannot be considered in isolation from the building and its environment. In her paper Wallpapers, Allyson McDermott demonstrates the historical and aesthetic importance of wallpapers and considers relevant techniques for their investigation, conservation, and care.

In Maintenance: From Philosophy to Practice Nigel Dann and Timothy Cantell discuss the work of Maintain our Heritage, founded on the premise that the United Kingdom should adopt a more sustainable and proactive maintenance-based policy towards historic buildings. This paper considers the results of a pilot maintenance service in the context of current attitudes towards this essential, yet often neglected, built environment activity, and points to the need for a national maintenance strategy.

Paul D'Armada, in Prediction and Prevention of Hygroscopic Salt Activity in Historic Buildings, considers the dynamics, effects, and remedial action required to reduce the impact of hygroscopic salts on the materials and finishes of historic buildings. Soluble salts present a complex and potentially devastating decay mechanism that requires detailed investigation as a prerequisite to the design and implementation of a practical solution. This paper provides background information that should assist in this process.

It is with sadness that I report the death of Nigel Seeley on 21 June 2004. Nigel contributed papers, based on his work with the National Trust, to the Journal of Architectural Conservation, and provided a valuable point of reference for a wide range of conservation issues, as revealed in the obituary by Nicolas Barker.

This is my last issue as Editor of the Journal of Architectural Conservation, and I would like to thank the authors and reviewers for their contributions, and members of the Editorial Advisory Board for their support, over the past ten years.

Editorial

From the New Team of Consultant Editors

In 1994, academics from the nine UK universities and colleges engaged in postgraduate teaching in architectural conservation came together to support Donhead Publishing in establishing the Journal of Architectural Conservation. This was just twelve months from the initial idea of a refereed conservation journal, proposed by Professor Peter Swallow of De Montfort University. The first issue of the Journal, March 1995, attracted very positive reviews, raising confidence among key figures in the conservation community that this venture could enjoy long term success. A generous award from the Getty Grant Program allowed flexibility in the early years and an unerring focus on publishing papers of good academic and professional quality. Within four years the Editorial Advisory Board found itself receiving a good spread of law, policy, practice and science papers of real quality and depth covering historic buildings, monuments, places and landscapes. The lofty ambition for the Journal, cherished by the Board, Donhead and other supporters - to illuminate, question and inform, attract a broad and international readership and enjoy the support of leading professionals and academics - now seemed achievable, albeit with a lot more hard work.

It was particularly pleasing that Sir Bernard Feilden agreed to become the Journal's patron, providing support and advice to Editor Dr David Watt and the fourteen members of the original Editorial Advisory Board. David's earlier acceptance of the daunting challenge was quite remarkable but, it turned out, quite properly founded on his own thorough grounding in the techniques of building repair and maintenance allied to an excellent grasp of science. Combined with his attention to detail, his influence in defining the Journal's character has been substantial, and we owe him our thanks.

Now in its eleventh year, with the Journal strong in all key respects, the Editorial Advisory Board has reiterated its long-held wish to move toward greater international readership, have definable influence in key areas of debate and, from time to time, to draw attention to matters of special importance through theme-based publications.

Sir Bernard Feilden, in Volume 1, Number 1, March 1995, remarked on the evolutionary stages of conservation, continuing development of international charters and the immense complexities and perspectives which inform current practice. Ten years later, most readers will agree that the increasing intricacies and complications attendant at almost every significant project require skills and experience from a range of minds. This is no less true of the editorial tasks and judgment. Mindful of the need to address this, the Journal now has a panel of four Consultant Editors with substantial experience in the UK and abroad, able to respond to the increasingly wide range of topics being submitted for publication.

Norman Weiss provides a much-needed USA dimension and strong science input. Bob Kindred brings substantial and highly successful experience of Context editorship, together with vast experience inside the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and local government. Elizabeth Hirst has special understanding of the conservation and treatment of historic buildings, objects, interiors and fittings. Vincent Shacklock chaired the early development of the Journal concept from 1993, brought together the key universities and schools, secured Getty Grant Program funding and has been an advisor on strategy. Working as a team, the Consultant Editors now control the peer-review process and provide informed guidance for the Editorial Advisory Board on such matters as themed and special issues covering topical subjects. In this respect, we plan November 2005 (Volume 11, Number 3) to be a special issue on the cleaning of buildings including papers from Europe and North America. November 2006 (Volume 12, Number 3) will review the state and health of conservation in the United Kingdom. Both issues are likely to extend substantially beyond the journal's normal 96-page format.

The cover of the Journal has been redesigned to offer a more up-todate image and reflect the fresh approach we intend to take. We hope you will find the design and graphics attractive and more indicative of its international outlook and currency.

Professor Vincent Shacklock MA, DipLandArch, IHBC, FRTPI, FRSA is Dean of Architecture, Art and Design at University of Lincoln. He played a key part in establishing the Journal and is a founding Editorial Advisory Board member.

Elizabeth Hirst AMUKIC, FSA first trained and became a senior conservator with The Eve Baker Trust before founding Hirst Conservation in 1986. Hirst Conservation, has grown to form a multi-disciplined organization possessing a wide range of skills and technical expertise, working in the UK and overseas. 

Professor Norman R. Weiss FAPT is a technical specialist in the analysis and preservation of traditional building materials. Trained as an analytical chemist, he is recognized for his activities in the field of masonry cleaning and repair.

Bob Kindred MBE, BA, IHBC, MRTPI has been Borough Conservation Officer for Ipswich since 1987. He edited Context for nine years until 1999 and is now the IHBC's Government Liaison Secretary. He has served on numerous Government and other inquiries into the heritage most recently as an external advisor on the DCMS Heritage Protection Review.

Wallpapers

Allyson McDermott

This paper seeks to demonstrate the historical and aesthetic importance of wallpapers and to introduce the relevant techniques for investigation, conservation, and care.

Allyson McDermott BAHons, DipCon

Allyson McDermott heads her own practice specializing in the conservation of the historic interior, which she established in 1980.

Prediction and Prevention of Hygroscopic 

Salt Activity in Historic Buildings

Paul D'Armada

Much deterioration of the fabric of historic buildings, especially internal decorative elements, is associated with deleterious salt activity. In order to appreciate the processes involved in salt activity and its relationship to the environment, this paper attempts to demonstrate the order of investigations required, the dynamics of the processes, and the measures which should be considered to reduce their impact on historic fabric.

Paul D'Armada BSc PGCE

Paul D'Armada currently works for Hirst Conservation as a painting conservator and conservation scientist. With a degree in geology, he has a specific interest in the chemistry and mineralogy of the fabric of buildings and substrates of decorative surfaces.

Maintenance

From Philosophy to Practice

Nigel Dann and Timothy Cantell

Even with increasing attention to issues of sustainability and despite being cited as a key element in approaches to building conservation, maintenance of historic buildings has received little academic study or practice-orientated development in the United Kingdom. European models of best practice have seldom been disseminated or emulated. Maintain our Heritage (MoH) is seeking to change this. It has developed a wide programme of research aimed at understanding current attitudes towards maintenance and exploring potential ways forward; and has undertaken a pilot maintenance service, the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, inspecting 73 listed buildings in the Bath area. This paper examines the results of the latter in the context of the former. It explains the genesis of the project, examines the constraints and opportunities encountered,and looks to the future. It also points to the need for a national maintenance strategy.

Nigel Dann BSc(Hons), MIOC

Nigel Dann has been a board member of Maintain our Heritage from its inception and was its founding chairman. His background is in construction at both craft and professional levels. He is senior lecturer and researcher at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Timothy Cantell BA(Hons), DipT&RP, FRSA

Timothy Cantell has been project coordinator for Maintain our Heritage since 2000; he is a heritage consultant and a founding trustee of SAVE Britain's Heritage.

East Asian Values in Historic Conservation

Seung-Jin Chung

The Venice Charter, the foundation of modern conservation, has been viewed as a fundamental document reflecting the internationally accepted philosophy for protection of architectural heritage throughout the world. The Charter represents the acme of progress, in the European context, in architectural conservation, and is thus inevitably and fundamentally based on European conditions and attitudes. So strongly are European attitudes to architecture and its conservation embedded in the Charter, that it has skewed all conservation thinking towards the concept of the European monument, that emphasizes visual beauty through its material substance. Thus, some of the basic tenets of the Venice Charter seem ill-suited to East Asian architecture, which is conceived in a different spirit from its European counterpart. This paper discusses the need for approaches to the East Asian architectural heritage that are different from the modern Western view of conservation, and to make suggestions for developing conservation principles that are more suited to the unique values and aesthetic sense of East Asian culture and architecture. The conclusion is that conservation principles in the East Asian societies are determined in relation to the spiritual and naturalistic sensibilities of East Asian culture and architecture. These principles are put forward as a more appropriate basis than conservation principles that are developed within the Western cultural tradition.

Seung-Jin Chung BE, MBEnv, PhD

S.-J. Chung is an assistant professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering at Hyupsung University in Korea. He teaches architectural planning and history, with research interests including a cross-cultural study of architecture and historic conservation.

Corrugated-Iron Buildings

An Endangered Resource within the Built Heritage

Nick Thomson and Phil Banfill

This paper describes corrugated-iron-clad buildings, considers their history and construction, and the need for conservation in the light of their cultural significance to certain relatively remote areas. From a survey of 72 buildings carried out in the Scottish Highlands and Islands it is clear that there is a risk that the remaining stock of these buildings will disappear from the Scottish landscape, since nearly half were in poor condition, empty and deteriorating, or ruinous, and only five are currently protected by listing. This situation may be repeated elsewhere.

Nick Thomson BArch, Dip Arch, MSc, ARIAS

Nick Thomson is an architect based on the Isle of Skye and practising in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The paper is based on a research dissertation accepted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MSc in Building Conservation (Technology and Management). 

Phil Banfill BSc, PhD, CChem, CSci,FRSC, ILTM, MCIOB

Phil Banfill is Professor of Construction Materials at Heriot-Watt University, where he is leader of the MSc in Building Conservation (Technology and Management). 

Return to the Journal of Architectural Conservation

Return to detailed contents of back volumes

Return to the Journal of Architectural Conservation

Return to detailed contents of back volumes