M 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Anderson Hall, Room 154
This course presents a survey of preservation theory and practice, outlining the varied approaches that architects and designers have taken when working with existing structures since the mid-twentieth century. Over the past three decades in particular, preservation discourse has undergone a radical transition. The field has expanded from one primarily concerned with accredited protocols surrounding restoration to one that actively engages speculative, open-ended hypotheses that test the cultural value of a particular site. Weekly readings grouped by theme will provide a disciplinary overview of essential texts. This includes cornerstone legislation such as The Venice Charter (1964) and UNESCO Convention (1972) as well as experimental strategies towards the preservation of intangible heritage and sites that have left behind few material traces due to war, forced demolition and erasure, or natural disaster. In addition to reading responses, students will conduct case study investigations for at-risk sites of their choosing, developing individual approaches to archival research, documentation, and drawing methods.