Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE BLH5108

 
TITLE Summer Conservation Placement

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Conservation and Built Heritage

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit consists of practical sessions held over a period of one month during the summer semester, either in a laboratory or on site. Students will be encouraged to undertake this summer stage abroad, under the supervision of professional conservators within an approved university or institution.

By means of supervised practical application, the students will practice a range of remedial interventions in the conservation of decorative architectural surfaces, using diverse conservation materials and a range of application methodologies.

All attempts will be made to encourage the students to work on original architectural surfaces.

Study-unit Aims

The aims are to:
- continue to develop skills and critical judgment in the application of conservation materials and treatments to original architectural surfaces of historic or archaeological importance
- encourage students to apply knowledge gained through the various components of the curriculum of the MSc programme.

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Describe the respective roles and interdependencies between different units of the host organisation
- Critically evaluate different treatment options and determine the materials and methods to use to treat a particular decorative surface with specific deterioration problems
- Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the choices made

2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Work efficiently as a member of a professional team
- Use a range of conservation materials and methods with good manual dexterity
- Carry out with great dexterity a number of treatments
- Ethically address aesthetic issues

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings

Essential Reading:

- Ashurst J. and Dimes, F. G. 1990. Conservation of Building and Decorative Stone. Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Horie, C.V. 1987 Materials for conservation, London: Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Caple, C. 2001 Conservation skills: judgement, method and decision making. London: Routledge.
- Cather, S. (Ed.) 1991. The conservation of wall paintings, proceedings of a symposium organized by the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Getty Conservation Institute, London, July 13-16, 1987. Getty Conservation Institute.

Further reading:

- Agnew, N. (Ed.) 2010. Conservation of ancient sites on the Silk Road: proceedings of the second international conference on the conservation of grotto sites, Mogao grottoes, Dunhuang, People' s Republic of China, June 28-July 3, 2004. Los Angeles: Getty Conservation Institute.
- Ashurst J. and N. 1988. Practical Building Conservation. Volume 3: Plasters, Mortars and Renders. Gower Technical Press.
- Fidler J. 1995. Lime Treatments: Lime Watering and Shelter Coating of Friable Historic Masonry. In: APT Bulletin, Special Issue: Preservation of Historic Masonry. Vol. XXVI, No.4, pp. 50-57.
- Mora P., and Mora L. 1984. Conservation of Wall Paintings. Butterworth - Heinemann.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES This study-unit is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Practicum

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Placement and Reflective Diary No 100%

 
LECTURER/S Jennifer Porter

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit