Among the strengths of the Master of Science in Historic Preservation (MSHP) program is the opportunity it offers students to learn about architectural conservation through direct hands-on experience, both here in the United States and internationally.
During their semester’s study in Rome, second-year MSHP students joined Professor Paolo Vitti on the island of Sardinia, where their historic preservation studio course focused on documenting and creating a conservation plan for the historic church of Saint Andrew in Orani. With the guidance of Professor Selena Anders and the aid of professionals from the University of Cagliari, the students created digital records of the ruined structure and surviving material and surveyed the existing conditions at the site. They then made graphic reconstructions of missing elements to visualize the original form of the church and indicate how it might be restored. Professor Nikos Vakalis offered lessons in conservation of fresco painting and other historic finishes, while Professor Lorenzo Fei conducted a class on the history of traditional masonry construction in Europe. The students reported their findings in a presentation to representatives of the Municipality at the end of the semester, laying the foundation for ongoing work in the years ahead, including assessment of heritage sites throughout the town. Other visits included training in digital documentation of heritage on the Greek island of Siros, a workshop with students of conservation at the Politecnico of Torino, a visit to the earthquake-damaged towns of L’Aquila and Norcia, and a tour of the art conservation laboratories at Veneria Reale.
“The semester in Rome offers a unique opportunity for the students to work on layered heritage,” explains Professor Vitti. “Buildings with hundreds of years of history reveal a unique complexity that the architect needs to interpret in order to make appropriate interventions,” he said.
“The two-week experience at Orani is an exceptional opportunity offered by no other University course in preservation. Students work with their professors onsite to learn how to document and analyze built heritage, and the visits to noteworthy ongoing restoration projects and hands-on experience makes the Rome semester a culminating formative experience for the students,” he added.
Here at home, the first-year MSHP students worked at the Kizer House, a late 19th century residence in South Bend, where students made measured and analytical drawings of the interlocking masonry and timber systems in the structure.With instruction by Professor Stephen Hartley, students returned to study the original masonry, mortars, and tuckpointing by picking up a trowel under the supervision of experienced preservation craftsmen.