Willowbank

The second year curriculum continues activities in all three of the primary areas of study. However, increased emphasis is given to Conservation Planning, and to Project Management. 

With the change in emphasis, there is more opportunity for team work in addition to individual work. This allows students to emphasize particular areas of interest within the class assignments, and to begin to appreciate the interdisciplinary nature of conservation teamwork. 

Each second year class is involved in projects on sites throughout the Niagara region. The students also plan and implement a project within the Willowbank estate, by refining the management plan for the estate and organizing a team approach to its implementation. 

More advanced assignments continue in the areas of research and documentation, and in conservation craftsmanship. 

Research and Documentation

AutoCAD

This program is designed to develop the skill level based upon previous experience. 

Case Studies 

Case studies of historic resource places and their conservation planning approach is an important exercise in determining best standard practices implemented. During the course of the school term various field trips to conservation projects will take place. 

Conditions Reporting

This program will explore the identification and the evaluation of the importance of both interior and exterior elements. Identification of the sequence of primary and secondary spaces, features and finishes, will be undertaken as well as the assessing of previous alterations and deterioration. Once careful assessment and documentation has been completed, work can begin on the task of determining which elements should be preserved or salvaged. In cases where previous work has changed the character of a structure irrevocably, it is vitally important to know what elements and procedures should be taken to salvage important original details such as baseboards, floors, doors and windows, plaster, original trim and other elements that give voice to the original building.

Finishes and Paint Colour Analysis 

This course will introduce the students to the analysis and understanding of historic finishes, particularly paints and varnishes. Students will be given some basic background on the evolution of historic finishes, including binders, pigments, and carriers. They will learn some of the techniques for taking samples, analyzing layers, and understanding the sequence of colours and textures. They will use case studies to understand how a variety of samples can be used to suggest early colour schemes, and how this information is combined with other kinds of research to establish the evolution of historic properties. 

Historic Place Management Plan

This course will use an historic place as a case study for developing a management plan for conservation and reuse of a historic property. This early 19th Century house is remarkably intact, but is currently vacant. The course will begin with a research and documentation phase, with students undertaking a variety of related activities dependent on their own skills and interests. This will include some basic measured drawings. Students will then develop a Statement of Significance, based on the research findings. They will then consider conservation options, including preservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse. Once the preferred option is chosen, a more detailed design and implementation program will be developed.

Willowbank: Finishes Workshop

This workshop will use the area conservation project at Willowbank as a case study for hands-on treatment of existing and proposed historic finishes. This course will use previous information and additional investigation to explore original design intentions, current conditions, and options for conservation. The preferred option will be developed in detail and implemented as part of the course.

Conservation Planning

Conservation Planning 

This course will guide students through the development of conservation plans for historic places. The starting point for plan development is the values identified through research and documentation. Using cultural landscape theory, students will apply the principles of both commemorative integrity and ecological integrity. Commemorative integrity has been used primarily in developing plans for historic resources, and ecological integrity in plans for natural resources. The course will address ways of integrating these approaches, based in part on aboriginal perspectives on understanding and managing cultural landscapes. The planning process will consider protection, enhancement, and sustainability as key concepts. 

Cultural Landscapes 

This course will introduce students to the concept of cultural landscapes. This concept is increasingly used as a basis for both theory and practice in the conservation field. The course will examine the development of cultural landscape theory, both in Canada and abroad, and its increasing use by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO and others as a basis for understanding and protecting important historic sites. It will look at ways in which it unites cultural and natural resource conservation, and the importance of aboriginal perspectives in developing this more holistic approach. Students will undertake exercises in documenting cultural landscapes, writing statements of significance and proposing conservation approaches. This course is a prerequisite for working on management plans for various historic properties, including Willowbank itself.

Legal. Zoning and Code Issues 

This course will consider a variety of legal, zoning and code issues that affect the use and development of historic properties. The course will introduce students to municipal, provincial, and federal roles in regulating and encouraging conservation activity. Students will be introduced to the recently revised Ontario Heritage Act, the Provincial Policy Statement, relevant planning regulations including environmental assessments, the role of municipal zoning bylaws, and the National and Provincial Building Codes. The intent of the course is to provide students with a basic understanding of the regulatory environment that affects the conservation field, and to recognize areas where heritage properties are given special consideration.

Masonry Buildings - Analysis & Conservation

This course will look broadly at the issues surrounding the understanding and protection of masonry buildings. It will include understanding some of the key developments in masonry building materials and technologies, and some of the typical conservation problems that arise over time. Students will learn about ways of documenting and analyzing conditions, both structural and cosmetic, and will be guided in developing conservation strategies. The course will include field trips to examine masonry buildings, to record some of their defects, and to propose solutions. 

Part 11, Ontario Building Code

This course will examine the special role of Part 11 in the Ontario Building Code, when dealing with the conservation, restoration and adaptive reuse of designated heritage properties. The course will discuss the history of Part 11, and explain its performance-based approach to dealing with existing buildings. Students will become familiar with how it is applied, and how it can be used when dealing with specific types of code compliance issues. The course will include case studies.

Sustainability - Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches

This course will introduce students to the basic issues of sustainability. It will take a qualitative as well as quantitative approach, and consider sustainability as an issue that deals with both cultural resource conservation and natural resource conservation. It will examine how historic properties are being dealt with in current discussions of sustainable design, including the LEED approach and its application to designated historic properties. Students will use case studies to explore how conservation issues can be addressed in a sustainability framework.

Traditional and Alternative Energy Systems 

This course introduces students to the role of different energy systems in the heating, cooling, lighting and operating of historic properties. It will consider both traditional approaches and contemporary options, including new technologies that allow for sustainable design. The course will consider how the design of buildings was affected by available energy systems, including issues of thermal mass, building envelope design, buffer zones, and seasonal use patterns. Students will apply this understanding in designing conservation and adaptive reuse options for historic properties. 

Craftsmanship and Project Implementation 

Advanced Carpentry 

This program will allow students to further their carpentry skills through hands-on experience. Working with master carpenter faculty member students will implement a carpentry project at Willowbank Estate or Bluma and Bram Appel Barn.

Advanced Joinery

This course will give students joinery experience through a hands-on implementation project. The selected project will incorporate traditional wood joinery techniques and will be implemented at Willowbank Estate and or Bluma and Bram Appel Barn. 

Advanced Masonry

This advanced masonry course will explore the general origins of stonewalls, what they have become, and methods and strategies drawn from many different disciplines that are being used for their conservation. Students will be instructed in the value of new stone structures that are in harmony with historic practices and best standard principals in masonry conservation. This course will facilitate students to recognize the diverse features of stonewall construction; including footings, various layout patterns, and the selection of appropriate stone and mortar.

Stained Glass Implementation Project

This course will introduce students to the conservation of stained glass windows. Students will gain hands-on experience in conservation techniques within the context of modern ethics and standards of practice. 

Willowbank: Area Conservation Project

This course will take the approved Willowbank management plan and develop an area conservation plan for one particular area. Students will learn how to apply the principles of the overall management plan to designing a detailed conservation approach for a single room or area. The detailed plan, once developed and approved, will allow physical work to proceed. The physical work will be carried out as an implementation project, using hands-on restoration and conservation skills under the guidance of faculty and staff.