Second year students look out over Chaudière Falls during their visit to Ottawa in February.

 

Field Trip – Second Year Students In OttawaA trip to the nation’s capitol

As we celebrated Heritage Week, Willowbank second year students took a break from working on their Conservation Management Plans and hit the road to visit Ottawa.

The group braved the snowy streets to explore the capital’s heritage, meeting with politicians, tradespeople, community and national advocates, architects and educators in the heritage sector.

Students explored the complexity and diversity of Ottawa’s heritage: from the newly-restored Bank of Montreal building, to the redevelopment of the Chaudière Islands District—a cultural landscape with rich indigenous and industrial heritage.

A major highlight of the trip included attending the Heritage Ottawa lecture on the new Aga Khan Global Centre for Pluralism. Willowbank also shared thoughts on the importance of heritage to community and economic development, and the scarcity of heritage skilled trades in Canada with their MP Rob Nicholson with a visit to the Sir John A. MacDonald building.

Willowbankers also participated in the NCC Urbanism Lab on Heritage and Sustainability, contributing our ecological approach to heritage and the sustainability of public spaces, buildings and communities. Students enjoyed connecting with fellow Willowbank instructors, alumni and students including Justine Southam, a third year student who is currently completing a stone carving internship with Smith & Barber Atelier.

A big thank you to all those who welcomed us to the nation’s capital!

First Year Students in February

Our first year class had a busy February – despite a winter break halfway through the month.

Students headed to Buffallo for a visit to the Art Conservation program and labs, for an indepth look at materials conservation. Special thanks to SUNY Buffalo for the warm welcome.

Classes also included Fire and Risk Management with Chris Marrion out of New York, where students took an indepth look at the lower campus as a case study. Classes rounded out with a full week of Introduction to Stone Carving with Danny Barber of Smith and Barber Atelier, and classes in Photography and Documentation.



Willowbank Launches Stone Conservation Field School
at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons National Historic Site

Willowbank was pleased to announce a three-week field school at Sainte-Marie Among The Hurons in Midland, Ontario which will run from June 10 to June 30 2017. Recognized as one of the first sites of contact between the Wendat peoples and settlers, Sainte-Marie among the Hurons is a National Historic Site dating to the 1600s and is part of Huronia Historical Parks run by the Province of Ontario.

The field school will focus on the conservation of the 1639 stone fireplace remains located on the site. It is the earliest European masonry located in Ontario and together with other archaeological remains, form the basis of the National Historic Site designation. The field school will be led by Willowbank faculty associate Keith Blades, one of Canada’s leading stone conservationists.

Keith has been involved with the conservation of the original stonework at the Saint-Marie among the Hurons site since the mid-1990s and last year he led a team of Willowbank alumni and students on the conservation of one of the fireplaces in the summer of 2016. That project was carried out in conjunction with Philip Hoad, another Willowbank faculty associate, Director of Empire Restoration.

To register or for more information on the field school or on Willowbank’s three year diploma program, please visit www.willowbank.ca.  For more information on the Sainte-Marie among the Hurons site and Huronia Historical Parks, visit: www.hhp.on.ca. 

INTBAU Canada Forum Launch

Creating conversations across Canada

We are pleased to launch the INTBAU Canada Forum. Designed to facilitate conversations about traditional architecture and urban issues across Canada. The Forum is accessible for paid members of INTBAU Canada and will host conversations moderated by our INTBAU Intern, Alex Krucker, who was introduced in our January newsletter.

To check out the forum and register to join the discussion, please check out the INTBAU Canada website: https://willowbank.ca/intbau/.

T.A.L.L TALKS: Traditional Architecture in Local Landscapes

A Willowbank and INTBAU Canada Initiative celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary

INTBAU Canada and Willowbank are proud to launch T.A.L.L TALKS 2017 – a national event meant to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary and inspire Canadians to find inspiration in their local architectural traditions and shine a light on traditional building methods.

The aim is for a series of public and free events to occur across Canada throughout June and July. Each event would feature a theoretical and hands-on component. For instance a short lecture from a local historian, architect or enthusiast about a local landmark could be followed by a workshop or demonstration that allows those attending to experience and gain appreciation for traditional building methods key to that landmark’s construction.

How it works:

  1. Come up with a lecture topic.
  2. Pair it with a workshop or demonstration.
  3. Find a place to host your lecture and worshop.
  4. Use the promotional materials INTBAU Canada/Willowbank provides to get the word out about your T.A.L.L. Talk.

For more information about how to create your own T.A.L.L talk and to put forward a simple proposal, check out the announcement here.