Timber Building Conservation

MSc Timber Building Conservation

Delivery method: Part-time
Course Reference: MSTBC

Course Overview

Run in partnership with the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, West Sussex.

This course has an intake every 2 years.

The Museum is well established as a centre of excellence in historic building conservation and is committed to the provision of training in this field. The Museum recognises the building industry’s need for well-rounded conservators who can look at a building, assess, survey, record its current state, write a report, specify repairs, execute or oversee those repairs and write a final report on the work undertaken and the state of the building after the repairs.

Virtually every pre-modern building involved the use of timber or joinery in its structure, so historic building conservation cannot be attempted without specialist knowledge of timber materials. The conservation of historic buildings is a fast-growing sector of the building industry, both in the UK and overseas, leading to increased demand for specialist conservators. Virtually every pre-modern building used timber in its construction, and conservators who have a specialist knowledge of timber and associated craft and repair techniques will be even more sought after.

Location of Study
The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum has established itself as a provider of specialist education and training in building conservation and historic building techniques. It has worked with the University in delivering high calibre conservation courses since 1990. The forty-six historic buildings reconstructed on its beautiful downland site give the Museum an unrivalled teaching resource in this specialised area.

Facilities are second to none. The Museum’s teaching resources are enhanced by a specialist library. In addition, the University has its own extensive libraries and scientific collections. The Museum’s innovative Downland Gridshell workshop is the location for practical work.

Resources
This course is delivered in partnership with the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, in West Sussex, a provider of specialist education in building conservation and historic building techniques. The partnership combines the expertise and resources of both institutions. The Museum’s beautiful downland site encompasses forty-six reconstructed historic buildings representing an unrivalled teaching resource in this specialised area. This resource is backed up by extensive scientific collections and libraries, both at the University and the Museum.

Delivery
Lectures and seminars play a vital part, together with visits to historic buildings and sites, contractors’ workshops and specialist conservation studios. Where appropriate, units will provide hands-on experience of materials and processes. All teaching is based at the Weald & Downland Open Air Museum. There are also some visits off-site.

The course is run part-time with a series of six study units over around 18 months, followed by a dissertation phase. Candidates who do not complete the full Masters programme may leave with an interim qualification. Each unit runs over a long weekend, enabling students to remain in employment.