Building Maintenance, Adaptation, and Repair: Field Trip Report and Case Study

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop knowledge and understanding of the maintenance, 

2.Adaptation and repair of buildings in context to rural and urban parameters.

3.Awareness of the incompatibilities between different building materials

4.Analyse and synthesise by providing a critical review and be able to summarise an issue with a possible solution

Overview

The first part of the portfolio consists of the submission of a field trip report based on a visit to a local town centre.

In this section of the assessment for the module students will be asked to make a study of a particular part of the town (to be identified in week 1) to critically analyse the development that has taken place and the way the town has evolved. In addition students will be required to consider how well the conservation issues have been addressed in this particular locality and evidence your reports with appropriate reference to illustrations and established principles.  

The result of this study will be a detailed field trip report on the way the town had developed, has been redeveloped and reflection, using appropriate illustrations and examples of good and poor practice in relation to design, architectural styles, function of buildings and use of materials. 

This field trip report is primarily one of design, the technical aspects of materials and the science of conservation will be considered more thoroughly in the following case study.

Field Trip Brief

Using the information provided in the lecture notes supporting this module the student is required to undertake a field trip visit to a local town centre to study maintenance, conversion, adaptation and repair of buildings in context of rural and urban parameters. This will include an analysis of the theory and practice of town centre development and growth, identification and understanding of different architectural styles and characteristics, the need for consideration of sympathetic design in the development/re-development of historic town centres, critical comment on appropriate use of building materials and design for given architectural styles in a particular location. 

The location of the field trip will be identified at the first lecture. A particular part of the town will be identified as the area of study for the visit. A map and field study guide will be provided for the student to follow with a number of tasks identified to assist in the development of the knowledge and understanding required in the production of the field trip report. The field trip report will be a critical analysis of the students observations of their study, supported by appropriate additional research and theory and will be produced in the form of a professional standard report, appropriately referenced using the Harvard system.

Part A – Field Trip Report

Factors to consider will include the different architectural styles that feature in this section of the town, identification of the particular architectural features that identify this style, critical comment on the juxtaposition of new design against established buildings, comment in relation to the buildings and their present day function and the use of materials.

The production of the report will include all the features of a professional report features such as page/paragraph numbering, executive summary and 1½ or 2 x  line spacing and could be based on the following structure

1.Introduction

2.General description of the area; this will include appropriate illustrations (photographs, sketches or drawings)

3.Identification of a range of architectural styles and their locations in the town ; this will include the identification of the particular features of that style, appropriately dated. (Submissions could either use photographs or drawings, but better marks are likely to gained by those students who use their graphic skills for this section rather than photographs)

4.Design critique on the way the town has been developed; this will relate to town centre development theory and include the substantiated opinion of the student, examples of good design and design which they consider inappropriate.

5.A critical commentary should be made on the suitability of the buildings for their current function, in particular for buildings which are no longer used for their original function. Consideration will be made of the appropriateness of the use of materials in this section.

6.Conclusions

Overview 

The student is required to select a ‘listed’ building to be the topic of their case study.  The case study should will include a brief history, visual survey assessment and a proposed remediation scheme of a chosen building.  This will be presented in the form of a report.  

the building can be situated anywhere within the UK but must have:

1.listed status (I, II or II*) or a locally listed status.

2.not been significantly restored or renovated within the last 5 years, or, currently undergoing restoration/renovation.

3.sufficient safe legal access such that the external features can studied in detail.

The report should consist of the following:

a) A brief physical description of the building (including architectural style and the materials used), a brief history and the reason why it has been granted a listed status.

b) Current colour photographs of all the elevations of the building which are accessible.

c) A full visual assessment of the external building fabric and areas that can be accessed safely (i.e. a condition survey including windows and roof identifying any damage/deterioration and also an estimate of the extent\coverage of that damage).

d) Identify, in the context of your chosen building, where there is potential for deterioration to occur or be accelerated, as a result of incompatibility between different materials (either materials that exist currently in/on the building or within your proposed scheme).

e) Develop a remediation/renovation or conversion scheme and provide the following:

i) Brief overall description of scheme and a rationale for what you have chosen to undertake

ii) Potential sources of materials for use in the scheme (provide addresses for sources).

iii) One detailed method statement for renewal of the building façade (not including roof or windows, this may consist of cleaning, repair or a combination of the two (SEE NOTE).

iv) In the context of reducing energy losses, what could be done to improve the thermal efficiency of the building, what regulations would govern this and when would such improvements not be appropriate? 

v) List out five potential problems that may be encountered when undertaking the remediation and list them in order of importance