MSc Sustainable Building Conservation students take part in field trips to Rome and Ty Mawr Lime Ltd

Students from the MSc in Sustainable Building Conservation have recently taken part in field trips that have helped them to focus on the key concerns of some of the modules of the course.

As part of the module “Case Studies and Regional Work,” students visited Rome where they were asked to contemplate a number of issues relating to their upcoming proposals for the sustainable future of Whitchurch Hospital. These included Continuity and Survival, Changing Significance, Strategic Forgetting/Selective Remembrance, along with the interconnection of power, poverty and healthcare.

Visits during the trip included the Pantheon, Teatro Marcello, the former psychiatric hospital of Santa Maria della Pietá and the district of EUR. A highlight of the trip was a day spent with Dr Francesca Geremia of Roma Tre University, with guided visits of the Crypta Balbi museum, the Roman and Imperial Fora, and a lecture on her work on the now vanished Alexandrou district.

The module “Energy Use in Historic Buildings” of the MSc in Sustainable Building Conservation focuses on balancing the challenges of improving the comfort and energy efficiency of historic and traditional buildings, whilst protecting their heritage values and minimising the loss of historic fabric.

In order for students to experience first-hand some of the possible building materials and techniques currently available, students spent the day with Ty Mawr Lime Ltd at their training facility on the shore of Llangorse Lake near Brecon. Following a morning of talks, the students got the opportunity in the afternoon to try their hand at plastering with an insulating lime-hemp plaster. The students were joined on the training day by building owners, allowing for a rich discourse and shared experiences.

The MSc in Sustainable Building Conservation addresses current challenges and concerns recognised worldwide and emphasises the role of sustainability within a historic context. For more information on the course and to apply visit our website