We are conducting this survey to help us understand the size, shape and health of the stonemasonry sector in Scotland. This survey is the first in a series, and will provide data for us to better understand the sector and the skills we already have and will need in the future.

Stonemasonry encompasses a range of different knowledge and skills related to the working, use, application, and repair of natural stone.

More information and to access the survey here.

Closes 28 Feb 2023

• 1. Topic of the ConferenceProtection of historic cities is a most complex conservation  issue. This is determined by a combination of many factors – such as the large scale of the operation, the diversity of historic elements and their values, the multitude of stakeholders, the complexity of urban functions, radical changes in the standards of use of objects and spaces as well as the fact that cities are, by definition, subject to constant change.The complex structure of the historic city cannot be protected as a whole. On a practical level, conservation activities must include the individual components of the historic elements of the city. At the theoretical level, however, it is possible to determine the principles and forms of dealing with entire typological or historical groups of monuments. However,  principles and forms of conservation were first developed primarily for individual historic buildings or groups, and to a much lesser extent for public spaces and the historic urban fabric.Public spaces – squares, streets, courtyards, public gardens and playgrounds – are intensively used; they co-create the value of a given historic city, and to a large extent determine its image and ‘spirit of place’. Their conservation must take into account technical, communication, urban and ecological aspects, acknowledging the central role of city governments in their management. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to analyze and evaluate the contemporary forms and principles that shape public spaces in historic cities and to manage how they change in response to changes of function and public need.Broadly understood, environmental considerations have meant that in recent years the revitalization of many public spaces in historical cities has been critically reevaluated. In many countries, conservation services have developed regulations for the protection and development of public spaces. These policies and documents must be supported by a theoretical foundation and a catalogue of good practice. An international discussion on this subject is long overdue.2. Objectives and thematic scope of the ConferenceThe aim of the conference “Public spaces in historic cities – conservation principles and good practices” is to organize a discussion and exchange of experiences amongst architects, urban planners, landscape architects and conservators, on these key issues.The issues of the conference will be divided into three sessions.
  1. Principles for conservation of public spaces in historic cities – technical, ecological, urban, landscape and formal aspects;
  2. Practices: forms and constraints for the conservation of public spaces – squares, streets, courtyards, public gardens, and playgrounds – inclusive of interventions and changes to public spaces such as the introduction of greenery;
  3. Interdisciplinary processes and guidelines for the responsible conservation of public spaces in historic cities; local, national, and international.
  The conference will include opportunity for discussion of projects for historic public spaces, both proposed and implemented. The presentation of positive and negative examples will help the conservation community to define the principles and program necessary to inform and shape public spaces in historical cities.4. Organizational informationProposals for papers should be sent by 10 January 2023, to theophilos@icomos.orgProposals should include:
  • a 300 word abstract (separate points will assist reviewers in assessing proposals);
  • a brief biographical note on the author; and
  • an indication of which session (1, 2, or 3) the paper is intended for.
  The selection of papers to be presented at the conference will be made by reviewers appointed by the Organizing Committee. The authors of the papers will be informed about the decision of the reviewers by January 30, 2023.The materials of the conference – after the reviewers’ assessment – will be published in the journal “Protection of Cultural Heritage”.https://ph.pollub.pl/index.php/odkWe invite you to submit proposals for conference presentations.We invite you to participate in the conference.

Submissions Due – 30 June 2023

More information here

The traditional understanding of heritage as tangible (physical) sites that represent authorized discourses and histories is being challenged by the postmodern conceptualization of heritage as a dynamic and pluralistic process (or performance) across space and time. Critical heritage studies, contemporary conservation theory and adaptive reuse are all contributing towards the idea of heritage as an immaterial, people-focused activity that has the power to include or exclude.

Beginning from Laurajane Smith’s (2006) established premise that ‘all heritage is intangible’, this Special Issue is seeking papers that critically evaluate, through experimental and theoretical results, how architectural heritage and adaptive reuse relate to this critical conception of heritage. What is the relationship between approaches taken towards built heritage and the contemporary thematic issues made prominent in critical heritage studies? How can architectural, conservationist and adaptative reuse strategies evolve to maintain relevance to the topical debates and issues in relation to what heritage is and means in contemporary life? What other developments in neighboring fields of inquiry and professionalism (e.g., heritage management, archaeology, cultural heritage studies) might be appropriate to consider when thinking about the evolution of built heritage conservation in this way?

This Special Issue welcomes papers that consider the future of built heritage conservation from the following perspectives:

• The dynamic(s) between physical and non-physical heritages—intangible cultural heritage safeguarding within built heritage conservation, the transmission of intangible heritage through physical heritage(s), folklore and storytelling within the conservation process.
• Built heritage conservation and participation—inclusive conservation, equity through conservation, community engagement and ethical considerations within the conservation process, the social process of conservation.
• Built heritage and memory—contentious heritage, memory making and memory practices, multi-cultural and minority heritage representation, representation of the recent past, memory and conservation methods.
• Architectural heritage and the climate emergency—the future of retrofit and reuse, anastylosis and recycling materials, natural materials movement, social sustainability, philosophical dilemmas related to material permanence and decay.
• Digital futures for built heritage—future experiences of heritage, digital conservation and reconstruction methods, web-based methods, data mining, the role of the metaverse, evolving understandings of ‘authenticity’ in a digital context.

This Special Issue welcomes papers from a variety of architectural and non-architectural backgrounds providing the discourse is framed around the conservation and/or adaptation of built heritage. Papers can be methodologically motivated, data-driven, case study-focused or wholly theoretical.

Dr. Johnathan Djabarouti
Guest Editor

The Place Alliance is joining forces with Civic Voice and the Urban Design Group to explore how we can deliver high standards of design quality in new housing development in economically disadvantaged areas or in areas where poor design has been the norm in the recent past. Can you help us to identify stories of success by nominating new housing developments that raise the bar for design quality?

The challenge

Research published in 2019 by the Place Alliance and examining the external built environment revealed a stark divide between the quality of housing development in different parts of the country as determined by relative affluence. The analysis showed that poorly designed schemes are almost ten times more likely to be built in the least affluent areas than in affluent areas.

However, this is not always the case. The same study also revealed that it is possible to deliver well-designed schemes in disadvantaged areas while poor quality projects are sometimes built within affluent localities. A common story seems to be that communities whose local planning authorities are unwilling to accept substandard developments and instead push housebuilders for better design quality are typically those that benefit from better designed housing.

Unfortunately, follow-up research pointed to a particular reluctance amongst some local planning authorities to pursue better design outcomes, and that these tend to be concentrated in certain parts of the country where expectations are lower and less scrupulous housebuilders are allowed to ‘get away with it’.

To break this cycle, we need to identify stories of success that can inspire others to push for better and to understand how this is done. As Government policy says, “The creation of high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and places is fundamental … and helps make development acceptable to communities”.

What are we looking for?

To start this process, we are seeking examples of major housing developments where, in your view, design quality in the external built environment has been achieved. In other words, in how a development looks, how it functions, how it fits into its surroundings, the amenities it offers residents, and so on.

We are interested in schemes from all regions of England and particularly projects located in economically disadvantaged areas or in localities where poor quality new housing development has dominated in recent decades. Projects should be at least 50 homes and either currently under development or completed in the last ten years.

If you would like to nominate a project, then please fill out our online form below: this should take no more than two to three minutes to complete.

Click here to fill out our online form

Our three-day conference, 3^rd – 5^th July 2023, will allow the opportunity to network with other researchers, and receive advice on publishing in peer-reviewed journals as well as key things to avoid journal rejection, whilst hearing from Keynote Speakers on the future of architectural research.

Submission Deadline 1st February 2023

Attendees will also have the opportunity to publish their works in archiDOCT, our journal published twice a year through Scholastica HQ.

There will be an online book of proceedings.

The first three best papers submitted will be published in ArchiDOCT and will constitute good practice examples of the three archiDOCT journals following the conference. The next fifteen best papers will be published in the three ArchiDOCT volumes following the conference, after undergoing a second reviewing process, if necessary. Please follow Guidelines for Authors

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The Stone & Wall Paintings committee is pleased to introduce a series of talks: A closer look at conservation materials.

The series has a dual aim: to create a space for presentation and discussion between companies and conservators; and to provide a platform to present research on conservation materials. The presentations are aimed at practicing conservators, aiming at gaining more insight into materials used in conservation.

This is a call to parties interested in presenting research (old and new) on materials used for the conservation of built heritage, stone, and wall painting. It is aimed at organisations that develop and produce materials for conservation, and at researchers advancing the knowledge of materials used in conservation.  

We are especially interested in:

• sustainable products and technologies;
• products based on scientific research;
• products specially developed for conserving building materials, architectural decorations, stone, and wall painting, and
• advances in the knowledge of materials currently used in the conservation community.

The general objectives of these talks are to:

• create a professional exchange between companies and the conservation community,
• generate a constructive space for conservators to ask questions and comment on new products or products they have not used, and
• demonstrate how science and research are a fundamental part of heritage conservation.

If you are interested in making a presentation, please submit an abstract by 23^rd December 2022 at: swpconference@gmail.com.

N.B. The committee and Icon are not recommending or endorsing the use of specific materials, the series aims to create a space for presentation and critical discussion.

Guest Editors: Flora Samuel (U of Reading) & Kelly J. Watson (Hatch Urban Solutions)

Deadline for Abstracts: 1 NOVEMBER 2022

The UN Sustainable Development Goals define many values and actions for environmental, social, economic and climatic issues. Social value can be a driver to radically change built environment practices and outcomes. However, the questions surrounding the social value of the built environment – definitions, inclusion processes, delivery, evaluation and benefits – remain unclear and require further development by governments, industry, researchers and civil society. This special issue explores social value in relation to both placemaking (urban design, architecture and real estate) and construction (procurement and labour) processes.

The emergence of the social value agenda has real potential for the promotion of justice, equality and social cohesion in our built environment. Social value is often defined in different ways by sector, industry and context. A useful working definition is “the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the relevant area” (PSSVA, 2012).

This working definition demonstrates an interrelationship with triple bottom line sustainability, as well as the importance of prioritising impact within a defined spatial area, which could be local, regional, national or wider. Other definitions emphasise the importance of stakeholders and beneficiaries recognising and placing a value on the changes they experience in their lives (Social Value UK, n.d.; Pearce, 2003; Johnston, 1992), as well as the quantification and measurement of positive impacts.

Read more here.

Conference in Zurich, September 2023

A conference collaboratively organized by the Professorship for Construction Heritage and Preservation, ETH Zurich (Prof. Dr. Silke Langenberg) and the Professorship for Heritage Conservation and Architectural History, Bauhaus University Weimar (Prof. Dr. Hans-Rudolf Meier).

The recent conference Heritage Postmodernism. Preservation of an “Unfinished” Epoch in Weimar has not only facilitated the discussion on the preservation of the architectural heritage of postmodern architecture but also initiated a debate on High-Tech Architecture – a movement that emerged around the same time with postmodernism, demonstrating the need for further exploration of this topic. This conference will provide a platform for an in-depth discussion on the forthcoming theoretical and practical challenges associated with the preservation of the buildings of this movement.

Submission deadline: October 31, 2022
Notifications for accepted presentations will be sent in the following two months.

More information available on the flyer:

We are inviting proposals for papers discussing architectural sculpture in Britain from 1850 to 1914. These will be presented to a joint Victorian Society and Public Statues and Sculpture Association conference at the Art Workers’ Guild in London on Saturday 17 September 2022. The conference will be followed by guided walks around selected Victorian and Edwardian buildings in London on Sunday 18 September.

Abstracts and a brief c.v. of approximately 150 words each should be submitted to Joanna Barnes and Holly Trusted (co-chairs PSSA) atoffice@pssauk.org ASAP. 

Prague – Heritages

2023 marks the twentieth anniversary of the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Heritage. It established culture as a concept to be safeguarded. That event came three decades after the World Heritage Convention. Through that, UNESCO had set up its World Heritage List of protect sites and buildings. The intervening years have seen multiple shifts in how we define heritage – as both material objects and social traditions. Today more than ever before, the distinction is blurred. The streets on which we live, the edifices we design and the monuments we protect are all connected to the lifestyles, traditions and social groupings we celebrate and safeguard.

What we mean by heritage today then, is an open and diverse question. Our buildings and environments, our cities and neighborhoods, our memorials and our artworks, our cultures and communities are all component parts of what we understand as ‘preservable’ history. The dynamics at play are however complex. Conserving architectural heritage can conflict with development models. Community traditions are threatened by globalization. Monuments are often focal points for cultural contestation. Archeological sites are valued in themselves and simultaneously erased by both the forces of conflict and ‘progress’.

However, the past and the present also overlap and mutually support. Placemaking sees built and cultural heritage as key to urban practice. Contextualization is central to planning laws. Museums are sites for communities and display. Heritage organsiations preserve buildings and educate the public. Galleries present historical art while debating meanings in contemporary terms.

Reflecting this scenario, this conference seeks papers on heritage from various standpoints: art and architecture historians concerned with preservation; architects and urban planners engaged with placemaking; cultural theorists and social historians documenting objects, places, people and events. Artists working with community and place. It welcomes case studies that are specific and place-based. It embraces theoretical frameworks that function globally. It is interested in variegated methods of research and analysis.

Although the event is international in its reach, it is also interested in the specifics of the Czech Republic. It stems from the Prague based project Then, Now and Always and uses its themes of museums and communities as a key strand. Other strands and themes are listed below and aim to bring in contributions from multiple fields.

Abstracts due: 10 July 2022