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Preservation Education in the UK: a strategic overview

Historic Preservation in Professional Architectural Education: an international dialogue AIA Historic Resources Committee Bath, England, UK. 12 th – 14 th September 2005. John Fidler RIBA Conservation Director English Heritage 23, Savile Row, London W1S 2ET.

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Preservation Education in the UK: a strategic overview

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  1. Historic Preservation in Professional Architectural Education: an international dialogue AIA Historic Resources Committee Bath, England, UK. 12th – 14th September 2005 John Fidler RIBA Conservation Director English Heritage 23, Savile Row, London W1S 2ET E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Preservation Education in the UK:a strategic overview

  2. UK: “Conservation” & “restoration” PPG15 & forthcoming EH Conservation Principles 3 + 2 yr voc training + 2 yr internship + prof practice exam USA: “Historic preservation” Secretary of State’s Standards 3 + 2 yr voc training or 2 yr postgrad voc training + prof practice exam E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Transatlantic differences:

  3. UK: 1 yr Masters Degree courses in building conservation USA: 2 yr Masters Degree courses in building conservation E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Transatlantic differences and similarities: Both: Few architecture schools teach conservation at under-graduate or post-graduate levels and few architects take specialist post-graduate training after 7 yrs of vocational training

  4. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Transatlantic differences:reciprocity • Unilateral suspension of US-UK reciprocity agreement by NCARB in 1990 • 2004 Architects Council of Europe (ACE) and NCARB negotiations for a future Mutual Recognition Agreement • UK has reciprocity with Canada and Mexico

  5. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Context UK construction industry: • Turnover £149B per year (8% of GDP) • Conservation, repair & maintenance 49% of total spend at £3.5B per year • 2.1M employees, 0.23M are professionals • 6% of the UK building stock is of heritage value: of these 5M are pre-1919 buildings and in England 0.48M are Listed (ie registered NHL etc).

  6. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Educational Statistics • 36k (UK) ARB registered architects, 28k in UK • 36 schools of architecture in the UK • 9.8k students • 2.5k students entering RIBA Part I (BA) level • 1.3k students entering RIBA Part II (BArch, Dip Arch or MA) level • >1k students passing RIBA Part III

  7. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E History of UK Conservation Education: 1 • Indenture to the Surveyors of the Kings Works • Pupillage to 18th, 19th & 20th C architects to 1920s • Employment with members of the Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors Association (EASA) • Employment with Ministry of Works from 1910 • Scholarships of the SPAB from 1940s?

  8. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E History of UK Conservation Education: 2 • 1960s • Manchester University (Cordingly et al) • Diploma Course at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London • Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, York Univ • 1970s COTAC’s 4 courses: York, Liverpool, the AA and Bristol • 1980s boom time • 1990s over-expansion, recession and new markets

  9. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Postgraduate Courses in Architectural Conservation in the UK 14 x Postgraduate MA, MSc or Grad Dipl courses: • 7 in architecture schools: Bath, Birmingham, Heriot Watt, Leicester, AA London, UCL & Plymouth • 3 in town planning schools: Dundee, Newcastle & Oxford Brookes • 2 in archaeology departments: Bristol & York • 2 others: Reading and Bournemouth 5 x Undergraduate BA or BSc courses: • None in architecture schools: Bournemouth, Canterbury, Derby, Glamorgan & Newcastle

  10. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E English Heritage’s view of UK Education • Most conservation courses in the UK are under-subscribed • The majority are run by historians and archaeologists • The courses cater mostly for arts graduates seeking jobs in city planning departments, landmarks commissions and with the national amenity societies eg Victorian Society • Most courses are part-time eg 1 x day per week for 30 days per year x 2 years = 60 days contact time • There are insufficient expert visiting faculty to service all the courses With few exceptions academic standards and technical competency are poor

  11. Academic awards: MSc in Historic Preservation Certificate in Historic Preservation Advanced certificate in Historic Preservation Electives: Site management Conservation technology Preservation planning Landscape preservation Preservation design Conservation science E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E UPENN Courses

  12. YEAR 1: Theories of preservation History of architecture Documentation & archival research IT software & media Building technology Electives x 3 General elective Summer internship YEAR 2: Preservation studio Electives x 2 General elective Thesis x 2 units Elective General elective E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E UPENN MSc COURSE

  13. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Key Educational and Training Developments in the UK • 1958 Oxford Conference on Architectural Education • 1968 RIBA conservation training policy • COTAC & the Conservation Course Directors Forum • 1988 RIBA Conservation Committee • 2003 RIBA Policy Tomorrow’s Architect • 2003 EH, HS, HLF demand professional accreditation in building conservation

  14. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E English Heritage’s View of Quality • Of 5.4K RIBA practices, 1.7K profess conservation expertise but EH’s list is limited to approx 200. • Clients have low expectations and cannot find expert professional agents • Professional institutes have unsatisfactory, non-transparent means to offer clients advice on agents • Vocational training offers little on conservation • Few architects have postgraduate specialist qualifications and of those that do, at least 17% have poor technical competency

  15. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E An RIBA Vision… Architecture Education in the 21st C RIBA Review Oct 1999: “Diversity, specialisation & integration” • Proposed a specialist register for conservation • Suggests the profession should be inclusive not divisive • Argues a register increases credibility with clients • Hopes growth of specialist qualifications will enhance development of postgraduate education and research

  16. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E UK Accreditation Systems for Conservation • AABC-RIBA (1998/2003), RIAS (1995) & RIAI for architects • RICS for building surveyors (1992) • CARE (ICE & IStructE) for engineers • ICON (UKIC-PACR) for conservators Providing peer-reviewed assessment and validation of competency [ knowledge, skills, judgement and experience ] through submission of a portfolio of work over the last 5 years

  17. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Accreditation: more pros than cons • Competency framework assists self-assessment and helps directs continuing professional development • Peer-review process reinforces “client service” nature of professional institutes and accreditation bodies • Accredited architects have a USP to help marketing and win jobs • Fallacy that lifelong competency guaranteed by single test for general practice at age 27-28

  18. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Accreditation Accreditation Framework: • Cultural Significance • Architectural qualities and value • Investigation, materials and technology • Social and financial issues • Implementation and management of conservation works Based on ICOMOS Guidelines, Education and Training in the Conservation of Monuments, Ensembles and Sites Colombo, Sri Lanka 1993

  19. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Preservation in Education: 1 • Models of specialist competency devised by clients, employers and accreditation bodies ought to help educators design inputs into undergraduate training, and better syllabuses for postgraduate specialist courses • Units of special conservation knowledge, skills, judgement and experience can be introduced into undergraduate training within studio/field projects. As 50% of all construction is CRMI, why not? • Improved courses could then be “accredited” to provide the knowledge and skill sets on a credit accumulation basis towards professional accreditation.

  20. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Preservation in Education: 2 • Need to twin-track last 2 yrs of postgraduate vocational architectural training with preservation to deliver joint degree, or add-on certificate or diploma for additional course units • Or using credit-accumulation systems help students build towards a special focus within the vocational course • Some architecture schools looking to create a USP or market niche by only teaching within framework of CRMI activities • Special summer schools to hot-house high-school kids and undergraduates?

  21. E N G L I S H H E R I T A G E Future Prospects • Accreditation drives profession towards training & CPD • Quality of University training improves • Problem of shortage of structural engineers with conservation expertise tackled next

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