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The conference presenters had been chosen with the help of an external
advisory committee to ensure the program would look at the preservation
of heritage interiors from many different viewpoints. In the process,
an attempt had been made to define the field of conservation in
heritage interiors more clearly as an area of specialization, for
both preservation architects and conservators. The program sessions
followed the various phases of an architectural conservation project:
the Conservation Assessment, Teams and Partners, Treatment Approaches,
the Interior Environment, and the Post Mortem. The presentations
all emphasized the importance of focussing on the entire project,
and speakers readily discussed the successes and failures of this
complex co-operative process.
What worked and what didn't on these projects? The conclusion on
the part of many was that it is not enough for conservators to take
the ethical high road — it is unrealistic to expect other team
members to adhere to a poorly communicated ideal. Each of us who
participates in these projects must learn some of the other members'
language along with a good deal of their professional culture, so
that we can all understand the limitations of the project and assess
the risks of the intervention.
Some of the delegates to Symposium 2000 indicated that they would
like to see subsequent CCI presentations devoted to specific topics
in the area of built heritage. Suggested topics included conservation
treatment processes, differences in ethical conservation approaches
between North America and Europe, and protection of immovable interior
elements from damage during seismic events. Interest was also expressed
in project management, project costing and estimating, fire and
safety issues for historic houses, conservation solutions for small
historic houses, conservation of contemporary architectural materials,
the impact of revenue generation on historic sites, and methods
for becoming pro-active about the conservation of built heritage
rather than waiting for damage and deterioration to occur (i.e.
highlighting the importance of long-term maintenance of a building
or object after the initial conservation project is finished).
As a result of these suggestions, CCI will be addressing issues
in the conservation of built heritage in future education events.
Learning modules on preventive maintenance in working heritage buildings
are currently being developed as part of CCI's outreach programming.
In looking back, I hope that delegates gained a new understanding
of the complexity of projects to preserve heritage interiors. Symposium
2000 demonstrated that we are becoming better at adapting and communicating
our professional culture to others so that a conservation approach
will become important to everyone with a stake in the preservation
of built heritage.
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