Context 155 - July 2018

C O N T E X T 1 5 5 : J U L Y 2 0 1 8 9 modernism in the USA and its sensitivity to relevant concerns about sustainability. Claudine Deom’s essay on Canadian architectural interiors of the 1960s and 70s discusses the often intractable problems of buildings of this era relating to fenestration and access to natural light. Dramatic interventions are often required to make them serviceable and attractive. Deom points out that many of these modernist interiors are fragile and considered ephemeral, and lack statutory protection. The final paper, by Cesar Bargues-Ballester,WilliamWhitaker and Frank G Matero, presents a case study emphasising the value of producing a comprehensive conservation-management plan to encourage optimally sympathetic and suitable interventions in the original fabric. In this instance the George Nakashima Arts Building and Cloister in Pennsylvania is a house and studio that is rightfully being treated as museum because its qualities are similar to the Farnsworth House. The last 2017 issue of APT Bulletin (Vol XLVIII, No 4) 2017 is a special concerned with documentation, and particularly the application of new methodologies. The first essay deals with the issues that arise in documenting very large historic buildings. This may necessitate a phased approach of the kind necessary to address the 2011 earthquake damage at the gothic revival Washington National Cathedral. Possibly the largest unreinforced masonry structure in the District of Columbia, although commenced in 1907 it was not completed until 1990. Initial assessment was made difficult because archive staff were not accustomed to cataloguing construction drawings, so the documents were not organised or referenced to allow them to be searchable. The three authors, Matthew C Farmer, Kelsey E Sheridan and Jacqueline Devereaux, explain the sequence of steps used to make the initial cathedral-wide assessment of damage; the priority of documenting the facades of concern, particularly those above the entrances; the post-processing and organisation of the initial assessment; and the development of the construction documents. They discuss whether existing drawings are suitable, whether new ones need to be created or whether a combination is needed. Some of the new drawings were produced by 3D point cloud scanning to produce large-scale drawings referenced to a grid system, so that any damaged architectural element could be quickly referenced and the corresponding repairs defined. The repairs are projected to amount to $26 million, of which about $8 million has been raised so far. Other papers deal with recent advances in the application of digital technology. Patricia Lowe Smith explains how a plantation house of 1738, taken over by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1974, has never been restored because of its remarkable state of preservation. Three-dimensional visualisation technology enables virtual models of the furnishings in what is otherwise an empty house to engage with visitors. These models are based on the site’s extensive research and documentation programmes. An interesting concept for English Heritage to follow in some of its ‘shell’ properties, perhaps? Andréa Livi Smith and Martha Burtis explain how a simple open-source research tool HERA, developed by WordPress and downloaded on to smart phones, enables organisations and individuals (particularly students) to carry out surveys of what in the UK we would most readily define as undesignated heritage assets, as the basis for local lists. The system is both affordable and relatively simple to implement. On a much more sophisticated level there is a useful explanation of cultural heritage inventories developed under the aegis of the Getty Conservation Institute as a user-friendly, low-cost and accessible system called Arches (on which there is also valuable background information at www.archesproject.org ). The article explains solutions to the substantial challenges of data collection and management that often involve many different digital and non-digital formats, and data sets that vary widely in both scale and complexity. Natalie Feinberg Lopez describes how portable X-ray florescence spectrometry can be used to carry out non-destructive investigative testing and take highly accurate measurements, documenting the composition of historic fabric, including masonry, metal, paint and glass, and of salts. It is also worth drawing particular attention to APT Bulletin ’s latest six-page centre section Practice Points (No 16), the last of which was in mid-2016. It summarises current US thinking on the assessment of historic concrete structures and sets out simple principles for research, field investigation, field and laboratory testing, and evaluation of the findings. It is all useful guidance, equally applicable in the UK. A list of further reading is included. Bob Kindred MBE