The New Apprentice: Teaching Digital Technologies in Collaborative Historic Preservation Projects

Abstract:In historic preservation research and practice, accurate documentation in the field is a priority for proper record of historic elements, particularly in the case of using this documentation to inform replication of building components. The integration of photogrammetry for purposes of documentation is becoming increasingly useful as it provides more accurate, cost-effective and considerably less equipment than other means. As such, this project pioneered a novel integration of technology with preservation education, research and practice through the replication of (eight) grotesque statues adorning an historic façade on the University of Kansas (KU) campus. The team included a pair of architects and two sibling stone carvers of Lawrence, Kansas, in addition to students from a variety of backgrounds. Students from three disciplines—KU Architecture, Sculpture, and Museum Studies programs—enrolled in coursework involving the project and participated in the collaborative workflow from documentation to 3D printing and final stone carving. Although the collaboration between architects and sculptors paralleled that in the historic construction of the building, it involved new technologies in the education of preservation architects and sculptors, thus transitioning the next generation of apprentices to technologies that may assist with preservation efforts for a wide variety of building elements, in many cases involving organic forms and complex interdisciplinary workflows.