Site Work
Skills and Techinques Summary
When historic buildings are being conserved and repaired, they are often at their most vulnerable. Typically, this occurs when a structure is abandoned or neglected for an extended period of time or when improper materials are used, resulting in further damage. From man-made grottos to historic buildings, the success of a project depends on a careful analysis of the risks and issues, meticulous project planning, and a continuous monitoring process.
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Participating in projects on site.
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Applicating of new conservation techniques and choosing the most effective materials for the project.
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Applying scaffolding safely and working at height.
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Collaborating and teamwork.
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Building a to-scale model of a room's interior.
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Developing dexterity.
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Learning to work in tight spaces.
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Imagining with creative vision.
17th Century Mill
The French government was on the verge of classifying Le Moulinas (17th century millhouse) as a 'ruin' prior to the Ferris family purchasing it for restoration. My interest in cultural conservation began here, as I learned the techniques and skills necessary to maintain a structure that is over 500 hundred years old. In this project, various skills were acquired. These included removing cement from the exterior of the building, crawling through an aqueduct to remove rubble, scaling scaffolding to repoint the exterior walls and plastering using historically correct materials.
If you click on the image, you will be able to view more information and magnify it.
Grotto
The Newt Grotto, located in Somerset, was a project that Cliveden Conservation was commissioned to design and decorate. In this man-made feature, housed within a concrete dome structure, the grotto was designed to resemble a naturalistic cave filled with rough rock, stone, crystallized stalactites, shells, and other natural elements. Among my responsibilities as a junior conservator, I cut crystals, prepared natural materials, mixed lime mortar, and applied conservation techniques to materials for installation. My involvement in this project allowed me to gain familiarity with new conservation-grade materials and to exercise creative license in the design of the grotto.
