The program attracts a surprising variety of applicants, Matero says. “They come with backgrounds in history, in design, in engineering, and in the social sciences, anthropology, archaeology. Some students double-degree in—for example—law and preservation; a good number will do the dual degree in [preservation plus] architecture, planning, or landscape architecture.”

Alumni of the program typically go on to take jobs with government agencies such as the National Park Service; organizations like the National Trust For Historic Preservation or the Getty Conservation Institute; any number of historic sites, museums, or foundations; or private-sector businesses that do building conservation.

John Milner Ar’64, founder and principal of John Milner Architects in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, has been involved in Penn’s preservation program for the past 30 years. During that time, he has seen the curriculum expand dramatically, and he describes Matero’s contributions to that expansion as “extraordinary.”

“From my perspective, the preservation program offers a unique blend of theoretical and practical approaches to the preservation, restoration, and conservation of historic buildings, sites, and objects,” Milner says. “Our students tell me that what they appreciate most about the program is the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-life situations in the field. We are committed to providing multiple opportunities during the academic year and through summer programs, both domestic and international, for the hands-on investigation, documentation, and treatment of historic resources.”

“We take the practical problems and bring them back into the academy and intellectualize them,” Matero explains.  “After we consider a problem almost from the realm of an art historian—Why did they build the building they built? Why did they use those materials?—we then consider the pathologies of buildings. How do they deteriorate and decay? What kinds of treatments or interventions must we do? The process is what’s interesting, and the facilities and equipment that we have here are specifically designed to help us address these issues.”

Students use research techniques drawn from a range of disciplines—chemistry, geology, physics, even biology—and investigative procedures run the gamut, from examining a sample through a microscope to x-ray diffraction and fluorescence. These kinds of techniques might help a researcher determine what color a building was painted originally, or the specific places where reinforcements are necessary in order to prevent a structural failure. And, since many site owners or operators frequently ask how lasting the interventions are likely to be, materials are often put (almost literally) through the wringer. They’re crushed, pulled apart, fatigued, and subjected to high-intensity simulations of the kinds of weather conditions they must withstand.

Sometimes the laboratory has to go into the field. “Buildings are not objects” that can be moved, Matero points out. “So we have to study them on-site fairly frequently. We use a lot of non-destructive techniques to examine them, like x-rays, ground-penetrating radar, and impact echo.”

Half the work of conservation is documenting the exact condition and appearance of a given structure or site, and the ACL uses an impressive array of technologies to create pictorial records of every project. Managed by supervising conservator John Hinchman GFA’01 GFA’02, this arm of the ACL uses sophisticated digital technology to create scale-photographs, drawings, and site plans. It recently acquired a device that was once the realm of science fiction: a laser scanner that can create highly accurate three-dimensional computer models of buildings.

“We’re drawing from a great many different approaches,” says Matero. “Traditional and historic building materials have not received in-depth analytical investigations, so all of this technology has helped create a gold mine for original research.”

Typically, the ACL takes on projects under the auspices of a sponsor.

“We’ve operated in accordance with this formula since the beginning, and it has been extremely successful,” Matero explains. “We are able to attract good funding, and that leads to some very interesting research. The sponsors can be a range of organizations, and what we have found to be really effective is to develop cooperative agreements with institutions. Then the channels are open to have a productive long-term relationship.” Among those institutions and organizations are the National Park Service, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Middle East Technical University, and Cambridge University.

But to view the work of the program simply as turning back the clock for dilapidated buildings misses the mark. Conservation is fraught with nuanced issues: What is the past? Who gets to decide what it will look like? Can anyone really own it? In Matero’s view, the past must always interact with the present in a meaningful way. He is currently helping the State Department develop a national conservation-heritage training program for Iraq, as well as directing—with colleagues from the Penn Museum—a conservation management plan for the ancient site of Ur.

“Historic buildings and sites only have relevance today,” he explains. “Our goal is always to implement change that is responsive to the historic environment, but at the same time allows us to utilize those environments to their full potential. It is all about recognizing that change happens, but always honoring the historical values where they’re relevant.”

David Perrelli C’01 is a frequent contributor to the Gazette.

July|Aug 09 contents
Gazette Home
Search

FEATURE:
The Future of Our Past By David Perrelli

page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4