702-635 Australian Building Analysis

Available 2007 and alternate years thereafter.

702-431 Australian Architecture and admission to a post-BPD course.

An introduction to analysis of Australian buildings and their technology. Historical investigation from primary sources. The philosophy of conservation and the main avenues for researching buildings. Development of skills in the documentary and physical investigation of buildings including materials, patents, paint and wallpaper analysis.

On completion of the subject students should be able to:

• Locate and interpret documentary sources on land ownership, building construction and property occupation.

• Diagnose structural changes.

• Recognise distinctive aspects of building technology.

• Interpret evidence of painted and papered finishes.

• Synthesise historical data into a coherent account of the physical development of a structure.

• Relate a building or place to examples of comparable cultural significance.

On completion of the subject students should have developed the following skills and capabilities:

• Documentation and physical investigation of buildings.

• Freehand sketching and report writing.

• Analysis of the history of a building or place.

• Analysis of the fabric of a building or place.

Exercises (drawn and/or written) to the equivalent of not more than 5000 words.

• M Lewis, Physical Investigation of a Building. Melbourne, 1989.