AIC's 43rd Annual Meeting

This one and a half hour session will include shorter papers from a small group of graduate students and recent graduates from the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, University of Texas, and Savannah College of Art and Design.  The papers focus on a variety of architectural conservation topics.  The students will present in their papers in the order listed below.

"Restoring Historic Finishes” will be presented by Izabella Dennis.  The Battle Hall Architecture and Planning Library at the University of Texas at Austin was designed by architect Cass Gilbert in 1911, setting the stylistic tone for future academic architecture and shaping the distinguished Texas university campus.   In preparation for a preservation and improvement campaign of the University of Texas’ first architectural masterpiece and its later extension, West Mall Building, a Facilities Condition Report was produced by an outside consultant in 2011 to identify measures to restore the building.  The study involved archival research of the original construction documents and subsequent renovations of Battle Hall, on-site condition assessments and sample collection, and both laboratory and on-site testing.

“An assessment and evaluation on the effects of acidic cleaning methods on unglazed terra cotta using accelerated weathering test protocols” will be presented by Irene Matteini.  This investigation continues previous studies (Matero et. al. 1996) where findings showed that by using a 7% hydrofluoric acid-based commercial cleaning system, an increased porosity of unglazed terra cotta resulted.  By examining physical changes and their response to accelerated weathering across two typical terra cotta clay bodies, it is hoped that better cleaning methods will be considered in practice and parameters to measure potential damage as well as cleaning efficacy become established.

“Sheet Scaling in Mohegan Granite: Intrinsic & Extrinsic Factors” will be presented by Karen Stone.  In this research, various structures composed of Mohegan granite in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York were studied for their sheet scaling conditions, while core samples were acquired from a select number of sites, including the original quarry. Thin section petrography, x-­‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy were utilized to research whether particular variables could be identified as contributing factors to the observed sheet scaling.  Once the agent for this mode of deterioration is more clearly defined, better strategies for slowing, halting, or preventing this condition can be sought by the preservation community.

“Patination: It's Impact on Architectural Metals and Preservation” will be presented by Joshua Jones.  This paper focuses  focusing primarily on copper and steel elements and the historical and contemporary uses of metal. The majority of the deterioration is primarily in regards to the exterior patina finish that protects the metal. Not only is it important to understand the material, the methods of fabrication, and the techniques used in finishing the metal, but it is also important to understand what methods are currently being employed for the conservation and preservation of the material.