Oxford - 25 October 2024, 9.30am to 5.00pm
Wood has shaped building traditions globally throughout history, presenting a hugely diverse architectural heritage that has shaped the way people live and interact with their local environment. Yet, the survival of wooden architectural heritage is under threat, as are the traditional knowledge systems, technologies and ways of life associated with it. A shift to engineered building materials, mechanized and large-scale construction, as well as deforestation and other complex socio-economic events over the past century has meant many traditions have been lost and many traditional buildings are endangered. There is therefore an urgent need to record endangered wooden architectural heritage before much of it disappears.
The Endangered Wooden Architecture Programme (EWAP) conference brings together an international community working on the preservation of wooden architecture. Focused on EWAP’s open access database, the one-day event will be packed full of interesting presentations concentrated on wooden architecture, heritage and recording techniques. It will discuss the scope and nature of endangerment of the world’s wooden architectural heritage; issues of ethics and community engagement; and the merits and limits of various recording techniques.
The day event will consist of:
Contributions to this session will focus on traditions of building with wood, exploring their cultural significance and discussing the nature and scale of present day difficulties and endangerments. They could also discuss the transmission and adaptation of wooden building techniques and practices in the context of these threats.
Contributions to this session will explore the ethics of working with the communities that own, inhabit and look after endangered wooden architecture. It will discuss appropriate ways of engaging with communities and provide examples of innovative ways of involving them in documentation projects. The session provides an opportunity to discuss examples of good practice, as well as the challenges inherent in such community involvement.
Contributions to this session will focus on the multitude of ways in which wooden architecture can be surveyed, from high tech to low tech and intermediary and hybrid approaches. Speakers are invited to reflect on the appropriateness of the methods in capturing the construction practices and unique character of wooden buildings.
The EWAP Conference coincides with the British Academy sponsored ‘Knowing the Vernacular: Critical Reflections and Future Directions’ conference, which will take place at Oxford Brookes University on 26 and 27 October. Further details can be found on the British Academy website.