Architectural Restoration and Laboratory

Module Architectural Restoration

The integrated course “Architectural Restoration and Restoration Laboratory” provides students with a solid grounding in the theory and practice of architectural and monument restoration. The program combines historical and contemporary perspectives with technical and scientific approaches, guiding students in the critical interpretation of restoration works, their historical context, and the development of independent analytical skills.

The course places particular emphasis on understanding the cultural values and historical layers embodied in architecture, and on applying methodologies consistent with the principles of the discipline. Its goal is to prepare future professionals capable of addressing the challenges of conservation and restoration projects with competence and critical awareness.

Specifically, the “Architectural Restoration” module introduces the concept of restoration through its historical evolution and provides a structured methodology for interventions on historic buildings—from documentation and analysis of material decay to project design. It also highlights the potential of past architecture as a resource for the cultural and social development of communities when properly preserved and enhanced.

The module equips students with tools to navigate complex design choices, guided by the principles of compatibility, potential reversibility, specificity, and minimum intervention. These skills enable them to approach restoration projects in all their dimensions: conservation, reuse, and enhancement of architectural heritage.

The course is divided into the following teaching methods:

Direct Teaching (DE)

Lectures and presentations: The course will be conducted through lectures on restoration theory, historical construction techniques, and intervention methods. In particular, the theoretical, critical, and regulatory foundations of architectural restoration, the history of restoration theories, investigative methodologies (historical-archival, construction techniques, material degradation, and damage mapping), as well as conservative and consolidation intervention techniques will be covered.

The module is divided into two phases:

·       A. Theory and history of restoration (lectures);

·       B. Knowledge and Restoration of historical architecture (lectures, classroom and in situ exercises).

The evaluation of this part accounts for 2/3 of the overall final grade.

Interactive Teaching (DI)

·       Practical exercises will aim at drafting the investigative and intervention project on real case studies (historical research in libraries and local archives, critical survey, analysis of materials and construction techniques, degradation mapping).

·   The work will be monitored by the professor through group reviews of ongoing analytical and project deliverables, aimed at stimulating the student's critical judgment and methodological choices, as well as verifying progressive learning of theoretical concepts.

 Site visits, guided tours, and field experiences involving inspections of historical buildings will be carried out, as well as visits to restoration sites where possible, to foster direct contact with the conservation issues of the architectural artifact.

The evaluation of this part accounts for 1/3 of the overall final grade.

Didactic regulation prerequisites: Building Science

Recommended Background Knowledge

The discipline of Architectural Restoration is highly interdisciplinary and requires a solid, comprehensive cultural foundation. This background spans from the history of architecture to surveying (both direct and digital), architectural representation, and traditional as well as modern construction technology, extending to structural behavior under static and dynamic regimes, materials chemistry, and building physics. Furthermore, design tools and methodologies (architectural, urban, and landscape) are essential for developing reuse and enhancement projects for historical buildings or urban ensembles.

Historic architecture is a stratified cultural document, embodying typological features, construction techniques, symbolic values, and collective memory. Its conservation demands a rigorous knowledge framework and a technical–scientific methodology, grounded in cultural competence and professional training in architectural heritage preservation.

The course integrates lectures, specialized seminars, and design studios, culminating in the “Architectural Restoration Laboratory.” Students will examine the evolution of restoration theory and practice, from 19th-century debates to contemporary approaches, and acquire methodological tools for the restoration process: survey and documentation, diagnosis of material decay, and design of interventions in conservation, structural consolidation, and adaptive reuse.

Theory and history of restoration

The knowledge as premise for every operativity. Methodological process for built heritage intervention. The archaeological restoration and the examples of R. Stern and G. Valadier; The 19th century debate in Europe: E. Viollet - le - Duc and the J. Ruskin’s theories, the Antirestoration movement and W. Morris. The philological-historical and modern Restoration (L. Beltrami and C. Boito), the scientific Restoration (G. Giovannoni). The post-war period and the critical Restoration - Cesare Brandi.

The contemporary currents. The restoration and the reuse. The project on the built heritage today. Ways of approach to the historical pre-existences, categories and examples.

The Charters of restoration.

The Athens Charter, the 1932, the 1960 Gubbio Charter, Venice Charter, the 1972 Italian Charter, Integrated Conservation, Recommendations for buildings of special typology in seismic areas (1986), Restoration and Conservation Charter of 1987, Krakow Charter and Risk Charter. Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape.

KNOWLEDGE

1 Analysis of historical buildings:

Historical bibliographic research, survey;

the architectural organism as a system of constructive parts;

the structural typologies

2 Architectural Materials.

2.1 Stone materials

-Stone (physical and chemical characteristics, workability etc.)

-Systems of use in the construction (stone façades);

Wood (physical characteristics, use and frequent pathologies).

3 Architectural configuration and construction elements of historical buildings

3.1 Notes on the historical building systems in the Etnea area;

3.2 Masonry elements (foundations, masonry, vaults, architraves, platbands, archivolts, stairs);

3.3 Wooden structural elements: floors, roofs, architraves, centerig

3.4 Metal structural elements: floors, shelves tie-rods

4. Environmental protection systems in the rule of art

4.1 Surface protections (plasters);

4.2 Rising damp (barriers, sealing, crawl spaces);

4.3 Rainwater (roofing, gutters, downspouts);

INTERPRETATION - ANALYSIS OF THE STATE OF CONSERVATION

5. Surfaces

5.1 Definition of the main degradations on surfaces (NorMAL 1/88 and UNI 11183 Standards);

5.2 Main causes and phenomena of material degradation (chemical, physical, biological);

5.3 Reading of surfaces degradation (general and thematic maps of visible manifestations);

6. Damages recognition (in progress or previous), collapse mechanisms (local and global), damage scenarios.

6.1 Masonry structures

- structural failures due to crushing, buckling, differential failures; cracks frameworks

6.2 Vaulted structures: deformations cracking frameworks

6.3 Slabs: manifestations of failures

-wooden floors

-iron floors

DEFINITION OF THE CRITERIA OF THE RESTORATION PLAN - (REVERSIBILITY, COMPATIBILITY AND MINIMUM INTERVENTION)

7. Material restoration: techniques of conservative intervention (cleaning, consolidation, protection);

8. Protection from moisture (rising damp, rainwater);

9. Structural restoration: local and global interventions (vulnerability mitigation);

9.1 Local interventions

-Foundations, walls, floors and roofs

-Vaults

9.2 Global interventions

 -Tie-rods, curbs, corner bracing.

Exercise

The exercise consists in the study, in the classroom, of the historical building techniques of the Etna area and in the graphic elaboration of a historical recurrent housing type of the historical center of Catania or the Etna area based on a survey provided by the teacher.

The work will be organized in groups of 3-4 students.

Contribution of teaching to the objectives for the un agenda 2030 for sustainable development goal n. 11. Sustainable cities and communities - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

·      11.1 Safe and affordable housing. by 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.

·      11.3. Inclusive and sustainable urbanization by 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.

·      11.4 Protect the world’s cultural and natural heritage. strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

·      11.7 Provide access to safe and inclusive green and public spaces by 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.

·      11.a. Support least developed countries in sustainable and resilient building. support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials.

Modalities

 • Student participation in conferences

 • Laboratory

 • Study visits

 • Meetings with neighborhood associations

Full completion of the exercise topic and active participation in the teaching activities of the workshop are necessary conditions for admission to the examination.
The exercise involves producing drawings demonstrating the execution of the activities proposed by the teacher.
The final examination is purely individual and consists of the presentation of the project exercise drawings and a discussion of the restoration choices concerning the course content of the first semester.
1. The following parameters will be considered for the assignment of the final grade:
·       Fail (Exam not passed): The student does not possess the minimum required knowledge of the main course content. The ability to use subject-specific language is poor or non-existent, and the student is unable to independently apply the acquired knowledge. Does not demonstrate the required graphic-descriptive skills for technical details. Does not demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical knowledge to a real case study through the graphic design exercise.
·       Grade 18–21: The student has minimal knowledge of the course content, modest ability to critically analyze and integrate the presented situations, and presents topics with sufficient clarity—although command of language and graphic skills are poorly developed. Minimal ability to apply theoretical knowledge to a real case study through the graphic design exercise.
·       Grade 22–25: The student has a fair knowledge of the course content, though limited to the main topics; is able to integrate and critically (if not always linearly) analyze the presented situations; presents topics quite clearly with a fair command of language and graphic representation; fair ability to apply theoretical knowledge to a real case study through the graphic design exercise.
·       Grade 26–28: The student has a good knowledge of the course content, is able to integrate and critically and linearly analyze the presented situations, can solve complex problems fairly independently, and presents and graphically illustrates topics clearly using appropriate language; good ability to apply theoretical knowledge to a real case study through the graphic design exercise.
·       Grade 29–30 cum laude: The student has an in-depth knowledge of the course content, is able to promptly and correctly integrate and critically analyze the presented situations, independently solving even highly complex problems; possesses excellent communication and graphic skills, as well as an excellent command of language. Excellent ability to apply theoretical knowledge to a real case study through the graphic design exercise.

• Topics related to one or more currents of theoretical restoration thought.
• Evolution of the concept of restoration in history.
• Methodological procedure for intervention on historic buildings: from knowledge to project.
• Description, also with graphic sketches, of the construction techniques of historical buildings, with particular regard to masonry architecture in the Etna area.
• Manifestations of the degradation and instability of stone materials and construction elements.
• Possible correlations between the construction system and current or potential instabilities.
• Explanation of restoration works (punctual and global) with detailed sketches
• Exposition of the design drawings.