In The Footsteps Of Vitruvius: Design And Construction Durability Lessons Learned From The Hands On Study Of 2000 Years Of Historic Construction
Construction that is highly durable over the very long term ( e.g. centuries ) is inherently sustainable. Despite major emphasis on sustainability over the past decade, we are in the midst of a widespread crisis of rapid building enclosure failures ranging from highly publicized and almost immediate building enclosure failures on prominent commissions by “Starchitects” to rapid enclosure failures on non-descript builder houses on Anystreet, USA. Where did we go wrong? What do we fail to understand about designing enclosures for durability? And what pertinent lessons, if any, can we derive from historic constructions that have proven durable for many centuries?
Learning Objectives – 1 LU|HSW
- Understand the Rome research project undertaken by the presenter.
- Become familiar with the Rome Prize in Historic Preservation and Conservation that the presenter was awarded and what the criteria were to win the award.
- Understand the durable and therefore sustainable constructions that the presenter witnessed and why they lasted for such long periods of times.
- Become empowered to incorporation such design and design ideas into modern day construction in order to achieve the levels of durability achieved in the project that the presenter studied.
Matthew Bronski, 2009-10 recipient of the Rome Prize in Historic Preservation and Conservation, will present summary findings from his Rome Prize research project. His Rome research project comprised hands-on study of approximately two dozen historic buildings in Italy ranging from the 1st c. B.C. to early 20th c. modernism, including buildings by Bernini, Borromini, Moretti and others. His hands-on research (often on the scaffolds of buildings under restoration) diagnosed successes and failures in the durability of construction detailing to derive lessons and principles for designing enclosures more durably (and hence more sustainably) today. These lessons and principles are applicable both to new construction and to the rehabilitation of existing buildings. Matthew currently works for Simpson Gumpertz & Heger.
