Traditional Building Materials and Construction in Great Britain



Overview

Understanding changes through time in how buildings were built, and what was used to build them, is crucial not only to studying architectural history but for managing the historic built environment as it exists today. It can also reveal deeper cultural and climatic changes, teaching us about the growth and decline of economies, and society’s relationship with the environment.

This course will cover developments in the use of building material in Great Britain from prehistory up to the early 20th century. It will include lectures on materials and technologies for stone, timber, earth, brick and mortar, and cover Pre-Roman, Roman, Medieval, Early Modern, and Industrial Britain. Together we will explore traditional construction techniques and how they evolved from vernacular to standardised methods. We will learn about the origins of the materials and their journey into the built fabric we conserve today. We will see how Britain’s rich history is mirrored in a diverse tapestry of regional variation, and an interplay of material culture and environment. This will improve our understanding of materiality in the historic environment and our ability to ‘read’ buildings and cities.

Programme details

Courses starts: 17 Jan 2024

Week 0: Course Orientation

Week 1: Introduction to Using Traditional Methods in Context

Week 2: Geology and Regional Variation

Week 3: Using Earthen Materials

Week 4: Timber and Thatch

Week 5: Stone as a Traditional and Contemporary Material

Week 6: Brick, Tile, and Glass

Week 7: Renders, Plaster, and Mortar

Week 8: Conservation in Practice

Week 9: The Modern Vernacular; traditional materials in the 21st Century

Week 10: Smart Heritage; Tradition and Technology Combined

Digital Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend and participate in at least 80% of the live sessions on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutors

Richard Grove

After training and working as a traditional blacksmith, Richard studied Archaeology and Conservation, obtaining a Bachelors and Masters in both; before undertaking a Research Masters in Heritage Science at UCL. He completed a DPhil in Conservation-related Science at Oxford, where he now works as a researcher at the School of Geography and the Environment as part of the Oxford Resilient Buildings and Landscapes Lab. In addition to this he runs a conservation practice of his own away from the university. 

Dr Martin Michette

Martin studied Architecture and Architectural Conservation and spent several years in practice before doing a DPhil on stone conservation at the Tower of London. He is now a researcher in the Oxford Resilient Buildings and Landscapes Lab at the School of Geography and the Environment.

Course aims

The central aim of this course is to give the learners an overview of the main developments in building styles and technologies spanning the last two thousand years, with a particular focus on the influence of regional influences such as geology, environment, and economic activity.

Course objectives:

  • To provide an overview of major stylistic and technological developments across Britain.
  • To gain an understanding of how building materials and systems work together in a range of historic building types.
  • To gain an appreciation of how historic events and technological advances helped shape the built environment.
  • To show how historic methods and materials can provide building solutions for the modern world.

Teaching methods

The course will comprise of pre-recorded lectures from each of the tutors. Students will watch these independently in advance of the weekly webinars, which are designed to explore and expand topics raised in the lectures.

The webinars will use interactive tools to maximise engagement and students will be expected to participate actively by bringing questions and observations to the weekly webinars based on the content in each thematic lecture.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • understand a range of historic building fabrics and techniques;
  • be able to identify stylistic and regional variations for a range of structural materials and historical periods;
  • be able to communicate effectively on a range of conservation-related topics such as material suitability and historic accuracy;
  • understand how to employ a range of digital techniques to augment understanding of the performance of historic structures in use today.

Assessment methods

You will be invited to submit an essay of max. 1500 words at the end of the course. You can choose the subject of your essay from any of the themes covered within the course. This may be a case study, or a reflection on a key technological development or style, for example; but it should demonstrate an understanding of the theme in both a historical and contemporary conservation context.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

We will close for enrolments 7 days prior to the start date to allow us to complete the course set up. We will email you at that time (7 days before the course begins) with further information and joining instructions. As always, students will want to check spam and junk folders during this period to ensure that these emails are received.

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

No prior experience of knowledge is required

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support