Dr Martin Michette

Programme Director for Cultural Heritage

Biography

Martin is a Departmental Lecturer in Cultural Heritage and Director of the Courses and Workshops in Cultural Heritage. He is also a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Oxford Resilient Buildings and Landscapes Lab at the School of Geography and the Environment. He studied Architecture (BSc) at the University of Bath and Building Conservation (MEng) at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, before gaining his doctorate in Science and Engineering in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology at the University of Oxford. He has also spent several years working in architectural practice and continues to work as a historic building surveyor in a freelance capacity.

Research and engagement

Martin’s research interests are natural building materials, historic architecture, and urban resource management. The focus of his research lies in reducing the environmental impact of historic buildings and enhancing the historic environment, by identifying and promoting synergies between low energy technologies, cultural heritage dynamics, and natural systems. A significant aspect of his work lies in outreach and engagement, and he has worked closely with leading UK and international heritage institutions and at several UNESCO world heritage sites. He worked at the Tower of London in close partnership with Historic Royal Palaces to improve the understanding of Reigate Stone, an important medieval building stone. He worked together with English Heritage to develop a research strategy for implementing their flagship ‘sustainable conservation’ strategy. He is involved in capacity building and public engagement, using Pompeii and Petra as living labs for running workshops and testing innovative materials and techniques. He is the co-founder of SXNCH (Sites at the Intersection of Natural and Cultural Heritage), an emerging platform for cross sector and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange on the holistic management of the historic and natural environment.

Martin teaches courses on the history of architectural conservation and traditional building materials.

Publications

Michette, M., Breuninger, T., Kilian, R., Nickmann, M., Thuro, K., & Ziegert, C. (2023). Assessing the suitability of local earth resources for use in clay barriers to protect historic masonry in Pompeii. Environmental Earth Sciences, 82(7), 178. 

Cianciolo Cosentino G., Kastenmeier P., Wilhelm K., Michette M., Kilian R., & Wolf G. (2023). Interdisciplinary reading of the restoration and musealization history of Pompeii: The Herculaneum gate as a heritage environment system. Vesuviana, 13, 73.

Michette, M., Viles, H., Vlachou, C., & Angus, I. (2022). Do environmental conditions determine whether salt driven decay leads to powdering or flaking in historic Reigate Stone masonry at the Tower of London? Engineering Geology, 303, 106641. 

Michette, M., Viles, H., Vlachou, C., & Angus, I. (2021). In Situ, Non-Destructive Testing for Evaluating the Role of Pointing Mortar in Preventive Conservation Strategies. A Case-Study on Reigate Stone at the Wardrobe Tower, Tower of London. Minerals, 11(4), 345. 

Michette, M. (2021). Integrating non-destructive techniques into the scientifically robust assessment of vulnerable historic masonry: Case studies on Reigate Stone. Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation, 10(3), 242. 

Michette, M., Viles, H., Vlachou-Mogire, C., & Angus, I. (2020). Assessing the long-term success of Reigate Stone conservation at Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London. Studies in Conservation, 65(sup1), 225. 

Michette, M. (2020). Using local geo-materials to protect built heritage. Some insights from an ongoing project to install a clay barrier at the Via Nucerina, Porta Nocera in: Cianciolo Cosentino, G., Kastenmeier, Pia, & Wilhelm, Katrin. (eds). The multiple lives of Pompeii: surfaces and environments, Arte’m, 103.

Michette, M., Viles, H., Vlachou, C., & Angus, I. (2020). The many faces of Reigate Stone: an assessment of variability in historic masonry based on Medieval London’s principal freestone. Heritage Science, 8, 1. 

Michette, M., Bichlmair, S., & Kilian, R. (2018). Diagnosing decay mechanisms at the Porta Nocera Necropolis, Pompeii: the first step towards effective preventive conservation. Studies in Conservation, 63(sup1), 195-202. 

Michette, M., Lorenz, R., & Ziegert, C. (2017). Clay barriers for protecting historic buildings from ground moisture intrusion. Heritage science, 5, 1-11.