Phase I: Sustainable Heritage 2008–2011
The three year project Sustainable Heritage was a partner project in Building Conservation involving Uppsala University, Campus Gotland in Visby, Sweden, the Estonian Academy of Arts in Tallinn, Estonia and Novia University of Applied Sciences in Ekenäs, Finland. The project was started in 2008 as a result of the interest in all three countries to promote cooperation in a field that is both urgent and valuable and of equal importance in all the participating countries.
Students greatly benefit from working in an international team as they acquire valuable knowledge and skills when facing differences in working methods, tradition and culture. Joint international projects add value to the specific courses within the field Building Conservation in the participating countries and make the students in the global field of Building better prepared for solving problems on an international as well as national level.
The project Sustainable Heritage was planned and scheduled for a period of three years, 2009–2011, each year focusing on a specific theme. The three parts of the project series have been:
- Lime Rendering in Old Buildings — Hands–On Work in September 2009, in Visby, Gotland, Sweden
- Restoration and Reuse of Manor Houses — Hands–On Work in September 2010, in Tallinn, Estonia
- Tiled Stoves in Old, Traditional Building — Hands–On Work September 2011, in Ekenäs, Finland
Each intensive course comprised 3 ECTS credit points and included lectures, hands–on project work and excursions as well as establishing personal contact through social and cultural activities. An average of two teachers and nine students from each country participated in the annual intensive course programme.
The online project site was established during this phase. From the start it was used for both preparation and evaluation of the courses as well as spreading acquired knowhow within the specialized field of interest. This also secured a continuation of the established professional, vocational and personal contacts. Each course resulted also in an academic report which is published online and printed in a limited edition:
- Lime Rendering; Sustainable Heritage Report No. 1 / Kirsti Horn (ed.) – Vaasa: Novia University of Applied Sciences, 2011
- Restoration Crafts and Practises at Seidla Manor in Estonia; Sustainable Heritage Report No. 2 / Kirsti Horn (ed.) – Vaasa: Novia University of Applied Sciences, 2012
- Manual for Dismantling, Documenting and Rebuilding Historic Tiled Stoves; Sustainable Heritage Report No. 3 / Kirsti Horn (ed.) – Vaasa: Novia University of Applied Sciences, 2012
