Heritage Materials and Their Environments G (11160.2)
| Available teaching periods | Delivery mode | Location |
|---|---|---|
| View teaching periods | On-campus |
Bruce, Canberra |
| EFTSL | Credit points | Faculty |
| 0.125 | 3 | Faculty Of Arts And Design |
| Discipline | Study level | HECS Bands |
| School Of Design & Built Environment | Graduate Level | Band 2 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021) Band 3 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021) |
This unit will introduce students to the conservation of heritage through a risk management perspective. The identification and mitigation of risk factors such as pests, environmental damage, human actions and natural disasters will be explored in the context of impacts on physical condition, significance and resource allocation. Students completing this unit will be able to identify risk factors and develop a preventive risk mitigation strategy for cultural heritage materials.
Learning outcomes
After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:1. Identify and describe materials used in the manufacture of heritage artefacts and structures;
2. Accurately estimate, monitor and evaluate the behaviour of heritage materials in response to changing environments; and
3. Employ a risk management model to identify risks to heritage artefacts and structures, and develop appropriate risk mitigation strategies.
Graduate attributes
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
Prerequisites
Students enrolled in ARB002 Bachelor of Arts (Culture and Heritage) must have passed 24 credit points.Corequisites
None.Incompatible units
None.Equivalent units
None.Assumed knowledge
None.| Year | Location | Teaching period | Teaching start date | Delivery mode | Unit convener |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Bruce, Canberra | Semester 1 | 16 February 2026 | On-campus | Mr Ian Batterham |
| 2027 | Bruce, Canberra | Semester 1 | 15 February 2027 | On-campus | Mr Ian Batterham |
Required texts
Tim Padfield: http://www.conservationphysics.org/
Covers a wide range of topics on science of preventative conservation. Read as many articles as you can from this site and use it as a constant reference. It is free, up to date, reliable and entertaining – what more could you want!
Availability: Online
Canadian Conservation Institute Notes at < http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/resources-ressources/ccinotesicc/index-eng.aspx>
These are all excellent guides to good housekeeping and simple strategies. Make sure you keep the link and look them up regularly. You can download them, but CCI updates them so it is good to check the latest version.
Availability: Online
National Trust, The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping: The Care of Collections in Historic Houses Open to the Public, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2006.
Availability: UC library
Purchase: At your discretion. It is big and comprehensive, but expensive.
Thomson, Garry, The Museum Environment, London, Butterworth Heinemann Ltd, 1986.
The origin of all storage guidelines.
Availability: UC library
Purchase: At your discretion.
Science for Conservators, Book 1: Materials, Museums and Galleries Commission, Routledge, 1992.
This series is a must for conservators. Volume 1 is the main one for this unit, but you will need them all if you are interested in conservation.
Availability: UC library
Purchase: Highly recommended.
May, E & Jones, M, ed. Conservation Science, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), 2006.
Availability: UC library
Purchase: At your discretion
Varella, E ed. Conservation science for the cultural heritage: applications of instrumental analysis, Springer, 2012
Availability: UC library
Purchase: At your discretion
Stuart, B. Analytical Techniques in Materials Conservation, Wiley 2007
Availability: UC library
Purchase: At your discretion
Odegaard, N, Carroll, S & Zimmt, W, Material characterization tests for objects of art and archeology, 2005, 2nd ed.
Availability: UC library
Purchase: At your discretion
AIC Conservation wiki (free online resource)
http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Main_Page
Agents of deterioration, CCI (free online resource)
https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/agents-deterioration.html
Submission of assessment items
Extensions & Late submissions
Artificial intelligence
Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.
GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:
- the Unit Convener has authorised GenAI use for that assessment
- the student uses GenAI in the way that the assessment instructions allow
- the student fully acknowledges their use of GenAI, with proper citations, references and a GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in line with the assessment instructions.
Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not permitted for that assessment. Students must still provide the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. If unsure, students should seek advice from the Unit Convener.
The GenAI for StudentsLinks to an external site. Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.
Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.
Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.
UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).
UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.
Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.
Participation requirements
Students are expected to participate in lectures, workshops, group work and site visits to achieve the learning outcomes set out above.
Students are expected to regularly check their Canvas site announcements and university email for information about readings, session and site visit updates, and opportunities relevant to the unit.
Required IT skills
Use of standard word processing and spreadsheet software, image processing software, and internet and email functions. Use of the Canvas system.
In-unit costs
None
Work placement, internships or practicums
Visit to heritage site for field work.
