Architectural Conservation: History and Global Practice



Overview

Climate change presents a great threat to our cultural heritage. But managing the historic environment can also help us prepare for and respond to change. Architectural conservation has a crucial role to play in our future, by helping us adapt our built environment to be in greater harmony with the natural environment. Those entrusted with the care of our old buildings are responsible for passing on the story of how we make our place in the world.

Care for the historic built environment reflects broader cultural values. In the past, approaches varied from place to place. They depended on the local environment, for example on what materials were available. Global principles have emerged alongside these local traditions. These principles are still tied to social and environmental issues. That means architectural conservation practice has to account for complex issues and attitudes. When caring for an historic building, each case is unique. There are no right answers (although there are plenty of wrong answers!). Science can help us, but it can't make decisions for us.

Together, we will cover the origins of the architectural conservation movement. We will frame practical approaches globally and in the UK within this movement. We will discuss the role of scientific understanding in shaping these developments. Case studies will cover the tutor's work at UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

This course combines online study with a weekly 1-hour live webinar led by your tutor. Find out more about how our short online courses are taught.

Programme details

This course begins on the 16 Sep 2025 which is when course materials are made available to students. Students should study these materials in advance of the first live meeting which will be held on 23 Sep 2025, 5.00-6.00pm (UK time)

Week 1:  Global context: Lessons from Mali and Japan

Week 2:  Conservation prehistory: From the Renaissance to the Romantic

Week 3:  Emergence of theory: Ideal state or anti-scrape?

Week 4:  Towards common principles: The Athens and Venice charters and their legacy

Week 5:  Case studies 1: The Tower of London and Pompeii

Week 6:  The role of science: Understanding change in the built environment

Week 7:  Present day frameworks: Managing the historic built environment

Week 8:  Balancing values: Architectural conservation in practice

Week 9:  Future prospects: Trends in our approach to the historic built environment

Week 10:  Case studies 2: Blenheim Palace and Petra

Certification

Credit Application Transfer Scheme (CATS) points 

Coursework is an integral part of all online courses and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework. All those enrolled on an online courses are registered for credit and will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

See more information on CATS points

Digital credentials

All students who pass their final assignment will be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. 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. 

Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £360.00

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

 

Tutor

Dr Martin Michette

Martin is a Departmental Lecturer in Architectural History and Cultural Heritage and Director of the Cultural Heritage Training Programme. He is also a 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 spent several years working in architectural practice and continues to work as a historic building surveyor in a freelance capacity.

Course aims

  • To introduce the complex issues surrounding care for the historic built environment.
  • To give context to the emergence of architectural conservation theory, by covering historical developments and explaining different approaches and attitudes.
  • To locate current practical frameworks and policies within the broader theoretical framework.
  • To gain an appreciation of how scientific understanding has shaped architectural conservation, and of current trends and their potential implications for managing the historic built environment.

Teaching methods

Learning takes place on a weekly schedule. At the start of each weekly unit, students are provided with learning materials on our online platform, including one hour of pre-recorded video, often supplemented by guided readings and educational resources. These learning materials prepare students for a one-hour live webinar with an expert tutor at the end of each weekly unit which they attend in small groups. Webinars are held on Microsoft Teams, and provide the opportunity for students to respond to discussion prompts and ask questions. The blend of weekly learning materials that can be worked through flexibly, together with a live meeting with a tutor and their peers, maximise learning and engagement through interaction in a friendly, supportive environment.

Learning outcomes

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

  • know the key developments in the history of architectural conservation. Be able to distinguish different approaches within those developments and assign them to relevant people, charters, etc;
  • understand the role of deeper cultural values that underpin those different approaches, and be able to articulate several viewpoints on what good practice could entail in any given case;
  • appreciate the role and limit of scientific method in searching for best practice, and recognise how to apply it within prevailing frameworks.

Assessment methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.

Application

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

 

Level and demands

The Department's short online courses are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level. FHEQ level 4 courses require approximately 10 hours study per week, therefore a total of about 100 study hours.

English Language Requirements

We do not insist that applicants hold an English language certification, but warn that they may be at a disadvantage if their language skills are not of a comparable level to those qualifications listed on our website. If you are confident in your proficiency, please feel free to enrol. For more information regarding English language requirements please follow this link: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/english-language-requirements

 

 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support