published_or_final_version / abstract / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning and Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / This thesis explores built possibilities for two public street corners at the Holloway Block in Burlington, Vermont The site is at the historic commercial center of the town, and consisted until recently of abandoned buildings. The author and a partner recently purchased the site and renovated the existing structures for retail and office uses. The two corners, bookends for the block, were vacant at the time of purchase. One is in reality occupied by a building designed by architect Turner Brooks. The other will be built upon in the near future, and the author anticipates the opportunity to make the design. The programs for both buildings are based on amateur analysis of marketing and growth studies made by others. The block is largely within a National Historic District, which imposes design constraints. The designs grow from a brief discussion of the geological, climatic and historical context, and from a brief attitudinal discussion of public urban streets. / by Thomas Dudley Cabot III. / M.Arch.

Thesis. 1979. M.Arch.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: p. 83-85. / M.Arch.

The growing realisation of national identity in the face of the threatening envelopment of globalisation has been one major inducement for the increasing practice of conservation of the world's built heritage. This study examines contemporary practices of heritage conservation, analyses their assumptions and theories, and critiques their guiding instruments, the Charters. It adopts a cross-cultural perspective to assess the merits, validity and agency of the most recognised Charters, to discuss their various adaptations, particularly in the Syrian context, and to reveal their Eurocentric focus and indifference to cultural concerns. The study also identifies the inadequacies of the Charters with regard to ethics and morality and proposes a code of ethics for urban conservation. The study focuses on the notion of authenticity that has been an issue of debate since the Nara Conference on Authenticity in 1994. Although arising from, and specifically aimed at, World Heritage Listing, authenticity is recognised as a complex issue dependent on cultural understandings. The study adopts the view that authenticity judgements are linked to a great variety of sources of information, such as form, design, materials, function, traditions, techniques, use, location and spirit that are context-related. It articulates a wide scope for conservation practices at the architectural, urban and archaeological levels, negotiating the breadth and depth of authenticity issues beyond mere fabric and function. The study promotes a dynamic view of authenticity, one that acknowledges socio-cultural change with its inevitable impact on the conditions and conservation of historic environment. The ethical code this study presents places the responsibility on the conservator to ensure the continued conservation and stewardship by the resident society. The study argues that both the Venice and Burra Charters, being the most recognised conservation instruments, are pitched at individual monuments. It critiques the widely held assumption that maintains applicability of these Charters to area and urban conservation. It draws attention to the paradox that while these Charters address the ethics of conservation their scope are limited to individual buildings, whereas the Charters concerned with urban and area conservation, like the Washington Charter, are inadequate with regards to ethical and cultural issues. By articulating a code of ethics for urban conservation, the study attempts to bridge a significant gap. The study draws on, and contextualises its arguments in, the rich and varied archaeological and urban heritage of Syria, a country that is still coming to terms with the practices, implications and problems of heritage conservation. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2004.

The Repulse Bay Cultural Landscape can be identified as a “Continuing Landscape” in the UNESCO cultural landscape categories. At the south end of the beach is the Hong Kong Life Saving Society Headquarters, Club House (HKLSS), and seafront Garden, which has evolved over the last fifty odd years. It continues to do so, and is highly acclaimed in Hong Kong for its water safely education and its recognition by the international community. Over the years, the HKLSS placed more than one hundred religiously related (Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folklore) architectural elements including statues, memorial tablets, and steles, as well as pagoda and pavilion In this seafront Chinese style garden This site is used by a massive number of “stakeholders” including HKLSS members, local residents and tourists, etc. And the place is without proper management and maintenance because of lack of financial and expert support. Also, through lack of social awareness, the condition of some of the structures which may have heritage value is declining disintegrating badly. Because this place was mainly developed from the 50s onward, it is unlikely to be considered as a heritage site by conservation professionals. In order to identify this seafront property’s potential heritage value, the focus of research should be on discovering and recording the heritage value of the place. My dissertation aims to reveal and explain the physical aspect and related elements-architecture and space- of this seafront property, and the social aspect- achievement- of one of its major stakeholder (The Hong Kong Life Saving Society). I have produced a SWOT Analysis Report and Heritage Assessment (Using the heritage criteria of the Hong Kong Antiquation and Monument office) in order to identify the heritage value of this place, and explain why “Preventive Conservation” is necessary. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

Fair face lime-based brickwork is one of the most popular types of fa?ade in early colonial buildings in Hong Kong. A good proportion of such buildings are slowly but inexorably disappearing. Since the sixties, the awareness of the general public in heritage preservation of Hong Kong started in its embryonic form, gradually evolved through the seventies and eighties, gaining momentum to active involvement in the nineties, and finally to the organized and pragmatic approach of today. In 1976, the Hong Kong Government enacted the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance to ensure that the best examples of Hong Kong’s heritage are protected. With the establishment of the Antiquities and Monuments Office in at the same year, a number of buildings with historical and architectural values have been declared as monument or included in the list of graded heritage buildings since then and their conditions are being concerned. However, conservation principles have not been highlighted in our local heritage building maintenance practices. Perhaps, due to client’s intention, funding constrains, and/or lacking of skillful craftsmen and expert supervision, incompatible building materials and inappropriate methods have been applied on those fair face brickwork fa?ade. More and more evidence shows that such maintenance practices worsen the condition of the historic fa?ade and causing damages to the heritage. No doubt, fa?ades of those deteriorating heritage buildings are deserved proper maintenance and repair under appropriate conservation approaches. The focus of this dissertation is upon the understanding the issue of brickwork failure particularly owning to the saturation of soluble salt in brickwork attributed to various inappropriate maintenance approaches. To establish a guideline for lime-based brickwork fa?ade maintenance to ensure longevity, reduce costs and improve value. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

It was a miracle that I discovered the redoubt when I was studying in secondary school. During a summer holiday, I visited the Shing Mun Reservoir with my best friends. Suddenly a monkey attacked us and grasped one of my friend’s bag. The monkey ran away and we had to chase him to get back the bag. Finally, the monkey found that there were no food inside the bag and left the bag on the trail. When we found the bag, we found the tunnel entrance next to us. Out of curiosity, we went through and tunnels and found really interesting and exciting. Almost twenty years later, I revisited the redoubt and found my memories in my last visit. This time, I came with my eldest son. He is 10 years old and he found it very exciting to visit the tunnels, which he has not ever thought of its existence. For my own experience, there were not many changes, though silts and stagnant water have already blocked some parts of the tunnels. The Shing Mun Redoubt, built in 1930’s, was a very important defensive point of Hong Kong. It was essentially the last point of defense of Kowloon. It witnessed the military defense of Hong Kong, in particular during the Japanese attack in Dec 1941 during the World War II. The redoubt has already lasted for around 80 years. It is left unattended for years. “Dangerous” signs are erected to warn people not to go inside the tunnels. However, this is a very important place to address the history of military defense of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong SAR government has already set up a military trail in Wong Nai Chung Gap, describing and displaying the military defense history of Hong Kong. Given that the military structures of the Shing Mun Redoubt remains largely intact, I strongly recommend the government to set up another military trail to highlight the importance of the Shing Mun Redoubt. In this paper, I addressed this issue and have developed a plan to set up a military trail there called the “Shing Mun Redoubt Military Trail”. In doing this, I made reference to the condition survey of the redoubt and the SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Thread) analysis of the development proposal. In connection with the proposed development, I also worked out the associated works such as transport facilities, maintenance plan, publicity plan etc, all aimed to successfully develop this military trail and to attract more visitors to come and enjoy. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

This dissertation focuses on Central Star Ferry Pier whose impending and actual demolition in 2006 provoked an unprecedented level of confrontation over historic conservation between the Hong Kong government and civil society groups. The confrontation continued in 2007 over the dismantling of Queen’s Pier, whose reassembly and relocation continue to be a subject of debate today. Case studies of these two piers describe their history, trace the conflicts over their fate within the broader controversy over harbour reclamation, place the disputes in social and political context, and analyse constructions of their cultural significance amid changing values. Particular attention is paid to definitions and redefinitions of the piers’ significance (or lack thereof) in relation to contemporary issues in Hong Kong society and governance, such as the formation of post-colonial identity and struggle for democratisation. This long-running drama in two acts not only underscored the neglect of built-heritage conservation in urban planning in Hong Kong, but also called into question its developmental model and consultative system. Its outcome was a paradigm shift in public understanding of and official approaches to urban conservation, better recognition of social value in heritage making and greater efforts to integrate it into the sustainable development of Hong Kong. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

As raised by Randall Mason in his “Fixing Historic Preservation: A Constructive Critique of ‘Significance’.” Places 16, no.1 (2004: 64-71), scientific methods and objective standards used for conservation have overemphasized the fabric side of the memory/ fabric connection in the 20th century. Conservation efforts have linked the significance of a place to its historical and architectural values, while limiting its economic and social values to secondary status. University Hall, the subject of this dissertation, is facing the same conservation problem – its social value is often ignored. According to English Heritage’s Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance (2008: 32), social value is associated with places that people perceive as a source of identity. This sense of belonging is a result of collective memory of stories linked to a place. People therefore have a deeper attachment to a place and they share some common behaviour or attitudes in a place. The social value here fits in perfectly with a heritage place that is the topic of my proposed dissertation: University Hall. Ever since 1864, on the top of Pokfulam hill stands a Castle. The Castle is now named University Hall and is the dormitory of some hundred young men. The student residents call themselves Castlers. Although it is the only hall in HKU in which the building was not originally constructed for student residential purpose, a strong fraternity of students was shaped and even fostered by the architecture itself. Traditions are passed along year by year under the roof of the Castle. This means that the architecture and history of University Hall are the source of the social value. However, English Heritage’s Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance (2008: 32) also states that “the social values of places are not always clearly recognised by those who share them, and may only be articulated when the future of a place is threatened.” This is the key issue for University Hall and it is also the key issue of my proposed dissertation. Starting from the 1970s, HKU has been recently building high-rise mega residential halls to meet the keen demand for student accommodation. The characters of these newly built halls become relatively homogenous. University Hall, as one of the few surviving residential halls carrying strong tradition and history, is rather special under such context. Although there is no plans to change the use of University Hall, but HKU's development pattern will pose a potential threat. It is therefore important to identify the social value of the place before "the future of [this] place is threatened." In other words, the social value of University Hall has to be clearly recognised by the Castlers who share them, and be able to articulate them, before the redevelopment threat to University Hall becomes real. The reason for this is that in Hong Kong, it is often too late to consider conservation when the future of a place is threatened, as demonstrated by the cases of Star Ferry Pier and Queen's Pier. In a nutshell, this is what my proposed dissertation is about. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation