Building Preservation and Maintenance in Practice

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS 2001 - 2005

Seminars and workshops

• Study tour to information centres on building preservation in Sweden, June 2001.
  Organizing countries: Estonia and Sweden.
• A two days seminar, "Managing Building Conservation", on pre-project methodology: investigation, analysis, documentation, technical specification and design in Riga, Latvia, November 2001.
  Organizing countries: Latvia and Sweden.
  LINK (PDF): Managing Building Conservation - seminar in Riga, November 2001.
• A four days seminar and workshop with the objective to develop a policy and discuss methods for conservation of plaster on medieval churches, in Põide on the island of Saarema, Estonia, April 2003.
  Organizing country: Estonia.
  LINK (PDF): Workshop on plaster conservation - 22-27 April 2003, St. Mary’s church of Pöide, Estonia.
• A two days seminar on the conservation of brick buildings, in Kaunas, Lithuania - exchange of knowledge and experiences. Invited experts from all Baltic Sea countries.
  Organizing country: Lithuania
• Workshop on timber restoration, choice of timber and repairing methods in Ungurmuiza, Latvia, June 2001.
  Organizing countries: Latvia and Sweden.
• Workshop on lime paint, pigments, colours and methods in Sabile, Latvia, August 2001.
  Organizing countries: Latvia and Sweden.
• Workshop on interior painting with traditional paints in Ramava, Latvia, March 2002.
  Organizing countries: Latvia and Sweden.
• Seminar on "Indoor Climate in Churches - problems and solutions" in the premises of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Riga, November 2004, with lecturers from national institutions, universities and consultancy firms. A report (40 pages) is available below.
  LINK (PDF): Indoor Climate in Churches - seminar in Riga, November 2004. Report.
• As a result of the seminar a Baltic Sea Region Network for professionals on Indoor Climate in Churches was also created, with a website of its own: LINK: www.hgo.se/churches

Traditional building materials of the Baltic Sea region
In 2003 the working group initiated a survey on the situation for a selection of building materials needed for the preservation of the built cultural heritage. The aim is to focus on the complexity of problems and to get an overview. For each material there is a short historical overview, a description of today’s situation in the region, of needs and availability. There is also a list of institutions and literature in each country.
LINK (PDF): Traditional Building Materials of the Baltic Sea Region - Building Preservation and Maintenance in Practice. Surveys compiled during 2003 - 2004.

2nd Baltic Sea Cultural Heritage Forum
The second Forum was organized 9-12 June 2005 in Helsinki by the National Board of Antiquities in Finland. The general theme was "Urban Heritage – Collective Privilege". The working group was responsible for a Pre Forum Workshop on non-governmental organizations; NGO’s as Agents for Good Management of Built Heritage in the Baltic Sea Region.

Film
A documentary film "Kalamaja - the Possibilities of a Wooden Town" was produced in 2001 as an Estonian-Swedish co-operation and awarded a prize by Europa Nostra. The film exists in two versions - 15 minutes and 45 minutes respectively. They may be borrowed. More information from the contact person in each country.

COMING EVENTS

Work Programme 2006 – 2008

The work programme for 2005-2006 has “church buildings” as a theme of study, i.e. not only churches but also synagogues and other “houses of faith”. These buildings represent advanced techniques and craftsmanship and structural and maintenance problems are constantly present. Their future function is also an urgent question and thus the adoption to new uses and to modern demands like heating.

Library of Reference
The Library of Reference will make good practices, knowledge and traditions available in the whole region: national reports, recommendations and manuals. Most of the national heritage agencies, and many research institutes, have produced manuals on good practices in architectural conservation. These manuals or recommendations are sources to traditions and policies, they can be translated and used in neighbouring countries.

Connections will be opened to knowledge and skills, which cannot be transmitted through written documentation only, i.e. which can be "made available" only through workshops. The library should contain documentation from these workshops - as reports and films.

Seminars and workshops
The work programme assumes that a series of seminars will be organized, one in each participating country. Among the subjects discussed are: Mural painting, Adaptation of old buildings for new functions, Fire protection, Production and use of wood tar, Sustainable maintenance practices etc. Invitations will be published continually on this webpage.

Conservation of plaster
Continuation of the workshop which was organized in April 2003 at the St. Mary’s church in Poide on Saaremaa (Estonia). Preliminary date: summer 2006 Contact person: Kaire Tooming.

Reconstruction of wooden buildings
Analysis, dismantling and reconstruction of timber buildings – seminar and workshop to be organized in the Kashubian open air museum in Wdzydze, Pomerania (Poland) Contact person: Tadeusz Sadkowski.

Baltic Sea Region Network on Indoor Climate in Churches
The newly established network organizes a seminar in Helsinki, 20-21 April 2006. More details: www.hgo.se/churches

3rd Baltic Sea Cultural Heritage Forum
The working group takes part in the preparations for the 3rd Cultural Heritage Forum to be organized in Vilnius, autumn 2007.

Web-site
This web-site is updated twice annually. There are plans to make it become a meeting place for presentation of reports, projects, seminars and workshops of common interest.

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