|
|
 |
|
virtual tour registration |
|
|
President's messageManaging Technology, Time and Chaos is a fitting theme for APT’s 37th annual conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 21-25, 2005. Preservation was still a new frontier when we met in Halifax the first time, some 30 years ago: that meeting took place not long after the ‘terrible need to know’ resulted in the creation of APT as a unique and vital source of information for practitioners. In the intervening years, the body of knowledge about preservation technology has steadily expanded. But the world of information has changed immeasurably: practitioners can find copious (and sometimes contradictory) resources at a keystroke; hardware and software developments permit dizzying options for data collection and analysis; and pictures, text and sound can be transmitted among far-flung team members using electronic media. All this is coupled with increasingly complex regulatory, health and safety, political and managerial regimes, and sites that need a solution ‘yesterday’. Chaos theory suggests that complex problems respond to simple solutions—a useful motto as we strive to understand the effects of time, harness technology, and work collaboratively with specialists from the appropriate disciplines. Keynote speakers bring fresh perspectives from diverse disciplines: the conservation of a 17th Century Warship; the investigation of air crashes; new design for ecological and cultural sustainability; and conservation of Newfoundland fishing culture and architecture. Moderated technical sessions will explore the conference theme in three concurrent tracks: Material Science; Modeling Technology; and Preservation Management Technology. While these sessions offer range and variety across several disciplines, the symposia and training workshops encourage participants to go deeper in four important areas. The Sustainable Heritage Conservation Symposium tackles the defining preservation issue of the decade, building on the groundbreaking dialogue begun last year during the Galveston conference. Members of APT’s Technical Committee on Sustainable Historic Preservation have designed a forum to explore the technical implications of balancing sustainability with conservation standards. The Conservation Project Management Symposium also breaks new ground, exploring strategies for successfully applying project management principles and processes to conservation projects, and tailoring those processes to achieve results that meet international conservation standards. Technical workshops are an APT tradition, delivering two days of concentrated, high quality instruction from regional and international specialists. Building Envelopes for Historic Buildings explores the performance of historic wall construction assemblies and the challenges of mediating moisture migration and improving energy performance in historic buildings. Historic Concrete builds on APT’s tradition for providing solid training in material conservation from recognized specialists in the field. And it’s not all business: Haligonians, like APT members, are famously friendly and love to have fun. Bill Hockey and his conference committee have set the stage with a program steeped in local flavour and traditions. Expect kilts, forts, ports and pints, and don’t forget to ask about the ‘Lunenburg Bump’. See you in Halifax!
|
|
|||||||||||||
