Heritage Conservation Summer Course
The 2023 Summer Short Course in Heritage Conservation offers clusters of online lecture sessions and field-based learning opportunities about the fundamentals of the discipline in an intensive two-week format. Taught by a team of practicing professionals in fields ranging from conservation and engineering to economics and law, the course is designed for those interested in a career change, city officials needing to brush up on the basics, or for prospective students interested in learning more about the field. The Summer Short Course can be taken in a variety of formats – individual sessions, topical clusters, or as a complete course.
Summer 2023 (May 15 – May 26, 2023)
In 2023, the USC School of Architecture will host its 30th annual summer program devoted to the conservation of the historic built environment.
This intensive program introduces the principles and practice of historic preservation/heritage conservation in the United States and abroad. Classes are taught by noted experts from Southern California and can be taken as individual topic seminars or as a whole series. In addition to examining the history and philosophy of the conservation movement, lectures introduce participants to a broad range of legal, economic, aesthetic, and technical issues associated with the documentation, conservation, and interpretation of historic structures, landscapes, and communities.
This course has been designed for students, design professionals, community leaders, preservationists, planners, and developers seeking a greater understanding of heritage conservation concepts in a contemporary context. Classes may be taken in themed clusters or as a sequence, and the entire course can be taken for academic credit.
Students taking the course for academic credit (ARCH 549) must attend the full program, complete additional assignments and testing, and pay standard USC tuition. If you are not currently a USC student but still wish to take the course for academic credit, you may enroll as a "limited status student." Please visit https://arr.usc.edu/registration-counseling/registration/limited-status-enrollment/ to learn more.
Classes in 2023 will be held both online via Zoom and in person.
Trudi Sandmeier – Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Vinayak Bharne – Director of Design, Moule & Polyzoides Architects and Urbanists; Adjunct Associate Professor, USC
Ken Bernstein – Manager, Office of Historic Resources, City of Los Angeles
Peyton Hall, FAIA – Principal Architect, Historic Resources Group; Adjunct Professor in Heritage Conservation, USC
Adrian Scott Fine – Director of Advocacy, Los Angeles Conservancy
Christine Lazzaretto – Managing Principal, Historic Resources Group
John D. Lesak, AIA, LEED AP – Principal, Page & Turnbull; Lecturer in Heritage Conservation, USC
Jay Platt - Senior Urban Designer, City of Glendale; Adjunct Associate Professor in Heritage Conservation, USC
Sian Winship – President, Society of Architectural Historians/Southern California Chapter; Independent Consultant
** Preliminary list of faculty - subject to change.
The course can be taken in its entirety, in multi-day thematic clusters, or as individual sessions on various topics. Individual sessions are $100 each. Special discounted prices for the entire course or multi-day thematic clusters are listed below.
May 15 - 1.1 – INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION I
Examine the history and philosophy of historic preservation, and learn basic concepts, guidelines, and methods currently being used to preserve, rehabilitate, and restore cultural artifacts, buildings, districts, and landscapes in the United States.
May 15 - 1.2 – FIELD BASED LEARNING
May 16 – 1.3 - INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION II
Take a crash course on the history of southern California architecture and its unique architectural legacy.
May 16 – 1.4 – INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION III
Explore the fundamental concepts of integrity, significance, and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
May 17 – 1.5 – INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION IV
Learn about advocacy strategies for protecting historic resources.
May 17 - 1.6 – INTRODUCTION TO CONSERVATION V
Get an overview of the basic nuts and bolts of conservation economics, including tax credit programs, Los Angeles’ Adaptive Reuse Ordinance and other incentives for conservation of historic properties.
May 18 - 2.1 – CONSERVATION POLICY AND PLANNING I
Intended as an overview of the legal strategies for protecting historic resources in California, topics covered will include federal, state, and local preservation legislation, including discussions of Section 106 review, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs).
May 18 – 2.2 – FIELD BASED LEARNING
May 19 - 2.3 – CONSERVATION POLICY AND PLANNING II
Learn about municipal strategies for protecting historic resources. Topics covered will include city planning, certified local governments, historic resource surveys, and preservation commissions.
May 19 – 2.4 – CONSERVATION POLICY AND PLANNING III
Preservation planning can be complex – explore local case studies.
May 22 - 3.1 – MATERIALS CONSERVATION I
Understanding the materials that may be encountered in a historic building project is an essential part of the conservation process. This session examines commonly used materials, the potential failure of those materials, and best practices for repairing/replacing or preserving them.
May 22 – 3.2 - FIELD BASED LEARNING
May 23 - 3.3 – MATERIALS CONSERVATION II
The greenest building is the one already built – learn how historic buildings can “LEED” the way in sustainable design.
May 23 - 3.4 – MATERIALS CONSERVATION III
Explore an alphabet soup of cutting-edge technology used in the contemporary investigation and documentation of historic sites: GIS, NDE, HABS/HAER/HALS, and 3D laser scanning, among others.
May 24 - – 3.5 – FIELD BASED LEARNING
May 25 – 4.1 – CULTURAL LANDSCAPES
Conservation is about more than just buildings – conserving cultural landscapes is a growing part of the practice.
May 25 – 4.1 – CULTURAL LANDSCAPES
Conservation is about more than just buildings – conserving cultural landscapes is a growing part of the practice.
May 25 – 4.2 – INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION
Heritage conservation is a global practice and goes far beyond simply saving a historic building.
May 26 – 4.3 - FIELD BASED LEARNING
** Preliminary list of courses - subject to change.
In general, the course can be taken in its entirety, in multi-day thematic clusters, or as individual sessions on various topics.
Full course (10 days - 18 online and field sessions) - $1600
Full course (13 online sessions only) - $1000
- Fundamentals cluster (5 online sessions - 5/15-5/17) - $475
- Policy and Planning cluster (3 online sessions - 5/18-5/19) - $275
- Materials cluster (3 online sessions - 5/22-5/23) - $275
Individual sessions are $100 per session
If you would like to take this course for academic credit, you will need to enroll as a limited status enrollment student and sign up for ARCH 549. Regular USC tuition rates apply and no scholarship funds are available for non-full time USC students.
If you would prefer to take the course but do NOT want academic credit, please visit our ticketing page to register online - https://events.usc.edu/esvp/hcsummer2023.
If you have questions or you are interested in adding your name to the interest list for NEXT year (2024), please contact the program director Trinidad Rico at ricot@usc.edu.
