Revitalising Frozen Architecture: Recording the Non-Physical Significance of Ruins

Applications are invited for a self-funded, 3 year full-time or 6 year part-time PhD project.

The PhD will be based in the School of Architecture, Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries and will be supervised by Dr Tarek Teba.

Ruined structures are significant monuments that embody valuable historic and cultural qualities tied to local communities and their ancestral lineage. However, the cultural values and authenticity of such sites are sometimes not fully interpreted thus undermining their role in contributing to contemporary debates. This suggests that reframing a ruin’s non-physical historic values and architectural experience could greatly enhance the appreciation and engagement of local community members, particularly younger generations, as well as ensure better integration into academic research fields. The authenticity and significance of ruins is not only anchored in their materiality. Looking beyond extant physical ruins and their representations to consider the authentic intangible values and experiences of place revitalises a ruin and offers opportunity for a potentially more authentic experience and understanding of the site.

This research aims to develop a framework for testing the revitalisation, exploration and representation of ruins through conceptual conservation and architectural reconstruction by digital technologies. It aims to focus on the intangible, non-physical values and experiences of place in order to deepen critical engagement, analysis and understanding of ruins. The research aligns with the principles of international charters such as London Charter, 2009, and Seville Charter, 2011, to ensure effective use of new digital technologies for better conservation, interpretation, management and dissemination of heritage cultural values. Therefore, the key research question is:

“How can digital technologies enable the conceptual conservation and reconstruction of historic ruins in order to revitalise and record the non-physical potentiality and significance of ruined structures and enhance the on-site experience of place?” 

To realise this aim, the successful PhD candidate will conduct various research activities including, but not limited to:

• Explore the interdisciplinary contexts of conservation and heritage, digital technologies and architectural design history and principles. 
• Review existing literatures concerning the conceptual conservation and reconstruction of the historic environment; the application of digital technologies to the interpretation of historic environment; and contemporary innovation in digital approaches to architectural, spatial and immersive experience. 
• Define the parameters of the investigation to enable a careful selection of case studies that match the research focus, intention and approach (e.g. a cross-selection of ruined sites from different periods).
• Develop critical analysis of its architectural, historic, archaeological and cultural aspects of selected case studies in order to highlight the embedded architectural and cultural values in the ruins and enrich the framework with up-to-date interpretations.
• Establish conceptual conservation and architectural principles to map the identified intangible values and experience.
• Use digital reconstruction as a tool to convey the conceptual conservation and architectural principles and produce engaging materials which could be used for educational, community engagement and/or any other purposes based on the intangible experience that needs to be revitalised and where the authentic aspects are anchored. 
• Test the work through a range of onsite activities (e.g. interviews, questionnaires and focus groups).

Funding

How to apply

We’d encourage you to contact Dr Tarek Teba (tarek.teba@port.ac.uk) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code.

When applying please quote the project code: ARCH4561023.