Students Conduct Fieldwork at West Philly Church

The first-year historic preservation students have conducted fieldwork for the HSPV 601 Documentation class at Holy Apostles and the Mediator Episcopal Church (HAME). The fieldwork is divided between a series of exercises and a final project. The following introduction is concentrated on the fieldwork and our group's final project, which works on the documentation of the longitudinal section of HAME. 

This project aims to present the significance of HAME as a religious building with multiple values. To identify and understand the values, it is necessary to document major tangible character-defining elements, including—the building structure, spatial configuration, functions of different spaces, and luminous environment. To create an illustration of these elements, longitudinal sections are especially effective since they offer an overall view of the structure, most parts of the interior, and some parts of the exterior. 

Through two drawings of longitudinal sections and two sets of photos, the group aims to examine the relationship between the spaces in the church and religious ideas or practices. It will facilitate the formation of a visual statement of significance centering around the architectural, cultural, and social values of HAME. The two technical section drawings are based on the point cloud built by Agisoft Matashape and filed recording.

Our group members also conducted a set of hand drawings with field measurements of interior furniture. Besides, a set of HABS-quality spatial photographs was produced with the aid of professors. The narrative of the project is another important piece the group works on. The two sets of drawings each convey a part of the whole narrative. Major structural components are represented, presenting how it contributes to creating spacious public space, a sense of verticality, and dramatic light effect. The illustration of spatial configuration presents the hierarchy of space, discriminated by multiple height levels and allowance of entrance to different spaces. In conclusion, the drawings and photography are visualizations of the HAME’s spatial characteristics and historical narratives.

Our group members are Shixin Zhao, Yixiao Hu, Qianhui Ni, Xinyu Dong, and Ying Wang. We will present their preliminary presentation on Monday April 18. It is an excellent opportunity to see different scopes of final projects presented for one historic church.

Ying Wang (MSHP '23)