This summer, I had the privilege to intern with the Center for Architectural Conservation in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture as an architectural research associate. I spent 6 weeks on site at Fort Cornwallis, a historic landmark in George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The fort was constructed in the late 18th century under the patronage of Francis Light, the founder of the British colonial island of Penang. The fort has gone through many iterations over the past few decades, with different methodologies of conservation applied. The current conservation efforts are focused on reconstructing the bridge and moat that surround the Fort, as well as repairing conservation efforts that utilized cement in the past. The scope of work is not only limited to the reparation efforts of the Fort, but also integrating the surrounding landscape and outdoor food court to blend within the context of the project. As research associates for the CAC, our scope of work varied depending on the ever evolving work site. Some of the tasks that I worked on included researching different case studies that focused on brickwork and natural ventilation, learning manual methods of surveying such as using a water hose as a level to document elevation changes, how to calibrate and operate an auto level, and how to manually map out coordinate points using tangential points. Those skills built up the methods and techniques that we had learned previously in HSPV 6000 and 6010 Documentation, Research, Recording I & II, And how to apply them on an active work site. The second half of the internship focused on more practical skills, such as developing different dry mortar mixes, understanding the lime process, the difference between active and inactive aggregates and the mortars they produce, and how to lay bricks and apply mortar for both wall sections and flooring requirements.
Beyond the practical skills that I have gained in this internship, I have been exposed to numerous professionals with architectural conservation experience. Being able to learn from both Francesco Siravo and Giovanni Santo from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has been wonderful, as both have decades of experience in heritage conservation in different climates and cultures. Working with Siravo and Santo closely has allowed me to build lasting relationships with them, and we have discussed the possibility of future collaborations on projects in Kuwait. In conclusion, this internship with the Center for Architectural Conservation and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has helped me develop my skills in preservation. I am grateful for the experience to work with experienced professionals on a unique colonial reconstruction project.
View Slideshow
