Restoration Standards and Guidelines for Historic Buildings - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Architects and Surveyors

Restoration Standards and Guidelines for Historic Buildings

Course Outline

The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for establishing professional standards and providing advice on the preservation and protection of all cultural resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, apply to all proposed development grant-in-aid projects assisted through the National Historic Preservation Fund, and are intended to be applied to a wide variety of resource types, including buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts. They address four treatments: Preservation, Rehabilitation, Restoration, and Reconstruction. The treatment Standards, developed in 1992, were codified as 36 CFR Part 68 in the July 12, 1995 Federal Register (Vol. 60, No. 133).

Rather than maintaining and preserving a building as it has evolved over time, the expressed goal of the Standards for Restoration and Guidelines for Restoring Historic Buildings is to make the building appear as it did at a particular-and most significant-time in its history. As opposed to other treatments, the scope of work in Restoration can include removal of features from other periods; missing features from the restoration period may be replaced, based on documentary and physical evidence, using traditional materials or compatible substitute materials. The final guidance emphasizes that only those designs that can be documented, as having been built should be re-created in a restoration project.

This (five-hour) course will be specifically based on the portion of those standards and guidelines, which concern "Restoration" of historic buildings. Restoration is defined as the act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a restoration project.

Please note that The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties are only regulatory for projects receiving federal grant-in-aid funds; otherwise, the Standards and Guidelines are intended only as general guidance for work on any historic building.

This course is based entirely on the selected "Restoration" portion of The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings published by the U.S. Department of the Interior-National Park Service. This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials. You will be quizzed on the attached document in its entirety.

Learning Objective

This course will specifically review "Restoration" of historic buildings, and will cover the following topics:

Building Exterior: Materials;
Masonry/ Wood;
Architectural Metals;
Building Exterior: Features;
Roofs;
Windows;
Entrances and Porches;
Storefronts;
Building Interior;
Structural Systems;
Spaces, Features, and Finishes;
Mechanical Systems;
Building Site -Setting (District/Neighborhood);
Special Requirements;
Energy Efficiency;
New Additions to Historic Buildings;
Accessibility Considerations; and
Health and Safety Considerations.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for architects and engineers who our involved or interested in learning about "Restoration" of historic buildings according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Benefit for Attendee

Attendee of this course will be learning about "Restoration" of historic buildings according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Course Introduction

This course will review "Restoration" of historic buildings according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The expressed goal of the Standards for Restoration and Guidelines for Restoring Historic Buildings is to make the building appear as it did at a particular-and most significant-time in its history. As opposed to other treatments, the scope of work in Restoration can include removal of features from other periods; missing features from the restoration period may be replaced, based on documentary and physical evidence, using traditional materials or compatible substitute materials.

Course Content

This course is based entirely on the selected "Restoration" portion of The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings published by the U.S. Department of the Interior-National Park Service.

The link to the course materials is as follows:

The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Restoration)

You need to open or download above document to study this course.

Course Summary

Architects and engineers who our involved or interested in learning about "Restoration" of historic buildings according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, will have a working knowledge of these guidelines after completing this course.

Theses Standards and Guidelines are intended only as general guidance for work on any historic building, however they are required on all projects receiving federal grant-in-aid funds.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.