2007 Yearbook

INSTITUTE OF HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION YEARBOOK 2007 32 I N R E V I E W construction technology and the ‘layers of memories’ embedded in them. It was also argued that buildings derive absolute historical importance not only by virtue of their origin in a particular period, or from their established aesthetic and stylistic style, but also from the social contexts in which they were used, functions they fulfilled, and experiences associated with them. In April 2004, I began a campaign to save a ‘significant’ CI building, the ‘tin hut’ classroom at the Bourne School in Farnham in the County of Surrey. Erected in 1909, it was the last survivor of a building type which was once common in the county. Now redundant, this structure was to be swept away by the local education authority to make way for teachers’ car parking. The aim of the project was to dismantle it safely and re-erect it at the Rural Life Centre, a nearby museum of village life. In doing so, it was intended to conserve and enhance a part of the UK’s diverse heritage that has been overlooked because of its ordinary and unprepossessing character. It is important to note that because the building was not listed, the fight for its preservation was conducted entirely within the voluntary sector; demonstrably the front line when dealing with ‘new’ or under- represented categories of heritage. The successful reconstruction of the building in the museum in June 2005, alongside the documentation of the process, made available to a wide audience an evocative echo of childhood in the 20th century. A record of experiences of the school’s life by the museum’s founder and another trustee, who were educated in the same classroom, is currently used as a part of the interpretive programmes. A part of my masters dissertation has also been published by the museum to generate greater awareness of the role and development of CI structures in England. All this in turn made the project a part of the ‘living heritage’ rather than just becoming a ‘dead history’. Presently, the museum uses this classroom as a dedicated centre for lifelong learning, a facility it lacked previously. This established a long-term foundation and provided facilities to encourage more visits by schools and community groups, thus generating capital for the maintenance of the ‘tin hut’ and enabling the whole project to be self-sustaining. THE QUEST CONTINUES I am fortunate that all my previous and current employers have encouraged me to continue my cultural pilgrimage by providing me with opportunities to be involved in conservation projects that deal with various aspects of heritage. They not only put full faith in my work but also helped in my all-round development: physical, mental and spiritual. I always regard them as my gurus and my work place as a gurukul, which literally means the domain of the guru. ( Gurukul is an ancient Indian concept of education wherein the pupil learnt by residing for years with his teacher as a part of his family. The guru was more than merely a teacher. He was a father, a guide and a role model for all students.) Some of my current projects include designing church furniture for Christ Church in Wanstead, London, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott; repair and alteration works to the fabric of Rochester Cathedral, second oldest cathedral (604 AD) in England after Canterbury; and extension to Chaldon Church, which is of Saxon foundation. At this stage, my main long-term interest is to undertake conservation and sustainable management research in the built heritage, with a special focus on the developing nations of Asia. In October 2006, I presented a paper ‘ Swaraj and self-sufficiency: guiding principles for transforming Asian approaches to conservation’ at the conference ‘Asian approaches to heritage conservation’ held in Bangkok. In my paper I attempted to highlight the need for heritage conservation approaches in Asian countries to develop rigorous research in the social aspects of heritage, and emphasised the need to integrate local and traditional knowledge as dynamic components of Asian living cultural traditions with heritage management. I argued a case for re-interpreting the Gandhian concept of swaraj , or self-rule, and the Buddhist philosophy of self-sufficiency, and applying these concepts to the development of a philosophy for better development, treating indigenous people as a resource and not as a burden. In 2008 I anticipate commencing my PhD research for a thesis entitled Social and cultural contributions in the development of heritage policies in developing countries of Asia . This will focus on the link between society, culture and the economy and its use in sustainable heritage conservation. Once my research is completed, I intend to work in India and other developing nations of Asia, creating awareness, imparting education and sharing experiences, while at the same time gaining enrichment from the students and the academic fraternity, for I firmly believe that good teaching is where both the student and teacher learn from the interaction. This is the most important reason that I am attracted to teaching – since this role provides a continuous mechanism to learn – an eternal sanskritic yatra, or spiritual journey. The tin classroom was erected at Bourne School in 1909 and for the next hundred years it continuously served its purpose well and became a part of the surrounding landscape. (Photo: Nikhil Joshi) The colourful and lively atmosphere inside the classroom on the grounds of the Bourne School in 2004 just days before its proposed demolition. (Photo: Nikhil Joshi)

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