How to Preserve Stone and Tiles in the Context of Architectural Rehabilitation?
This package of three online courses on brings together knowledge on the conservation and restoration of tiles, the conservation and restoration of stone, and the fundamentals of chemistry for conservation, providing complementary training for those who work or intend to work in urban rehabilitation, architectural rehabilitation, and built heritage.
The conservation of materials and architectural elements is an important component of many architectural rehabilitation projects. Stone, tiles, and other materials incorporated into buildings can exhibit various forms of deterioration and require appropriate methods of diagnosis, conservation, and intervention. This package allows you to study these topics in a cohesive manner, combining technical knowledge, supporting materials, and case studies.
Which courses are included in this course package? Architectural Rehabilitation
- Conservation and Restoration of Tiles
- Conservation and Restoration of Stone
- Fundamentals of Chemistry for Conservation
Languages: Portuguese Also available in Português
Who is this architectural rehabilitation course package intended for?
This online course package on architectural rehabilitation is intended for professionals, students, and anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of the conservation and enhancement of materials and elements found in the built heritage.
It is especially recommended for:
- Architects and architecture students involved in building rehabilitation and intervention projects;
- Civil engineers and other construction professionals working on building rehabilitation projects;
- Conservation and restoration technicians who wish to deepen their knowledge of stone and tiles;
- Professionals involved in urban rehabilitation and architectural restoration;
- Cultural heritage technicians and professionals;
- Professionals from local governments and entities responsible for the management and preservation of the built heritage;
- Students and recent graduates in the fields of architecture, engineering, conservation and restoration, heritage, and related areas;
- Owners and managers of buildings with historical or heritage value interested in better understanding the challenges of material conservation;
- Anyone wishing to gain knowledge about the conservation and restoration of stone and tiles in the context of urban rehabilitation.
No specific prior knowledge is required to enroll in this course package.
Why take this architectural rehabilitation course package?
Architectural rehabilitation involves more than just the structural or functional restoration of buildings. In many historic buildings and urban complexes, it is equally necessary to understand, conserve, and treat the materials that contribute to their architectural and heritage identity.
Stone and tiles are two particularly important examples. Stonework, stone elements, facades, and tile cladding can exhibit different forms of deterioration and require diagnostic, conservation, and intervention methods tailored to their characteristics.
This package brings together three complementary courses:
Conservation and Restoration of Tiles – to understand the materials, production techniques, pathologies, diagnosis, and intervention methods for tiles;
Conservation and Restoration of Stone – to learn about the main types of stone, degradation mechanisms, diagnostic methods, cleaning, consolidation, treatment, and protection;
- Fundamentals of Chemistry for Conservation—to understand chemical concepts relevant to the conservation and treatment of materials and cultural heritage.
An Integrated Approach to Architectural Rehabilitation
The main advantage of this package is that it allows you to connect knowledge from different fields that may arise in a single project involving architectural rehabilitation and architectural restoration.
By studying stone, tiles, and fundamentals of chemistry for conservation together, you will be able to better understand: The courses include technical content, supporting materials, and case studies, allowing you to apply the knowledge gained to specific conservation and restoration situations.
- how to identify materials and their characteristics;
- how to recognize pathologies and degradation processes;
- how to interpret information related to the state of preservation;
- why certain methods and materials are suitable for a project and others may be unsuitable;
- the principles of preventive conservation, curative conservation, and restoration;
- how different materials may require distinct intervention strategies;
- the importance of diagnosis and documentation prior to intervention;
- the relationship between the conservation of materials, built heritage, and architectural rehabilitation.
Courses Certificate
At the end of the 3 online courses a training certificate will be issued (1 certificate per course) .
We are a training entity certified by DGERT – Training Entity Certificate No. 1800/2015 – so the certificate has international validity. Know more.
The courses price (a single payment) includes all content, assessment and certificates. The value is exempt from VAT under paragraph 10 of Article 9 of the CIVA.
How it works
Ceramic Tiles Restoration and Conservation (Azulejos)
1 – Conservation: concepts and ethical principles
1.1 – The concept of conservation
- Preventive conservation
- Curative conservation
- Restoration
1.2 – The conservation process
- Analysis and assessment of the state of conservation
- Formulation of the conservation plan
- Documentation
1.3 – Key principles of intervention
2 – Preventive Conservation: principles and benefits
2.1. Objectives of preventive conservation
2.2. Areas of application and benefits
3 – Brief historical overview
Summary and links to learn about the history of the azulejo
4 – Production techniques
4.1. Raw materials
4.2. Stages of the artisanal production process
5 – Analysis and diagnosis
5.1. Introduction
5.2. Case study
5.3. Examples of assessment and diagnosis
6 – Damage and pathologies
6.1. Most common pathologies
6.1.1. Dirt
6.1.2. Presence of biological agents
6.1.3. Flaking
6.1.4. Salt formation
6.1.5. Cracks / Gaps
6.1.6. Missing and switched tiles
7 – Marking and removal
7.1. Preliminary notes
7.2. Marking
7.3. Facing
7.4. Removal of tiles and old restorations
7.5. Panelling
8 – Conservation and restoration of tiles
8.1. Cleaning
8.2. Desalination
8.3. Bonding
8.3.1. Substrate preparation
8.3.2. Bonding procedure
8.3.3. Special gluing techniques
8.4. Filling of cracks, fractures and small gaps
8.4.1. Volumetric reconstruction
8.5. Levelling
8.6. Colour restoration and final protection
9 – Case studies
Discover four tile conservation and restoration projects from different periods and situations
Conservation and Restoration of Stone
Unit 1 – Conservation: concepts and principles
1.1. Concepts
1.2. Intervention process in restoration of stone
1.3. Key principles
1.4. Notes on integrated heritage and urban planning (includes a selection of the main charters and conventions on the subject)
Unit 2 – Types of stones
2.1. Rocks – what they are: definition and fundamental aspects
2.2. Types of stone and their characteristics
2.3. Stones most commonly used in heritage buildings and how to identify them
Unit 3 – Pathologies in natural stone
3.1. Introduction and glossary
3.2. Pathologies caused by human action
3.3. Pathologies caused by natural and environmental causes
3.4. Catastrophic damages
3.5. Pathologies in contemporary heritage
3.6. Survey of pathologies
Unit 4 – Cleaning methods
In this unit we will learn about the different stone cleaning methods, their characteristics, cleaning methodologies and ways of using them.
- Biological decolonisation
- Nebulisation
- Projection of aggregates with compressed air
- Laser
- Gommage
- Chemical cleaning
Includes a glossary of the technical characteristics of the products and materials most commonly used in stone restoration .
Unit 5 – Conservation and restoration of stone – intervention
In this unit we will systematise the various stages of intervention in stone restoration analysing the methods and processes.
- Consolidation
- Removal of non-functional elements
- Treatment of metal elements
- Treatment of joints, fissures and cracks
- Volumetric reconstitution
- Colour reintegration
- Structural restoration
- Final protection
Unit 6 – Preventive conservation
In this unit we will focus on the preventive conservation methodologies to be applied to stonework and built heritage.
- Preventive conservation in outdoor works
- Risk assessment
- Contingency plan
- Maintenance and monitoring
Unit 7 – Case studies
In this unit you can learn about practical cases of stone restoration
Different real-life situations are presented in which different conservation and restoration of stone methods have been applied
1 – Chemistry and conservation
1.1. Transdisciplinarity
1.2. The concepts of preservation and conservation
1.3. Chemistry
- organic chemistry
- inorganic chemistry
- physical chemistry
- analytical chemistry
2 – Fundamentals of chemistry
2.1 – Safety
2.2 – Acidity and basicity
2.3 – Oxidation-reduction
3 – Glossary
Find answers to the main questions about the Architectural Rehabilitation course package and its content, applications in the conservation of built heritage and contemporary heritage, target audience, and certification.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Architectural Rehabilitation Package
What does the Architectural Rehabilitation course package include?
The package includes three complementary online courses: Tile Conservation and Restoration, Stone Conservation and Restoration, and Fundamentals of Chemistry for Conservation. Each course covers specific knowledge that can be applied to the conservation of built heritage and urban rehabilitation projects.
Who is this package intended for?
It is intended for architects, engineers, conservation and restoration technicians, professionals involved in urban rehabilitation and heritage preservation, students, and others interested in the conservation of buildings and architectural elements. It may also be useful for owners and managers of buildings of historical or architectural significance.
What will I learn about stone and tile conservation?
The courses cover the main materials, techniques, pathologies, causes of degradation, diagnostic methods, cleaning, treatment, conservation, restoration, and protection of stone and tiles. They also include examples and case studies that allow you to relate the content to specific intervention scenarios.
Can the knowledge gained from this package be applied to contemporary heritage buildings?
Yes. Heritage conservation and rehabilitation are not limited to historic buildings. In particular, the Stone Conservation and Restoration course also addresses issues related to the conservation of contemporary heritage buildings and architectural elements, providing an understanding of degradation problems and intervention principles applicable to stone materials used in more recent architecture.
Are the courses online, and do they offer a certificate?
Yes. All three courses are conducted online, with 24/7, unlimited access to the content. At the end of each course, there is an assessment, and a certificate of completion is issued for each course completed.
Why take this package instead of just one of the courses?
The three courses allow you to approach architectural restoration from a more integrated perspective, linking knowledge of different materials with the fundamentals of chemistry necessary to understand the processes and products used in conservation. In addition, purchasing the three courses as a package is a more economical option than enrolling in each course individually.
