Cross-sectional case study

Language

French

Main themes

Cross-sectional study of an urban or rural site comprising one or more buildings within its topographical and landscape environment, drawing on the various methods and disciplines taught and aiming to produce a master plan. 
More specifically:   

•  Identification of heritage sites (vocabulary);   
• Historical research (use of archives) ;   
• Analysis of the urban or rural context ;   
• Approach to the natural environment ;  
• Topographical and landscape approach ;  
• Functional, economic and social approach ;  
• Consultation with users and stakeholders ;  
• Manual, digital and photographic surveys ;  
• Preliminary studies, particularly archaeological approaches to buildings ;  
• Analysis and characterisation of raw materials and implementation techniques ;  
• Study to establish a diagnosis and recommendations ; 
• Characterisation of the various options for heritage preservation and rehabilitation: conservation, restoration, conversion, etc. ; 
• Analysis of heritage values and reflection on the future of the site (uses, intervention philosophies, etc.);  
• Preliminary reflection on sustainable development and circularity;  
• Masterplan. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to observe, identify, describe, document, analyse, interpret and contextualise the subject of study “judiciously”.     More specifically, students will be able to:   use the appropriate vocabulary to describe the structures built and the site studied;    produce a historical summary based on a critical analysis of written and iconographic sources ;   Identify the territorial, topographical and landscape context in which the site under study is located ;    Determine the preliminary investigations to be carried out;   Choose and use the appropriate survey techniques;   Carry out a relevant archaeological approach to the building;   Distinguish between the materials and techniques used in structural work and finishing work;   Carry out a health study by identifying pathologies and providing recommendations to the property managers;   Identify heritage values and architectural potential and propose an intervention philosophy that respects these values;   Formulate a summary of all the data collected, the results of preliminary studies and the conclusions drawn;   Propose a master plan.

Content

Cross-disciplinary study of a built site, drawing on the various methods and disciplines taught in the Master's programme and aiming to synthesise previous studies and produce a master plan. 
 
Identification and description 
Initially, this educational activity aims to teach students to recognise significant built, landscaped (parks and gardens) or natural elements, to situate them in their built and unbuilt context, and to characterise them using the appropriate vocabulary and analytical tools (archaeological, morphological, urbanistic, etc.). 
 
Documentation 
This activity aims to select and test manual, digital and photographic survey methods (inventories) in situ. It leads to the production of graphic documents that meet the objectives set and comply with representation codes. 
 
Historical approach  
This part aims to provide a summary of the available historical and contextual data.  
The following will be undertaken in particular:  

• the state of the art; 
• the collection and analysis of published documents; 
• archival research; 
• a summary based on a critical analysis of written and iconographic sources. 

 
 Material and technical analysis 

• reflection on the issues, methods and purposes of preliminary analyses; 
• application of building archaeology methods to establish relative chronology; proposed phasing (in 2D and 3D) ;
• characterisation of structural and finishing work forms and techniques;
• site analysis (morphology) and landscape analysis (identification and organisation of components, viewpoints and perspectives);
• critical synthesis of results.

Study of the building's state of conservation

• identification and graphic localisation
• of pathologies and diagnosis; 
• proposals for remedies and a strategy for action (short, medium and long term). 

Societal contextualisation 

• identification of the social and economic issues at stake on the site through fieldwork and consultation with users and/or stakeholders; 
• environmental issues related to the context or the material or functional specificities of the site; 

Intervention philosophy

• selection and implementation of a heritage assessment method;
• proposal of an intervention philosophy taking into account the results of preliminary studies and the heritage assessment. 

Master plan
A summary document brings together (in writing and graphically) the data collected and the results of the preliminary studies carried out, as well as a master plan and recommendations for the owners and managers of the property or properties studied.

Teaching methods

Lectures, as a prelude to or complement to fieldwork and archival research. 
The lecturers in this unit, and in other teaching units, contribute to this cross-disciplinary case study, which forms the backbone of the first year of this specialised Master's programme. 

Evaluation methods

Students are invited to work together to study a case study on a set topic.  
 
At the end of the first year, during the May-June session, students produce and submit a well-documented written report, which they present orally. They are also assessed individually by the co-tutors during an examination (oral or written) and/or additional personal work. 
 
In the event of failure, students are invited to review part of the report and produce a written and documented piece of work, to be presented individually and orally during the August session to the course lecturer(s). 
 
If generative artificial intelligence (AI) is used, it must be used responsibly and in accordance with academic and scientific integrity practices. This means that anyone who uses generative AI in a manner that does not comply with the uses specified in the course description for the teaching unit in question is committing an irregularity within the meaning of Article 107 of the RGEE (non-personal work produced by the student as part of an assessment). 

Other information

This activity requires students to be mobile. 

Online resources

Course materials are made available as they are taught.   

Bibliography

Les ouvrages imposés sont mis à la disposition des étudiants au Centre d’Information et de Documentation de la Paix-Dieu et/ou dans les bibliothèques des institutions partenaires.  

Faculty or entity

> FIAL