Temple University Architectural Architectural Terracotta History Presentation

Purpose:

Essential clues in understanding the history and evolution of a structure can be found on-site in its materials and features. Recording these elements is a basic part of a preservation survey. The more a preservationist knows about the materials or features, the faster and easier dating a building and understanding its evolution becomes. This assignment will increase the group’s collective knowledge of such materials by each student’s individual research.

Assignment:

Research ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTA in North American building material or feature to find out its history and development. Of particular interest, are elements that aren’t used any longer or are uncommon. Only briefly discuss the history and use outside of North America. Spend most of the time discussing its use in North America.

Answer questions such as:

• What is the history behind its development?
• Did it replace something else?
• How is it made?
• What was its purpose?
• When was it used?
• How was it installed?
• Why it changed or fallen out of regular use? (if it did) and
• If there is a modern equivalent and what it is?

Very good peer reviewed sources include the Construction History Society, Association for Preservation Technology and the Society for Architectural Historians. Also, the Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL) is an excellent source. These and other goods sources are available on JSTOR, Archive.org and Google Books.