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Morciano Summer School Transylvania, Romania 30 July - 13 August 2006 Summer School in Romania Image by Aura Neag

INTBAU is pleased to announce a two week Summer School in traditional methods of restoration.   The event will take place in the Saxon area of Transylvania, settled in medieval times.   The architecture is rich and encapsulates the old methods of building, based primarily on lime burning, bricks and wood.   Craftsman, students and all those interested in improving their skills or learn restoration techniques are invited to attend the event.

The summer school will combine lectures on traditional restoration, materials of building, New Urbanism and practice on a selected site.   The participants will work at one of the biggest houses - known as the house number 344 - of the Saxon village of Laslea, which is being restored at the moment.   The exterior restoration is nearly complete but work remains to be done to the interior.   The premises is designed to be a future INTBAU Information and Training Centre, open to all charities which promote traditional architecture, ecotourism and organic farming in Transylvania.

Work on selected site

House 344, a fine large house with attached barns and stables, played a central role in the community's life in the last century, having been both a shop and a primary school over the years.   Since its establishment in the 13th century, the villages follow a mediaeval pattern with long narrow plots running of a single spine street.   Village houses similarly follow a standard layout, built against the northern plot boundary with all openings facing south.

House 344 is one of the biggest houses in the village, located close to the Town Hall, on the main street.   Its original "Saxon" (German speaking) owners left Romania after 1989 and the house became public property over a decade ago.   Following almost total neglect, the property was, by the time INTBAU came across it in 2003, in a very poor state indeed.   The restoration started in September 2005 with the help of The Mihai Eminescu Trust, which specialises in heritage restoration in Transylvania.

Master Craftsman

House 344 had massive structural problems at the basement, while one wing of the house was about to collapse.   The work was supervised by Henry Rumbold - a leading British craftsman.   Henry Rumbold says that the restoration of this Saxon house was a pilot project for many local people, who feared drastic decisions and did not consider old materials as their first choice.

Henry Rumbold will introduce the participants to the specific features of the Saxon architecture and restoration rules.   He will present house 344 as a study case and will explain the special techniques used in consolidation work.   He will be accompanied by the Norwegian master craftsman Řivind Eikvam, who has visited Transylvania in the past and has extensive experience in restoration techniques.

Programme

Sunday 30 July

  • Participants arrive at Laslea
  • Registration

    Monday 31 July
  • Introduction to INTBAU international and INTBAU Romania
  • Presentation of health and safety rules
  • Introduction to working methods with focus on lime mortar
  • Work on the site: presentation of the building and the restoration techniques

    Tuesday 1 August
  • Excursion to see how lime is prepared
  • Lecture on the process and the way lime is applied
  • Practical work: preparation of lime mortar, start of rendering of interior walls

    Wednesday 2 August
  • Lecture on New Urbanism. Pattern books and how to apply them
  • Discussion on current challenges of town planning
  • Practical work: rendering of interior walls
  • Social event: Barbeque in the evening

    Thursday 3 August
  • Excursion to roof tiles production facility
  • Lecture on brick production and how to lay bricks. Different techniques and styles
  • Practical work: rendering of interior
  • Parts of the group will try building in bricks if materials available

    Friday 4 August
  • Morning lecture: short history of the Saxon settlements
  • Practical work: rendering of walls, brick laying, etc

    Saturday 5 August
  • Practical work: rendering of walls, brick laying, etc

    Sunday 6 August
  • Morning excursion: Picnic in the surrounding nature
  • Practical work: finishing of work on 344
  • Evening lecture / discussion: workshop results, feedback loop
  • Social event

    Monday 7 August
  • Practical work under the part time supervision of Henry Rumbold and Řivind Eikvam
  • Visit to local village

    Tuesday 8 August
  • Practical work under the part time supervision of Henry Rumbold and Řivind Eikvam
  • Walking trip with drawing session in the afternoon

    Wednesday 9 August
  • Practical work under the part time supervision of Henry Rumbold and Řivind Eikvam
  • Visit to heritage site

    Thursday 10 August>
  • Practical work under the part time supervision of Henry Rumbold and Řivind Eikvam
  • Walking trip with picknick in the afternoon

    Friday 11 August
  • Conclusions
  • Departure

    Speakers

    • Øivind Eikvam, Norwegian craftsman
    • Henry Rumbold, British craftsman
    • Arne Sødal, Norwegian architect
    • Audun Engh, Norwegian legal advisor
    • Claus Zapffe, Norwegian Architect
    • Jan Huelsemann, MET representative
    • Aura Neag, INTBAU Communications Director

    Accomodation

    We will stay in a local guest house in Laslea, close to our building site.   We have been using this guesthouse for our previous workshops, and the accomodation includes three meals a day.   Accomodation will be in shared rooms.   Unfortunately no single rooms are available.

    For foreign visitors who wish a higher standard there is an hotel of international standard just four kilometers from Laslea, with single rooms available.   Arrangements here have to be made on an individual basis.   Please notify the organizers if this option is preferable.

    How to get there

    For foreign visitors there are two convinient ways of getting to Laslea. Laslea is situated close to Sighisoara, which is linked by train to Bucharest (capital of Romania) and Budapest (capital of Hungary).   Most European airlines have both Bucharest and Budapest among their destinations, and prices vary.   From Bucharest one can take the daytime train, it is about 4 - 5 hours.   From Budapest one can take the night train, which leaves Budapest about 10 in the evening and arrives in Sighisoara the next morning.   The train Budapest-Sighisoara costs about 200 Euros first class.   To get from Sighisoara to a Laslea is best accomplished with a relatively inexpensive local taxi.   For further info, please contact the organizers.

    Fees

  • €300 for the first week
  • €200 for the second week

    INTBAU will be able to offer scholarships for a limited number of Romanian students and practitioners.   For further details please contact the organisers.  The fee covers shared accomodation in the local guest house as described above, all meals, tuition and local transport.   Hotel accomodation can be arranged at aditional cost.   Please note that travel to and from Laslea is not included in the participation fee.

    Please note that INTBAU cannot provide supporting documents for visa applications.  For further details on Romanian visas please visit the website of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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