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Teaching about how to work on old buildings has led the
Ecole d'Avignon to rewrite the rulebook. The reformulation of
the specifications (DTU - document technique unifié) concerning
plasterwork has been an important step, as much for businesses
as for their opinion leaders, for reintroducing the correct utilisation
of traditional materials which had been forgotten, such as lime
and plaster.
The increase in the number of courses organized
on the subject of facades drew our attention to the different
approaches and costs and led us to take a closer look at the subject.
First of all, the publication of a book/manual (more than 10 000
copies sold), then to work on the different types of plasterwork
in France, which took into account both the cultural and technological
aspects. This led to the definition of a strategy for campaigns
for rendering of buildings, based on the observation of what was
found (historical, technical and heritage references) and very
detailed analysis (sampling and testing). This work has served
as a means of making an inventory of the subject and has provided
a "recipe book", both of which have helped to form the
basis for guiding and training, and, more importantly, a common
tool for white and blue collar workers. In this way, the aim is
to reduce the loss between the project as it appears on paper,
and the actual work site.
In the matter of woodwork, it is a logic of conservation which
has guided our work. An old building possesses an architectural
value and this can be maintained, repaired and reused while also
respecting the requirements of modern day comfort.
The same principle applies to large architectural surfaces. How
is it possible to reconcile the conservation of the historic substance,
which is the concern of a restoration specialist, with the renovation
of certain of its parts, which is the concern of a construction
company? How can they be brought together on the same scaffolding?
 In
partnership with 15 countries in the Mediterranean area, a large
survey of the traditional architectural environment, its condition,
its usage, and its future in rehabilitation strategies, has been
compiled. It describes its forms and the construction techniques
employed, as well as information on the state of the skills and
the know-how which were employed. The book "Traditional
Mediterranean Architecture" has been published in
three languages: French, English and Spanish. It is accompanied
by a CD Rom with a detailed database containing thousands of pages
of illustrations.
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