{"id":7186,"date":"2017-08-29T13:45:58","date_gmt":"2017-08-29T17:45:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&p=7186"},"modified":"2025-10-10T11:09:33","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T15:09:33","slug":"conserving-culture","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/conserving-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Conserving Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n\n \n \n \n \n
\n\n \n
\n
\n\n

\n Conserving Culture\n <\/h1>\n \n <\/header>\n <\/div>\n\n \n <\/path>\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

\u201cThese days, when the world seems to be in turmoil, many of us are concerned, so it\u2019s more important than ever to refocus on the conservation of cultural heritage and natural environments, because the threats they face are even greater.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So says Gustavo Araoz, president of ICOMOS<\/a>, the International Council on Monuments and Sites, who is at Carleton this week for the Digital Workflows for Heritage Conservation<\/a> symposium, the 26th<\/sup> international meeting of the council\u2019s architectural photogrammetry committee (CIPA<\/a>) and the first time the group has convened in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 350 delegates from at least three dozen countries attended the symposium at Richcraft Hall, co-chaired by Carleton Immersive Media Studio<\/a> (CIMS) researchers, Mario Santana Quintero<\/a> and Stephen Fai<\/a>, and conservation technologist Christian Ouimet from the Canadian government\u2019s Heritage Conservation Service. It featured keynote addresses, presentations and discussions about new technologies and leading research in the field of digital heritage conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
From left to right: Co-Chair Christian Ouimet, Richard O’Connor, Carleton’s Mario Santana\u00a0Quintero, CIPA\u2019s\u00a0<\/b>Andreas Georgopoulos, Carleton’s Stephen Fai, Chance Coughenour<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCarleton has a long and distinguished history of paying attention to heritage and restoration to promote scholarship and practice in this field, and to inspire the next generation of heritage conservationists,\u201d Pauline Rankin, the university\u2019s associate vice-president (Research and International), said during the opening ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCarleton has emerged as a leader in heritage conservation research and education,\u201d added Fred Afagh, interim dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Design<\/a>, \u201cwith expertise in digital documentation, fabrication and more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are in Ottawa to discuss new ideas, to discover new technologies and to share knowledge,\u201d Santana Quintero, Fai, and Ouimet wrote in their welcome message. \u201cAnd it is not just about the how<\/em> of using digital technologies in the service of heritage conservation \u2014 it is very much about the why<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile digital technologies continue to transform how we record heritage places and how we share that information, we must also address the ethical questions of who owns this information and to what ends it is used. Who controls the story? This is CIPA\u2019s unique contribution to the greater field of heritage conservation \u2014 a mix of technical expertise, passion for local and world heritage, and critical reflection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

Mario Santana Quintero is painstakingly working to document and preserve some of the world\u2019s most important heritage sites. Read more.<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n

Addressing Ethical Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first keynote Monday was delivered by Richard O\u2019Connor, chief of Heritage Documentation Programs with the U.S. National Park Service<\/a> (NPS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O\u2019Connor introduced the service\u2019s three main programs \u2014 the Historic American Building Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) and Historic American Landscape Survey (HALS), which date back to 1933, 1969 and 2000, respectively \u2014 and explained how they underpin the agency\u2019s efforts to document and mitigate damage at the country\u2019s historically significant sites. The National Park Service also prepares standards and guidelines for heritage documentation, he said, and, like Carleton, helps educate the next generation of heritage professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n