Colorado State University’s Architectural Preservation Institute Â??steps into the Boots of the Builder’

Have you ever wondered how the original builders of barns, cabins and mills in Colorado found and selected their woods and crafted logs and sandstone into building materials? Would you like to know how to read a historic wood structure for insight into its construction, history and current condition?

If so, Colorado State University’s Department of Construction Management is offering two workshops this summer, "Stepping into the boots of the builder: Local sourcing and crafting of wood and stone" and "A crafts-based approach to assessment and stabilization of historic wood structures," through the Department’s Architecture Preservation Institute.

The first workshop, "Local sourcing and crafting of wood and stone,"  is a classroom and site-based workshop for building designers, owners, contractors, project managers, students and architects interested in learning more about sourcing and basic crafting of wood and stone. It will include an introduction to the craft, science and art of finding and working with log and stone in Colorado, with an explanation of historical and modern methods.

The second workshop, "A crafts-based approach to assessment and stabilization of historic wood structures," will focus on learning to assess the present condition of an old wooden structure using the art of discovering the methods and tools the original builders used and the science of understanding what happened over the years to make it the way it is today. The multi-day workshop is designed for cultural resource or site managers, contractors, architects, historic preservation professionals, owners and students interested in understanding the construction methods and characteristics of wood buildings and their stone foundations.

Workshop participants will be assessing and stabilizing the Bingham Homestead barn west of Fort Collins, Colo. The barn, built in the late 1800s using timber frame techniques, now needs stabilization.

As historic preservation has gained prominence with an increasing number and variety of private and public sector decision makers, the demand for effective management techniques and well-trained managers has increased. The Architectural Preservation Institute at Colorado State is dedicated to advancing state-of-the-art educational services in preservation technology through its workshops, graduate student training and resource center.

The first workshop, "Local sourcing and crafting of wood and stone," is scheduled for June 20, and the second workshop, "A crafts-based approach to assessment and stabilization of historic wood structures," is scheduled for June 21-24. The early registration discount is in effect until April 15, and space is limited.

For more information call Susan Quinnell at (970) 491-0244, e-mail at sqz@cahs.colostate.edu or visit www.api.colostate.edu/workshops.htm.

These workshops are sponsored in part by the Colorado Historical Society, State Historical Fund.

-30-