21 May 2012

Restore Christchurch Cathedral Campaign

American Restoration Specialist and Professor to Visit Christchurch

Adjunct Professor of Architecture from Lehigh University, Marcus Brandt, will be in Christchurch in late May to speak about his “People’s Steeple” proposal for the rebuilding of the Bell tower at Christchurch Cathedral, safe shoring of Cathedral and other heritage buildings and the traditional building arts in general. (www.thePeoplesSteeple.org) .

Professor Brandt invites key decision makers in the reconstruction of the Cathedral and other Christchurch Heritage buildings to consider the merits these proposals and approaches might have to offer.

In addition to teaching Traditional Building Methods and Materials at Lehigh University in his hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Professor Brandt has been a working Carpenter and Stone mason for the last 35 years, primarily in South-east Pennsylvania. In that time, he has been entrusted with the care and repair of timber and stone buildings in structurally compromised condition, dating from 1690 to 1920. Buildings in his care include dozens of barns and farmhouses, covered bridges, spring houses, ice houses, mills, Churches, steeples, and lych-gates.

Most of his work is in Pennsylvania, but he has worked all over the US and Canada. Other projects of note were two 12th Century siege weapons in Scotland, and a Rainbow bridge in China.

Professor Brandt prefers to simply be called “Marcus”

Many of the projects that Marcus has participated in and led are Community building projects. Such projects are rather commonplace among his Amish neighbors that gather together to raise a whole barn in a single day. This model has been used for the construction of covered bridges and historically used in raising steeples into place. Marcus will speak about how this method might be employed in Christchurch to rebuild the steeple and rebuild the community.

Marcus is a long time professional member of the Timber Framer’s Guild (TFG)and its Heritage wing, the Traditional Timberframe Research and Advisory Group (TTRAG). He has been an advisor and board member and co-founder of many heritage groups, museums, Churches, Quaker Meetings, and historical societies.

As the first City to be rebuilt in a first-world Nation in the post-industrial era, Christchurch has the unique opportunity to be the laboratory for how Cities of the future will be built in the post-industrial, greener age. Retaining the best of the old is an important element of that future, and Marcus believes that retaining and restoring Christchurch Cathedral is critical for that future city. If Christchurch gets it right, it will be a beacon for the World to follow.

On Sunday, 27 May 20012 at 3:00 pm he will give a presentation on “Classic Building: The Care and Feeding of Old, Structurally Compromised Buildings and the Lessons for Christchurch” at the Court Theatre. Questions and answers will follow. David McPhail will give opening comments and introduce the speaker.

Beside his presentation on Sunday, Marcus welcomes the opportunity to meet and speak with all of the key decision makers and interested people in Christchurch

Professor Brandt is being brought to Christchurch at the invitation of and with the assistance of the members of the Restore Christchurch Cathedral Campaign.

ENDS

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