The Conservation Network of EAAE is an open framework that supports Academic relationships based on opportunity for debate about change. It is an integral part of the activities of EAAE (European Association for Architectural Education), existing wholly within that body and depending on the voluntary participation of people belonging to EAAE member schools. The Network addresses a deep challenge for architectural education, research and practice – the place of the inherited built environment within architecture, its culture, educational systems and pedagogies, and how that culture finds its place within an evolving, globalising societal and cultural milieu.
The primary activities of the Network are structured around international workshops, held every two years. These workshops focus on key questions within the field of conservation of the built inheritance. The workshops create opportunities for academics and practitioners in conservation, who are engaged in architectural education, to discuss the theoretical and practical issues encountered in conservation of the architectural inheritance of buildings, towns and created landscapes. Discussions take place in the context of real sites and participants are asked to relate the issues and experiences to the teaching of architecture.
Each workshop is focused on a key question, examined in the context of specific locations. Participants join the workshop by submitting abstracts that address the theme of the workshop, which is disseminated through the EAAE website and directly to those who have participated in previous workshops. Those accepted come together, encounter directly the specificities of the places and engage in open, intense discussion in small and large groups. Papers are submitted some months after the workshop and this provides an opportunity for interchange between the Scientific Council for the event and the participants, to refine ideas and clarify their expression. Proceedings are peer-reviewed, published by EAAE and are accessible on the EAAE website under “Transactions”.