Historic Preservation students travel to Barbados

Graduate students from Tulane School of Architecture traveled to Bridgetown, Barbados, in January 2023 for a unique international training opportunity.

Tulane School of Architecture's Historic Preservation program is lead academic partner with the Commonwealth Heritage Forum for a research studio in the Caribbean, as part of the Commonwealth Heritage Skills (CHS) Training Programme. The multi-year, multi-site CHS training aims to build capacity of technological aspects of built heritage conservation and connect university students from Barbados, the US and UK.

Managed by the Commonwealth Heritage Forum, the program's delivery support comes from a broad network of UK and international partners in addition to Tulane School of Architecture: Oxford Brookes University, The Prince’s Foundation, the University of the West Indies, the World Monuments Fund, and several leading architectural and conservation private practices.

The program has a two-pronged approach to training, aiming to engage the entire heritage ‘eco-system.’ Through academic and professional programs, its goal is to build local capacity and resilience—nurturing the heritage champions of the future. Additionally, through on-site training projects like the January 2023 trip to Barbados, the program aims to help secure the future of up to 20 important but threatened buildings and sites across the Commonwealth.

The program was launched in May 2022 and is the largest ever Commonwealth heritage program: The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme. The program is funded by the Hamish Ogston Foundation, which has made £4.5 million available over five years to support training in heritage skills across the Commonwealth.

The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme will support Commonwealth countries to develop the range of specialist skills they need to protect valuable heritage sites. Over an initial five-year period, the program will train up to 600 people in a wide range of heritage and craft skills. It will focus on those countries where local stakeholders tell us the need is greatest, and where there is little existing capacity to manage or restore heritage at risk.

Tulane School of Architecture's lead on this initiative is Brent Fortenberry, Director of Historic Preservation and Christovich Associate Professor of Historic Preservation.

Read more about the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme.