Works of Genius: I.K. Brunel’s engineering achievements and their legacy

A symposium exploring recent research on Brunel and examining his legacy

STEAM, Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon

Friday 15th September 2006

PROGRAMME

9.30 Registration and coffee

10.00 Session one: welcome & introduction:

Chair: Andrew Kelly, Director, Brunel 200

10.05Brunel – recent research, ‘a review’:

Angus Buchanan, Professor Emeritus in the History of Technology, University of Bath

10.30 Brunel and cast iron:

Dr Steven Brindle, Historic Buildings Inspector, English Heritage and Malcolm Tucker, Consultant Civil Engineer

11.30 Brunel – the French Connection:

J.F. Belhoste, Directeur d’etudes, L’École pratique des Hautes Études, Université Paris Sorbonne

12.00 Brunel’s wrought iron bridges:

David Greenhill, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE); Panel for Historic Engineering Works (PHEW)

12.30 Discussion

13.00 Lunch and optional visit to ‘Steam’ Museum exhibitions

14.30 Session two

Chair: Angus Buchanan, Professor Emeritus in the History of Technology, University of Bath

14.35 Brunel as colleague: the South Wales perspective:

Stephen Jones, Author, ‘Brunel in South Wales Volume 1: In Trevithick's Tracks’

15.05 Brunel’s ships:

Matthew Tanner, Director, ss Great Britain Trust

15.35 A Great Western World Heritage Site – pioneer transport or Work of Genius?

Keith Falconer, Head of Industrial Archaeology, English Heritage

16.05 Discussion

16.45 Conclusions and close

HERITAGE ACTIVITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BATH

The University is developing a research agenda directly related to practical and policy problems of the heritage environment. Part of this agenda involved running symposia on key areas of interest and five of these symposia have already been held on the following topics:

  • The GWR symposium resolved to pursue World Heritage status for the GWR: the prospectus document will need to be supported by a substantial research-based management plan
  • The symposium on Digital Technology and Heritage brought together a different range of interests, industrial players as well as heritage organisations, and served to identify possible areas of joint innovation and knowledge transfer
  • Conservation in Architectural Education: Making a Case. ICOMOS-UK Education and Training Committee in conjunction with the University of Bath, the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and with the support of English Heritage. A key consideration of the workshop was to increase awareness of the need for conservation in architectural education in the UK
  • The symposium on Ruins brought together practitioners and researchers from different disciplines to discuss the presentation, interpretation and conservation of historic ruins in England.
  • The Future of the Country House and Estate symposium gave a broad overview of the country house tradition and contributed to the debate on new ways of presenting country houses and their estates, including current practice and sustainable use. It also looked at the future for the architecturally distinctive country house.

The University will continue to organise events of this kind in order to build up its profile in Swindon and Bath and to further a debate on heritage related issues. Taking into account the research strengths already established, the interests of stakeholders and of funding bodies, and the importance of establishing a reputation for the Institute, it will also seek funding for specific research projects.

Front Cover: By kind permission of Brunel 200

Brunel: Works of Genius

STEAM: Museum of the Great Western Railway

15th September 2006

BOOKING FORM

When completed, please return this form to: Lucie Pursell, Faculty of Engineering and Design,

University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY UK.

Fax+44 (0)1225 383255

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Symposium Fee: £50 (includes coffee, lunch, a free copy of Brunel: In Love with the Impossible (RRP £17.95) and The Great Western World Heritage Site: the Genesis of Modern Transport, A Consultation Document, English Heritage, and admission to STEAM Museum exhibition) Registered students: £25
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