Algonquin College is offering a new bachelor’s degree at its Heritage Institute in Perth, designed to help students preserve heritage structures and combat climate change.
The Bachelor of Applied Science (Building Conservation), unique in Canada, was developed to prepare students for a career in heritage conservation and the “revitalization of the built environment,” with a view to fighting climate change and “becoming stewards of physical heritage.” According to Algonquin, the need for sustainability-focused conservationists is growing as a result of Canada’s aging infrastructure.
The program has a dual focus, with students gaining an understanding of the theories and practices behind building conservation, including preservation, restoration and rehabilitation techniques that sustain existing buildings rather than send them to landfill. Students will also learn practical, hands-on skills.
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Coursework will include project management, traditional material sciences and conservationist business fundamentals, as well as workshop-oriented learning such as carpentry fundamentals, joinery, timber framing and log-building construction.
The program has three paid co-op terms that will provide students with real-world training.
“The new Bachelor of Applied Science program at the Perth Campus is designed to address two very real challenges facing Canadians: a dwindling skilled trades workforce and ongoing climate change,” said Claude Brulé, president and CEO of Algonquin College.
“This program is something that the industry has been asking for and it’s something that the Perth Campus is uniquely capable of providing,” said Chris Hahn, dean of the Perth Campus Heritage Institute and Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence.
“By teaching the necessary skills and theories to students in a small heritage town setting — especially one that is so close to the National Capital Region — we are providing students with an abundance of opportunities to see and understand the subjects they’re studying in a direct way, as well as plentiful options for employment and co-op placement.”
Registration is now open for the fall 2024 intake.
