Applied Craft Science in Traditional Timber Framing Conservation

The first step in any heritage project is its understanding; which is a process analogous to reverse engineering. Traditional reverse engineering involved the disassembly and reconstruction of a product to obtain a higher understanding of it. Contemporary reverse engineering typically refers to replication via, 3D scanning, modelling, and prototyping; unfortunately, this can yield a misplaced understanding. As described by traditional reverse engineering: a high-level understanding is obtained through a broad range of information sourced from related designs, existing documentation, personal experience, and general knowledge that lie outside the product of interest. In this thesis, digital photogrammetry is used as a tool to augment the process of reverse engineering squared (hewn) timber in traditional timber framing. Specifically, the hewing techniques and tools are reconstructed. As a result of this recovered understanding, both tangible and intangible heritage are accurately documented and preserved.