MSc Historic Conservation: IHBC Gus Astley Student Award 2025

Fieldwork at the 11th century Castello di Cucagna, north-east Italy - Jack Parker joined participants seen here on the first of a series of hand-hewn sweet chestnut frames for the Charpentier sans Frontières rendez-vous project in September 2024

Here at Oxford Brookes, we are delighted to report that another one of the students from the MSc Historic Conservation has been awarded the IHBC Gus Astley Student Award. This time (2025) it was awarded to Jack Parker for his Dissertation 'Squaring the Circle: What is the role of Hewing in UK Historic Conservation'. Thanks to Jack for allowing us to use some of his images and to IHBC for the following report (see the full report here)...

The winner of the IHBC Gus Astley Student Awards for 2025 has been selected by guest judge, IHBC’s Vice President Torsten Haak, as Jack Parker, (Oxford Brookes) for work on ‘Hewing’, while the IHBC’s Booth-Bird award winner is Andrew Pettifor (Birmingham City University), as both secure places at our 2026 Newcastle School alongside cash prizes.

Torsten Haak said of the process that: ‘It was an honour to be invited to judge this year’s awards.’

‘Given my long-standing involvement in heritage, I was eager to see how fresh ideas, collaboration, and purpose are shaping the sector’s future. As anticipated, I was delighted to be inspired by the innovation and integrity shown in this year’s entries.’

Jack Parker of Oxford Brookes University and the University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education (Historic Conservation MSc) has taken the top award with a prize of £500 for his Capstone Project, ‘SQUARING THE CIRCLE: What is the Role of Hewing in UK Historic Conservation?’.

Torsten said of Jack’s work: ‘This was an outstanding and highly engaging piece of work (including author’s own explanatory drawings). Hewing was a technique I had not previously encountered in the UK context, and the dissertation offered a clear, well-structured, and convincing exploration of its relevance. The contemporary significance of the topic is evident, particularly in light of recent high-profile conservation projects in France, such as the restoration of Notre-Dame.

Jack’s supervisor on the project, Dr, Karl Kropf, said: ‘It was a pleasure and privilege to work with Jack. His energy and enthusiasm were central to bringing together his direct, hands-on skills and experience and his intellectual curiosity to produce such an outstanding project . We’re particularly pleased that Jack took full advantage of the wider remit for research opened up by the recently introduced Capstone Project and for his efforts to be recognised by the judges and IHBC’.

Jack said: ‘I am delighted to receive the Gus Astley Student Award. My research explores how hewing, as a traditional method of timber conversion, can contribute to more sustainable and informed approaches to contemporary historic building conservation practice. It is heartening to see that craft-based research, focusing on traditional skills in relation to current challenges around sustainability, material understanding, and heritage skills transmission, is valued by the conservation sector. I am very grateful to the IHBC, and the award is a real encouragement at an early stage in my career.’

For more information on the MSc Historic Conservation, take a look here.