Following the standards, following the structures: The case of Louhisaari castle mid 17th century roof structures

This article examines the assessment of Louhisaari Castle roof structures in southwestern Finland. We examine the practical implementation of an EU Standard [1] of the assessment of historical timber structures that was used in the research of the structures from 2017 to 2021, and also widely tested in university fieldwork courses organized in 2017 and 2021 [2].

Our article engages the assessment carried on and remarks on the fieldworks when the standard is used in practice. We conclude with critical remarks of the relevance of the standard in the fieldworks of the assessment of historical timber structures. Furthermore, we explore in brief the results of the assessment.

Our article examines the methods used in the study of the roof structure of Louhisaari Castle, the utilization of interdisciplinary university cooperation, and the experience we have gained in using the EU standard as a guideline for such research and cooperation. Finally, we briefly evaluate the project asa whole: what significance it has for the preservation and restoration of the roof structure and for the training of emerging professionals.