Swanson School of Engineering

In the construction of St. Barbara’s Cathedral it was likely a challenge to keep the consistency, quality of work, and dedication of the building from the beginning of when the foundation of the church was laid to the completion of construction. I was surprised to see that approximately 518 years were spent building the cathedral. I think now, many people are used to more rapid construction and having a building ready in a few years, and thinking that way would make it harder to understand how something so large and intricate could be built back then without all of the technologies we have today and especially without considering how long was spent on the construction. Throughout this long period of time I think it would be a great challenge to keep the work consistent throughout so many people working on it and keeping the quality of work throughout all of the people in and out of working on the project. This must have taken extremely detailed records and extensive communication and knowledge to be passed on throughout the 518 years and even today for restoration and maintenance.