ARBA MINCH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING

ARCH 5312: Restoration and Preservation

Methods and practices of Assessment for Architectural Heritages
• There are standards for four distinct, but interrelated,
approaches to the treatment of historic properties:

1. Preservation,

2. Rehabilitation,

3. Restoration, and

4. Reconstruction
 Choosing an appropriate treatment for a historic building or landscape is
critical.
1. Preservation focuses on the maintenance and repair of existing historic
materials and retention of a property's form as it has evolved over time.
2. Rehabilitation acknowledges the need to alter or add to a historic
property to meet continuing or changing uses while retaining the
property's historic character.
3. Restoration depicts a property at a particular period of time in its history,
while removing evidence of other periods.
4. Reconstruction re-creates vanished or non-surviving portions of a
property for interpretive purposes.
 The choice of treatment depends on a variety of factors,
including the:

• property's historical significance,

• physical condition,

• proposed use, and

• intended interpretation / Mandated code requirements

• PRESERVATiON involves PROTECTING, MAINTAINING and
STABILIZING THE EXISTING FORM, MATERIAL AND INTEGRITY
of an historic place or individual component, WHiLE
PROTECTING ITS HERiTAGE VALUE.
• PRESERVATiON can include both short-term and
interim measures to protect or stabilize the place, as
well as long-term actions to stave off deterioration or
prevent damage.
• This ‘ll keep the place serviceable through ROUTINE
MAINTENANCE and SMALL REPAIRS, rather than
INOPERABLE during intrusive/direct interventions,
extensive replacement and new construction.
• In archaeological sites, Preservation can consist of
creating or maintaining a stable environment for
the character-defining elements to extend their
physical life.
 CONSERVATiON = THE OFFICIAL PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS THAT HAVE
HISTORICAL or ARTISTIC VALUES
 Whether they are CONCERNED WITH:

▪ GIVING A BUILDING “HERITAGE” STATUS,

▪ DECIDING WHICH BUILDING TO INVEST IN, planning for the future of a

historic site, or

▪ APPLYING A TREATMENT TO A MONUMENT

 use an articulation of heritage values (often called “cultural

significance”) as a reference point.
 Assessment of THE VALUES ATTRIBUTED TO HERITAGE is a very
important activity in any conservation effort, since values
strongly shape the decisions that are made.
 However, even though values are widely understood to be
critical to understanding & planning for heritage conservation,
there is little knowledge about how, pragmatically, the whole
range of heritage values can be assessed in the context of
planning and decision making.
 HERITAGE CONSERVATION is best understood as a
SOCIO-CULTURAL ACTIVITY, NOT simply a TECHNICAL
PRACTICE; it encompasses many activities preceding
and following any act of material intervention;

 It is important to consider the contexts of a heritage

conservation project—social, cultural, economic,
geographical, administrative—as seriously and as
deeply as the artifact/SITE ITSELF IS CONSIDERED;

 Heritage values are, by nature, varied, and they are

often in conflict.
 Architectural heritage refers to structures and buildings
together with their settings and attendant grounds, fixtures
and fittings, sites, which are of architectural, historic,
archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical
interest.
 Assessment of architectural heritage have the following parts:
1 – Architectural environment assessment
▪ Protection of the heritage
▪ The nature of the architectural heritage
▪ Sources of the architectural heritage information
2 – Constraints or problem study
 Consultation to gather baseline information
 Contents of the constraint or problem study
▪ Includes the structures and features of the architectural
heritage with any recognized areas of merit or problem
 Architectural heritage constraints or problems map
 Communicating the constraints or problems
▪ Present a report of the overall findings of the architectural
heritage constraints.
3 – Route corridor selection in the architectural heritage
 Desk study and compile base maps
 Prepare inventories and architectural heritage
 Invite other professionals if necessary
 Comparison of route options and their impacts
 Complete the route corridor report
4 – Environmental impact statement and potential solution proposal
 Nature of potential impacts
 Identify mitigation measures and their effects
 Finalize with report
5 – Implementation of the appropriate solutions
 Choose the most relevant treatment from the suggested potential solutions
 Form team of professionals or stakeholders
 Execute the job
For purposes of planning and management, value assessment presents a
threefold challenge:
1. identifying all the values of the heritage in question;
2. describing them; and
3. integrating and ranking the different, sometimes conflicting values, so that
they can inform the resolution of different, often conflicting stakeholder
interests.
The general framework of assessment of architectural heritage is as follows: →
‘In the great majority of
cases, the cure was worse
than the disease.’
Restoration is SELDOM undertaken until
deterioration has reached an advanced
stage. At this point, the need for it cannot be
questioned, whereas the need for
preventive measures earlier can always be
questioned and work deferred for financial
reasons.
1. Historical value
 In terms of architecture we can learn interior design and
decoration, as well as past standards of living and the way of life of
people from years gone by.
2. Architectural Importance
 Interesting and unique architecture and design ideas and styles
3. Old buildings boost business
 The leisure and tourism industry is the one that is likely to stand to
gain the most from a well-restored, attractive historical building
4. Cultural significance
 Old buildings are there to serve as a reminder of a town’s culture
and interesting past
5. You only get one chance
 If you choose not to restore a building and decide to demolish it
instead, you are never entirely sure of what is being destroyed

- SEARCH THE INTERNET FOR MORE REASONS OF RESTORATIONA ND

PRESERVATION
 International Committee for Documentation and
Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of
the Modern Movement.
 DOCOMOMO International
Is a non-profit organization dedicated to the DOcumentation and
COnservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the
MOdern MOvement
• Its foundation was inspired by the • Icomos- protection & conservation
work of ICOMOS, the International of historical buildings and sites
Council on Monuments and Sites
established in 1965.

• Docomomo International was • Docomomo –take up the challenge

founded in Eindhoven in 1988 by of the protection and conservation
Dutch architects Hubert-Jan of Modern Architecture & Urbanism
Henket and Wessel de Jonge.
 
In the last decades, THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF THE
MODERN MOVEMENT appeared more at risk than during any
other period. This built inheritance glorifies the dynamic spirit of
the Machine Age.

At the end of the 1980s, many modern masterpieces had
already been demolished or had changed beyond
recognition.

This was mainly due to the fact that many were not
considered to be elements of heritage, that their original
functions have substantially changed and that their
technological innovations have not always endured long-term
stresses.
• Act as watchdog when important modern movement buildings
anywhere are under threat.
• Exchange ideas relating to conservation technology, history
and education
• Foster interest in the ideas and heritage of the modern
movement.
• Elicit(provoke) responsibility towards this recent architectural
inheritance.
• to stimulate the interest of the public in general and the
proper authorities in particular in Modern Movement
architecture and modern design;
• to make an international register of important Modern
Movement buildings to be preserved and/or documented;
• to formulate new ideas for the future of the build environment
based on past experiences of the Modern Movement.
1. Bring the significance of the architecture of the Modern Movement
to the attention of the public, the authorities, the professionals and
the educational community.
2. Identify and promote the surveying of the works of the Modern
Movement.
3. Promote the conservation and (re)use of buildings and sites of the
Modern Movement.
4. Oppose destruction and disfigurement of significant works.
5. Foster and disseminate the development of appropriate techniques
and methods of conservation and adaptive (re)use.
6. Attract funding for documentation conservation and (re)use
7. Explore & develop new ideas for the future of a sustainable built env;t
based on the past experiences of the Modern Movement.