HOLY CRESCENT COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION

S9 B.Arch
Ritu Sara Thomas
11/7/2019

Notes for Architectural Conservation – M.G University Syllabus B.Arch 2011

 MODULE 1

ARCHITECTURE CONSERVATION
DEFINITION –
Conservation is the process of prolonging the life of a building through carefully planned
interventions so that it is available to the present and future generations to experience.

Action taken to prevent decay and manage change dynamically” – Bernard Fielden

Conservation means all the processes of looking after a place so as to retain its cultural significance. It
includes maintenance and may, according to circumstance, include Preservation, restoration,
reconstruction and adaptation and will be commonly a combination of more than one of these.

WHY CONSERVATION?

NEED OF CONSERVATION
It is important to preserve our cultural heritage, because it keeps our integrity as a people. The
importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of
knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next.

1. To create awareness in common citizen

2. Due to lack of political will for conservation
3. Lack of External funding
4. Lack of Knowledge Resources
5. High Cost
6. Threats from aesthetic domination
7. Obsolete Rent Control and Cessed Properties Acts

OBJECTIVES OF CONSERVATION

a. Maintain the significance of architectural heritage or site

b. Significance in terms of both intangible and tangible
c. Preservation of tangible heritage along with their setting.
d. Retention of meaning or values in society.
e. Conservation of even fragments of tangible and intangible heritage, as a representation of the
past.
f. Establish the efficiency of conservation as a development goal.

SCOPE OF CONSERVATION

The scope of conservation consists of historic buildings, and ranges from preservation and consolidation
of artefacts to town planning and conservation of cultural landscapes.

VALUES IN CONSERVATION

1. Conservation must preserve and if possible enhance the values of cultural property.
2. These values help systematically to set overall priorities in deciding proposed interventions, as well
as to establish the extent and nature of the individual treatment.
3. The assignment of priority values will inevitably reflect the cultural context of each historic building.
4. For example, a small wooden domestic structure from the late eighteenth century in Australia
would be considered a national landmark because it dates from the founding of the nation and
because so little architecture has survived from that period.
5. In Italy, on the other hand, with its thousands of ancient monuments, a comparable structure would
have a relatively low priority in the overall conservation needs of the community.

The ‗values‘ as already given in the Preface come under three major headings:
(1) Emotional values: (a) wonder; (b) identity; (c) continuity; (d) spiritual and symbolic.
(2) Cultural values: (a) documentary; (b) historic; (c) archaeological, age and scarcity; (d) aesthetic
and symbolic; (e) architectural; (f ) townscape, landscape and ecological; (g) technological and
scientific.
(3) Use values: (a) functional; (b) economic; (c) social; (d) educational; (e) political and ethnic.

6. Having analysed these values they should be condensed into a “statement of significance‖ of
the cultural property.

# ETHICS OF CONSERVATION

The following standard of ethics must be rigorously observed in conservation work.

1. The condition of the building must be recorded before any intervention

2. Historic evidence must not be destroyed, falsified or removed.
3. Any intervention must be the minimum necessary
4. Any intervention must be governed by unswerving respect for the aesthetic, historic and physical
integrity of cultural property
5. All methods and materials used during treatment must be fully documented.

# PRINCIPLES OF CONSERVATION

a. Minimum intervention
b. Any action should be reversible.
c. Well recorded or well documented before conservation
d. Misplacement leads to confusion
e. Reuse of historic materials/ Modern material should indicate the year.
f. Reconstruction using same fabric.
g. Modern techniques can be used but should be documented.
h. Experimentation is not desirable.
i. Any intervention should be governed by the due respect for the aesthetic, historical and physical
integrity of cultural property.

# HISTORY OF CONSERVATION

(Key events that influenced the emergence of Architectural Conservation highlighting

the dominant philosophies and pioneers in the field) 20 marks

INTERNATIONAL

1. After the French Revolution in 1799, vandalized structures were restored by Eugene
Viollet Le Duc to a state of completeness. His philosophy was ―Unity in Style‖, His
philosophy was ―to restore an edifice is not to maintain it, repair it or remake it, it is to
re-establish it to a state of completeness that may never have existed‖.
Eg: Notre Dame, Paris was restored revive gothic fittings by addition of the fleche
(spire), addition of chimeras, gargoyles and bats on the Galerie des Chimeres to
serve as gutters in 1846-64. The pulpit, chapel altars, baptismal fonts, the crown of
light, the lustres, candelabra and chandeliers and liturgical silverwork added.
2. John Ruskin introduced an art writer of 19th century introduced the concept of integrated
conservation, minimal intervention, and preserving the uniqueness and values of
historic buildings. His philosophy was ―Preservation not restoration‖. He wrote Seven
Lamps of Architecture. This approach to cultural heritage was continues to be highly influential,
informing the difference between the terms restoration and conservation.

3. John Ruskin‘s social interest and the preservation of the architecture are an interesting response in
the collaboration with William Morris. They were founding fathers of society for the protection of
 ancient buildings. William Morris introduced the SPAB – Society of Preservation of Ancient
Buildings. He built upon Ruskin‘s principles. He stated that Architectural conservation depends on
a thorough study of the building as it stands, followed by any further analytical studies deemed
necessary, in order to make a correct diagnosis of the structural actions of the said building and
the causes of its decay.
4. Patrick Geddes (1885- 1932) is a Town Planner who introduced the concept of ―Folk, Work and
Place‖ , also introduced Urban Conservation. His planning approach is Conservative Surgery-
―take into account the exiting physical, social and symbolic landscape in order to allow its most
favourable development.
5. Andre Malraux introduced Malraux Law in 1962– Old city fabric is adapted with new construction.
Philosophy: Conservation + Modernism) Eg: Marais, Paris.

In INDIA

6. Sir John Marshall (1876-1958) was a prominent British archaeologist and scholar who focused on
the archaeology India and the Indus Valley site - Mohenjo-daro.
7. Sir William Jones started the Asiatic Society in 1784. The society started a conservation
movement that led to growing awareness of Indian culture, discovery and publication of ancient
monuments and study of Indian Architecture.
8. Lord Curzon was the Viceroy of India in 1898. He revived ASI and he appointed John Marshall as
the Director General in 1902. He passed the Ancient Monuments and Preservation Act, 1904.
Eg: It was during his period that the Taj Mahal was restored.
9. In 1861, Alexander Cunningham was appointed by the British, India Govt. as the Archaeological
survey or to the monuments of North India. In 1870, Cunningham was made the Director General
of the ASI. He made the discovery of great many Buddhist sites in central India. Eg: Sanchi Stupa
10. James Princep (1799-1840) was one of the pioneers to initiate drafting of detailed survey plans
in India. He introduced the concept of reconstruction in the field of architectural conservation.

AMASR Act, 1958

 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (AMASR Act ) was
passed in 1958 in which ASI entrusted duty of conservation of monuments, archaeological sites
and remains in India which are of more than 100 years of age.
 No meetings, conferences, parties, advertising or selling were allowed to be conducted in the
monuments except religious activities.
 No mining or construction activities were allowed nearby the monument.
 Injury, alteration, defacement of a protected monument was considered a criminal offense.
 The Act was amended in 2010, 100m area around is PROHIBITED AREA and 100 -300m is
RESTRICTED AREA. It established National Monuments Authority (NMA) which is the body that
grants permission for construction in these areas.
# AGENCIES INVOLVED IN CONSERVATION

ICCROM, ICOMOS, ASI, State Department of Archaeology, Town Planning Departments, state Art and
Heritage Commission And INTACH.

International Organisations

1. ICOMOS

 ICOMOS (The International Council on Monuments and Sites) is an NGO that works for the
conservation and protection of international cultural heritage places. It was established in 1965
under the Venice Charter.
 ICOMOS is a network of experts that benefits from the interdisciplinary exchange of its members.
 The members of ICOMOS contribute to improving the preservation of heritage, the standards and
the techniques for each type of cultural heritage property: buildings, historic cities, cultural
landscapes and archaeological sites.

2. ICCROM

 ICCROM (The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of
Cultural Property) is an international research Institute for Heritage Conservation.
 It is an intergovernmental organization working in service to its Member States to promote the
conservation of all forms of cultural heritage, in every region of the world.
 on ICCROM for its world-class initiatives in conservation training, information, research,
cooperation and advocacy.

3. UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) established in 1972 inscribes cultural and Natural
Heritage Properties as World Heritage Sites.
4. Getty Conservation Institute established in 1985. It is a private international research institute
dedicated to advancing conservation practice through the creation and delivery of knowledge.
 5. DOCOMOMO established in 1988 is an international NGO for documentation and Conservation of
Modern Monuments. Eg: Sydney Opera House, Australia

6. English Heritage
Historic England or English Heritage is a governmental body created under the National Heritage
Act 1983. Aimed to protect the historical environment of England. Eg: Documents, gives
grants, advices national and state bodies, lists heritage buildings.

7. National Trust, England

National Trust of England founded in 1895 is an NGO aimed to preserve the cultural heritage of
England after Industrial Revolution. Eg: Preservation of English Country Houses, historic
landscapes, nature reserves through capacity building, community participation.

IN INDIA

1. ASI
 The Archaeological Survey of India is a Government of India organisation responsible for
archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural monuments in
the country.

 Sir Alexander Cunningham founded the Archaeological Survey of India in 1861 CE. He was
appointed the first Director General in 1870 AD.

 ASI is attached office of the Ministry of Culture.

 Under the provisions of the AMASR Act of 1958, the ASI administers more than 3650 ancient
monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance under various chapters in
each state.

 These can include everything from temples, mosques, churches, tombs, and cemeteries to
palaces, forts, step-wells, and rock-cut caves.

 The Survey also maintains ancient mounds and other similar sites which represent the remains of
ancient habitation.

 The ASI is headed by a Director General who is assisted by an Additional Director General, two
Joint Directors General, and 17 Directors

2. INTACH

 The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is an NGO founded in 1984
in New Delhi with the vision to spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.

 INTACH has pioneered the conservation and preservation of not just our natural and built heritage
but intangible heritage as well.

 It has various divisions such as Architectural Heritage, Natural Heritage, Material Heritage,
Intangible Cultural Heritage, Heritage Education and Communication Services (HECS), Crafts and
Community Cell, Chapters, INTACH Heritage Academy, Heritage Tourism, Listing Cell and Library,
Archives and Documentation Centre.

3. STATE ART AND HERITAGE COMMISSION

 The Art and Heritage commission constituted under Rule 154 of Kerala Municipality Building Rules
1999 shall have jurisdiction over all panchayats.
  Functions of the commission:
1. To identify areas of heritage and monuments to be preserved.
2. To identify areas of architectural importance and buildings to be preserved
3. To identify places or streets where a particular form of or group of architectural forms of
buildings alone may be permitted and to prepare model plans, elevations etc: for that place or
street.
4. To examine architectural features in respect of any building or parts thereof or their aesthetic
vis-à-vis the existing structures in a particular area or street.
5. To advice government or panchayat on any subject mentioned above.
6. To submit periodical reports.

4. STATE DEPARTMENTS OF ARCHAEOLOGY

 Each State in India has a Department of Archaeology whose main function is to protect and
preserve the Remains of our Cultural Heritage.

 Each State passes its AMASR Act under which the Department functions.
Eg: Kerala Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act controls the function of
the Kerala State Department of Archaeology.

 It declares monuments and sites of more than 100 years of age as ‘Protected’ with legal
protection.
Eg: Padmanabhapuram Palace and Archaeological Museum is under the Kerala State Department
of Archaeology.

5. TOWN PLANNING DEPARTMENTS

 Delineation of Heritage zones within the Municipal or Panchayat Boundaries.

 Preparation of heritage building byelaws under the advice of the State Art and Heritage
Commission.

 Preparation of Master Plans for Urban and Rural Conservation.

 Drafting legislations and Government Policies on settlement planning and conservation.

Eg: Department of Town and Country Planning Trivandrum

# CHARTERS IN CONSERVATION

Charters are international guidelines for the conservation and restoration of ancient monument, which
must be common on an international basis, but within the framework of the individual country‘s culture and
traditions.

1. VENICE CHARTER , 1964

 The Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites is a set of
guidelines, drawn up in 1964, that provides an international framework for the conservation and
restoration of historic buildings.

 It is the basic reference guide for all countries. It provides guidelines on the conservation of historic
buildings and towns.

 ICOMOS was founded in 1965 in Warsaw to carry out the Venice Charter. It offers advice to
UNESCO on World Heritage Sites.
 However, the document is now seen as outdated, representing Modernist views opposed to
reconstruction.

Article 1: DEFINITIONS:
Concept of historical monuments is not restricted to a single architectural monument
but also its rural or urban setting.
Article 2: Conservation must include modern techniques as well.
Article 3: AIM
The main aim of conservation is to safeguard monuments not only as a work of art but
also as historic evidence.
Article 4: CONSERVATION
Conservation must be undertaken on a permanent basis
Article 5: Adaptive reuse of monuments is encouraged
Article 6: The setting of the monument must also be preserved.
Article 7: The movement of all or part of the monument is allowed only when essential.
Article 8: Items of sculpture, painting or decoration may be removed only if essential
Article 9: RESTORATION
Restoration must be preceded by archaeological study. Any extra work must be
distinct from the original work.
Article 10: Use of modern techniques for conservation is allowed.
Article 11: Contributions of all periods to the construction be preserved.
Article 12: Replacement of missing part must integrate with the whole of the monument but it
must be distinct as well from the original.
Article 13: Additions are not allowed except when necessary.
Article 14: HISTORIC SITES
Monuments must be preserved according to the principles of the charters.
Article 15: EXCAVATIONS
Excavations are to be carried out according to the scientific standards and principles
adopted by UNESCO in 1956.
Article 16: PUBLICATION
Every stage of work must be recorded and the report must also be published.

2. BURRA CHARTER , 1979

 The Burra Charter is a set of principles that have been adopted to create a national accepted
standard for heritage conservation practice in Australia.

 The Australia ICOMOS Charter for the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance, known as
the Burra Charter, was first adopted at Burra in 1979.

 The Burra Charter defines the basic principles and procedures to be followed in the conservation
of heritage places.

 It does not prescribe the techniques to be used or the manner in which a heritage place should be
cared for.

 These principles and procedures can be applied to a monument, building, garden, shell midden,
rock art site, road, mining or archaeological site, or to a whole region.

 The Charter is recognised as having pioneered the understanding of cultural heritage as

going beyond the mere preservation of the built environment.

 The Charter identifies three levels of repair for heritage structures. These are:
 I. Preservation: Maintaining a place in its existing state and preventing further deterioration.
II. Restoration: Returning a place to a known earlier state by removing accretions or by
reassembling existing elements without the introduction of new material.
III. Reconstruction: Returning a place to a known earlier state and is distinguished from restoration
by the introduction of new material.

3. FLORENCE CHARTER, 1982:

 The convention held at Florence, provide guidelines on the preservation of historic towns,
cultural tourism, and historic gardens.

 It was adopted by ICOMOS in December 1982.

 It states that ―A historic garden is an architectural and horticultural composition of interest to

the public from the historical or artistic point of view". As such, it is to be considered as a
monument.
Eg:

Article 1-3: Garden is a monument and an architectural composition, yet consisting

of living material and constantly changing
Article 5: Both natural and cultural element has to be taken into full account in
conservation; garden is an ideal place made true and an image of
nature
Article 6: It may be small or large in style
Article 7: A garden cannot be isolated from its setting.
Article 8: Value of a garden may be based on style, designer, period , historical
association , myths or artistic/literary works
Article 9: Reconstruction is justified only in limited cases
Article 10: Maintenance and conservation distributed equally to every part to
maintain integrity
Article 11: Continuity of conservation, entailing timely replacement of plant material
and long term renewal programme.
Article 12: Identification of original species and cultivars, replanting to be done
using them or their closest alternatives
Article 13: Sculptures and artifacts to be kept in place
Article 14: Ecological sustainability, preserving within surroundings and protection
from environmental threats
Article 15: Systematic research on every relevant field, observed in planning after
expert review
Article 16: Every layer is equally important , reconstruction preferably linked to
buildings
Article 17: Totally disappeared garden with no sufficient source material cannot be
reconstructed , if recreated will not be holistic
Article 18-21: New uses should not be sympathetic
Article 23: Adequate protection in land use planning
Article 24-25: Need of training and public access

4. Athens Charter, 1931:

 A convention was held to form a common forum and adopt principles on conservation and
restoration of ancient buildings on the international basis.

 It led to the establishment of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and
ICCROM (International Center for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites).

 Majorly seven points were discussed.They were:

1. to establish organizations for restoration advice
2. to ensure projects are reviewed with knowledgeable criticism
 3. to establish national legislation to preserve historic sites
4. to rebury excavations which were not to be restored.
5. to allow the use of modern techniques and materials in restoration work.
6. to place historical sites under custodial protection.
7. to protect the area surrounding historic sites.

 Three main ideas of i) common world heritage ii) the importance of the setting of monuments
and iii) the principle of integration of new materials were highlighted.

5. THE NARA DOCUMENT ON AUTHENTICITY, 1994 is a document that addresses the need
for a broader understanding of cultural diversity and cultural heritage in relation to
conservation in order to evaluate the value and authenticity of cultural property more
objectively.
It was drafted by 45 representatives from 28 countries after their deliberation on the definition
and assessment of authenticity during the Nara Conference held in Nara in November 1994.

#DEFINITIONS

CULTURAL HERITAGE

Cultural Heritage is an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from
generation to generation, including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values.
Cultural Heritage is often expressed as either Intangible or Tangible Cultural Heritage (ICOMOS, 2002).

NATURAL HERITAGE
Natural heritage refers to the sum total of the elements of biodiversity, including flora and fauna ,
ecosystems and geological structures. Heritage is that which is inherited from past generations,
maintained in the present, and bestowed to future generations.

BUILT HERITAGE
Built heritage consists of all aspects of the man-made historic environment such as houses, factories,
commercial buildings, places of worship, cemeteries, monuments and built infrastructure such as roads,
railways and bridges; physically created places such as gardens, mining sites and stock routes; and other
places of historical significance such as archaeological sites.

ANCIENT MONUMENT
In British law, an ancient monument is an early historical structure or monument (e.g. an archaeological
site) worthy of preservation and study due to archaeological or heritage interest.
The term differs from the American term "National Monument" in that U.S. National Monuments are
comparatively few in number and may include natural formations; British ancient monuments are by
definition man-made.

OUTSTANDING UNIVERSAL VALUE (OUV) means cultural and/or natural significance which is so
exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future
generations of all humanity.

As such, the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest importance to the international
community as a whole. The Committee defines the criteria for the inscription of properties on the World
Heritage List.

SELECTION CRITEREA FOR INSCIPTION IN THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST

(i) to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

(ii) to exhibit an important interchange of human values

(iii) to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization

which is living or which has disappeared;
 (iv) to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble
or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

(v) to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use

(vi) to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with
beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.

(vii) to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty.

(viii) to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history.

(ix) to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological

processes

(x) to contain the most important and significant natural habitat.

AUTHENTICITY AND INTERGRITY IN CONSERVATION (10 marks)

Attributes are those elements of the property that carry the OUV. EG: Design, Material,
Workmanship, Setting, Form & Design, Material & Substance, Use & Function, Traditions ,
Techniques and Management Systems, Location & Setting, Language and other intangible
elements, Spirit of the Place.

Authenticity is the ability of a property to convey its OUV. It is the link between attributes and
OUV.

Integrity is the completeness /intactness of the attributes needed to carry OUV. The heritage
property should be intact and whole and with absence of threats.

 According to the review of relevant research and theories, presented at the Nara Conference
(1994),"Authenticity" can be defined as something that sustains and proves itself, as well as having
credit and authority from itself.

 Authenticity refers to something creative, an authorship, something having a deep identity in form and
substance.

 While in many cases “authenticity can relate to historical - continuity in the ―life‖ of the heritage resource.

 This includes interventions in different periods of time, and the way that these have been integrated in
the context of the whole.

 The relative significance of each period in the whole should be established through a historical-critical
process, in order to form the basis for treatments.

 Authenticity can be understood as a condition of the heritage resource.

 These dimensions can be seen in relation to the aesthetic, structural and functional form of the object or
site, in relation to its material and technology, as well as in relation to its physical and socio-cultural
context.
 MODULE 2

# CAUSES OF DECAY AND DETERIORATION ( Elaborate for 20 marks)

Deterioration is the process in which the condition of the building or its components has degenerated or
become unstable.

Decay is the process of decline in quality of a structure.

a. NATURAL AGENTS OF DETERIORATION AND LOSS

Nature‘s most destructive forces are categorized as natural disasters, and include earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions, hurricanes, floods, landslides, fires caused by lightning, and so forth. Throughout human history,
they have had a spectacularly destructive effect on cultural property. After natural disasters, less drastic
agents account for die normal and often prolonged attrition of cultural property. All these agents fall under
the general heading of climate.

Climate is the consequence of many factors, such as radiation (especially short-wave

radiation), temperature, moisture in its many forms— vapour clouds, rain, ice, snow and groundwater—
wind and sunshine.

b. Human factors

Man-made causes of decay need careful assessment, as they are in general the by-product of the
industrial productivity that brings us wealth and enables us to press the claims of conservation. Pollution is
another great risk. They are serious and can only be reduced by forethought and international co-
operation. Neglect and ignorance are possibly the major causes of destruction by man, coupled with
vandalism It should be noted that the incidence of arson (fire) is increasing, putting historic buildings at
even greater risk. Terrorism, War, Faulty Design/Construction/Materials, Neglect/Improper Repair/
Maintenance, Traffic Vibrations are other factors.
# SEVEN DEGREES OF INTERVENTION
Conservation involves making interventions at various scales and levels of intensity which are determined
by the physical condition, causes of deterioration and anticipated future environment of the cultural
property under treatment. Always bearing in mind the final aim and the principles and rules of conservation,
particularly that the minimum effective intervention is always the best seven ascending degrees of
intervention can be identified. In any major conservation project, several of these degrees may take place
simultaneously in various parts of the ‗whole‘.

The seven degrees of intervention in the field of Architectural Conservation are:

1. Prevention of deterioration
2. Preservation of existing fabric
3. Consolidation of the fabric
4. Restoration
5. Rehabilitation
6. Reproduction
7. Reconstruction

PREVENTION OF DETERIORATION (OR INDIRECT CONSERVATION)

 Prevention entails protecting cultural property by controlling its environment, thus preventing
agents of decay and damage from becoming active. Neglect must also be prevented by sound
maintenance procedures based on regular inspections.
 Therefore, prevention includes control of internal humidity, temperature and light, as well as
measures to prevent fire, arson, theft and vandalism, and to provide for cleaning and good overall
housekeeping.
 In summary, regular inspections of cultural property are the basis of prevention of deterioration.
Eg: Maintenance, cleaning schedules, good housekeeping and proper management also aid
prevention.Such inspections are the first step in preventive maintenance and repair.

PRESERVATION OF EXISTING FABRIC

 Preservation deals directly with cultural property. Its object is to keep it in its existing state. Repairs
must be carried out when necessary to prevent further decay. Damage and destruction caused by
water in all its forms, by chemical agents and by all types of pests and micro-organisms must be
stopped in order to preserve the structure.
Eg: Painting, plastering, lime wash etc.

CONSOLIDATION OF THE FABRIC

 Consolidation is the physical addition or application of adhesive or supportive materials into the
actual fabric of cultural property, in order to ensure its continued durability or structural integrity. In
the case of immovable cultural property, consolidation may for example entail the injection of
adhesives to secure a detached mural painting to the wall and likewise grouting of the structure.
 With historic buildings, when the strength of structural elements has been so reduced that it is no
longer sufficient to meet future hazards, consolidation of the existing material may have to be
carried out.
Eg: Stitching, Grouting

RESTORATION
 The object of restoration is to revive the original concept or legibility of the object. Restoration and
re-integration of details and features occurs frequently and is based upon respect for original
material, archaeological evidence, original design and authentic documents.
 Replacement of missing or decayed parts must integrate harmoniously with the whole, but must be
distinguishable on close inspection from the original so that the restoration does not falsify
archaeological or historical evidence.
 Contributions from all periods must be respected.
 Eg: In a sense, the cleaning of buildings is also a form of restoration, and the replacement of
missing decorative elements is another.

REHABILITATION
 The best way of preserving buildings as opposed to objects is to keep them in use—a practice
which may involve what the French call ‗mise en valeur‘, or modernization with or without adaptive
alteration.
 The original use is generally the best for conservation of the fabric, as it means fewer changes.
 Adaptive use of buildings, such as utilizing a mediaeval convent in Venice to house a school and
laboratory for stone conservation, or turning an eighteenth-century barn into a domestic dwelling, is
often the only way that historic and aesthetic values can be saved economically and historic
buildings brought up to contemporary standards.
E.g.: Use of the Viceroy‘s house as Rashtrapathi Bhavan

REPRODUCTION
 Reproduction entails copying an extant artefact, often in order to replace some missing or decayed
parts, generally decorative, to maintain its aesthetic harmony.
 If valuable cultural property is being damaged irretrievably or is threatened by its environment, it
may have to be moved to a more suitable environment and a reproduction substituted in order to
maintain the unity of a site or building.
 For example, Michelangelo‘s ‗David‘ was removed from the Piazza della Signoria, Florence, into a
museum to protect it from the weather, and a good reproduction took its place. Similar
substitutions have been undertaken for the sculpture of the cathedrals of Strasbourg and Wells.
 E.g.: Re-creation of gardens at Humayun‘s tomb

RECONSTRUCTION
 Reconstruction of historic buildings and historic centres using new materials may he necessitated
by disasters such as fire, earthquake or war. Reconstruction cannot have the patina of age. As in
restoration, reconstruction must be based upon accurate documentation and evidence, never upon
conjecture.
 The moving of entire buildings to new sites is another form of reconstruction justified only by over-
riding national interest. It is called Translocation. Nevertheless, it entails the loss of essential
cultural values and the generation of new environmental risks. The classic example is the temple
complex of Abu Simbel (XIX Dynasty), Egypt, which was moved to prevent its inundation following
the construction of the Aswan High Dam, but is now exposed to wind erosion.
E.g.: Shakespeare‘s house and F.L.Wright‘s house

# PREPARATORY PROCEDURES FOR CONSERVATION

1. Identification of the ‗values‘ in the object, monument or site: Emotional, Cultural and Use Value.
2. Preparation of inventories
3. Initial Inspections
4. Documentation – Research, Analysis, and Recording (in Reports)

a. Identification of the ‘values’ in the object, monument or site: Emotional, Cultural and Use
Value

Listing of the built heritage is a legal document made available to the public for protection of heritage
buildings and giving it a statutory back-up has to be in accordance with the rules, regulations and byelaws
framed under the relevant state Acts that govern the development and use of land. It identifies the values
of a historic building.

The three key concepts need to be understood to determine whether a property is worthy of listing as a
Heritage are namely
1. Historic significance
2. Historic integrity
3. Historic context

Historic significance is the importance of a property to the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering
or culture of a community, region or nation.
1. Association with events, activities or patterns
2. Association with important persons
3. Distinctive physical characteristics of design, construction or form, representing the work of a
master
4. Potential to yield important information such as illustrating social, economic history such as railway
stations, town halls, clubs, markets, water works etc.
5. Technological innovations such as dams, bridges etc
6. Distinct town planning features like squares, streets, avenues.

b. Preparation of INVENTORIES

 At the national level, conservation procedures consist initially of making an inventory of all cultural
property in the country.

 This is a major administrative task for the government, and involves establishing appropriate
categories of cultural property and recording them as thoroughly, both graphically and
descriptively, as possible.
 Computers and microfilm records are valuable aids.

 Legislation protects from demolition those historic buildings listed in inventories.

 The inventories also serve as a basis for allocating grants or providing special tax relief for those
who must maintain historic buildings.

c. INITIAL INSPECTIONS

 A preliminary visual inspection and study of each building is necessary in order to know and
define it as a ‗whole‘. The present condition of the building must be recorded methodically and then
whatever further studies are required can be reported.

 When a country has a statistically significant number of reports, together with estimates given in
recognized categories of urgency, it can assess the probable cost of its conservation policies and
decide priorities in accordance with its budgetary provision. It can then plan its work-force in
accordance with its needs and allocate adequate resources.

 All historic buildings should be inspected at regular intervals, in order to establish maintenance
plans. The spacing of the intervals will be frequent in a hot, humid climate but in a temperate zone
five-year interval are sufficient.

d. CONTINUING DOCUMENTATION

 Documentation is the physical recording of the building measurements through plan, section and
elevations for assessment of heritage characteristics.
 Complete recording is essential before, during and after any intervention. In all works of
preservation, repair or excavation of cultural property there must always he precise documentation
in the form of analytical and critical reports, illustrated with photographs and drawings.

 Every stage of the work of cleaning, consolidation, reassembly and integration, including
all materials and techniques used, must he have recorded.

 Reports on technical and formal features identified during the course of the work should be placed
in the archives of a public institution and made available to research workers.
 MODULE 3
URBAN MORPHOLOGY

 Urban morphology is the study of the form of human settlements and the process of their
formation and transformation.
 The study seeks to understand the spatial structure and character of a metropolitan area, city,
town or village by examining the patterns of its component parts and the ownership or control and
occupation.
 Typically, analysis of physical form focuses on street pattern, Plot pattern and building pattern,
sometimes referred to collectively as urban grain.

 Special attention is given to how the physical form of a city changes over time and to how different
cities compare to each other. Another significant part of this subfield deals with the study of the
social forms which are expressed in the physical layout of a city, and, conversely, how physical
form produces or reproduces various social forms.

 Urban morphology is considered as the study of urban tissue, or fabric, as a means of discerning
the environmental level normally associated with urban design. Tissue comprises coherent
neighbourhood morphology (open spaces, building) and functions (human activity). Neighbourhood
exhibit recognizable patterns in the ordering of buildings, spaces and functions (themes), within
which variation reinforced an organizing set of principles. This approach challenges the common
perception of unplanned environments as chaotic or vaguely organic through understanding the
structures and processes embedded in urbanisation.

Some concepts of urban morphology

 Urban morphology approaches human settlements as generally unconscious products that emerge
over long periods, through the accrual of successive generations of building activity. This leaves
traces that serve to structure subsequent building activity and provide opportunities and constraints
for city-building processes, such as land subdivision, infrastructure development, or building
construction. Articulating and analysing the logic of these traces is the central question of urban
morphology.

 Urban morphology is not generally object-centred, in that it emphasises the relationships between
components of the city. To make a parallel with linguistics, the focus is placed on an active
vocabulary and its syntax. There is thus a tendency to use morphological techniques to examine
the ordinary, non-monumental areas of the city and to stress the process and its structures over
any given state or object, therefore going beyond architecture and looking at the entire built
landscape and its internal logic.

 Roger Trancik discusses three major theories of urban spatial design and urban mythology which
can guide analysis:
1. Figure and Ground theory
2. Linkage theory
3. Place Theory

 Figure and Ground theory is founded on the study of the relationship of land coverage of buildings
as solid mass (figure) to open voids (ground) Each urban environment has an existing pattern of
solid and voids, and figure and ground approach to spatial design is an attempt to manipulate
these relationships by adding to, subtracting from, or changing the physical geometry of the
pattern. The objective of these manipulations is to clarify the structure of urban space in a city or
district by establishing a hierarchy of spaces of different sizes that are individually enclosed but
ordered directionally in relation to each other.

 Linkage theory focuses on lines formed by streets, pedestrian ways, linear open spaces or other
linking elements that physically connect the parts of the city.
  Place theory operates upon structured systems of human needs and usage.

QUALITY OF LIFE IN HISTORIC CITIES

 The historic centre has many advantages for its citizens. It is intimate and human in scale, often
rich in diverse activities, and compared with some vast modern planned cities, often extremely
convenient for shopping and entertainment. There are key buildings around which the city
arranges itself- a temple or grand mosque, a fort or palace with a market square for the pedestrian
there are many subtle qualities in winding streets, narrow lanes, even canals and bridges and
these urban spaces all combine to give visual drama by the sensations of compression, expansion,
surprise and a fine architectural set piece. The views of the principal buildings from various places
give the citizen reassuring reference points. If he knows the history of the place he gets a rich
feeling of belonging- continuity and identity. Some of the key buildings will be symbolic, for without
them the place could never be the same again.

 Yet most of the buildings in the historic centre will be quite simple, almost anonymous vernacular
architecture. Their visual value is in their contribution to townscape and to values of continuity and
identity for the inhabitants. Conservation of these buildings need most careful consideration in
studies of typology, usage and condition. In planning an historic centre, it is vital to know its
morphology. The structure of these buildings contains historical and archaeological information.
Maintenance of all these buildings is essential in order to prevent structural and economic decay,
so schemes for regular inspections by architects should be part of the conservation plan.

 From the above it is seen that visual value of an historic town are of especial significance. The
harmony given by the use of traditional materials and methods of construction should be
respected. Traditional colours often based on natural pigments or lime-based paints should be
continued in use. The texture and scale of the city must be respected and new intrusions avoided.
It is desirable that a surrounding buffer zone be established to prevent harmful visual intrusions or
commercial and industrial development from detracting from the visual unity and landscape value
of the historic centre. It is the genius loci, or character of a place, that makes it unique and gives it
specific quality.

PROBLEMS ARISING IN HISTORIC CITIES

 The traditional and functional whole of an historic centre, especially in developing countries, is
today threatened by various causes. Demographic growth and migration from rural areas
towards urban centres, the increasing use of private motor transport with penetration of areas
never meant to be used by motor vehicles and consequential parking problems, the individuals
profit from development at the public expenses leading to high rise buildings which aggravate both
the traffic and parking problems and which change the micro climate of the historic centre and
produce atmospheric pollution and destructive vibrations, are some of the causes of decay which
occur in combination.

 The economic functions of the historic centre have also been threatened by changes in industrial
methods and in the scale of commercial operations with a movement away from craft production
to mass production demanding larger buildings which the historic centre cannot accommodate
because of difficulties in serving such buildings with their objectionable size which disrupts its
harmony. Introductions of modern functions and services to replace traditional infrastructure have
cause redundancy, immigration and uncontrolled growth has led to social changes an
dilapidation in the historic centre where palaces becomes workshops and dwellings become
overcrowded and often unhealthy, lack of maintenance of old buildings and a failure to
understand their cultural and functional values have increased the dangers.

 Modern developers, private and public, have too often failed to understand the cultural values
of historic centres. The small and human scale, the refined traditional structure of the urban
fabric, the narrow winding street reflecting the necessities of climate, as well as the relationship
between public and private space are destroyed. Those seeking status, prestige or profit, have
 tried to build large modern buildings which have no cultural roots and often have poor
environmental performance.

 Instead, what we should do is to make declining residential zones of historic areas into attractive
liveable foci for all social categories. A proper social mix should be reflected in the mixture of
activities, residential, commercial, and industrial and leisure. Urban management should be one of
harmonisation, avoidance of undesirable uses and maintenance of values. The technique for this
approach is call ―integrated ―conservation and involves rehabilitation of historic buildings.

 Many historic centres are run down, consisting of almost derelict areas with obsolete housing,
they have traffic problems for both circulation, parking and access, combined with a conflict
between the needs of pedestrians and motor cars. Due to their long history they often have
complicated patterns of divided ownership. There may also be economic problems and if site
values exceed the value of the building fabric, there is a possibility of commercial redevelopment.

# HISTORIC URBAN LANDSCAPE APPROACH

• The Historic Urban Landscape approach moves beyond the preservation of the physical
environment and focuses on the entire human environment with all of its tangible and intangible
qualities.
• It seeks to increase the sustainability of planning and design interventions.
• Takes into account the existing a. built environment, b. intangible heritage, c. cultural diversity, d.
socio-economic and e. environmental factors along with local community values.
• This involves more people in preservation efforts, raise levels of awareness, and seek innovative
schemes.

• Urban Heritage Conservation and Social Economic Development should go hand in hand.

Eg: Ballarat, Australia

# INTEGRATED CONSERVATION: PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

Social Development + Heritage Conservation + Environment Conservation = Integrated

Conservation

Integrated conservation means bringing together the skills of the archaeologist, ethnographer, sociologist,
historian, as well as architect, landscape architect and engineer, in a conscious
Striving for the inter disciplinary collaboration under the leadership of the town planner.

It is the integration between

a. cultural heritage,
b. spatial planning,
c. construction,
d. development,
e. infrastructure projects
f. environmental/natural heritage protection

STEPS TOWARDS URBAN CONSERVATION

 Studies will have to be made of the morphology of the city and its region.
 The historic centre will receive a special study of its typology and the present condition of its stock
of buildings and their future capabilities.
 The growth forces in the economy of the whole city will be studied and guided by the town planner
in order to ensure the self-preservation of the stock of the historic buildings.
 The town planner will have to control development to prevent large intrusive and out of the scale
modern building disturbing the visual harmony of the city, not to say creating undesirable traffic
problem.
 Tall office buildings have to be sited well away from the historic centre and even water towers and
industrial buildings can be destructive if not carefully sited.
  Motor traffic will make insatiable demands and is best diverted by ring roads with access spurs into
the historic centre.
 Through-traffic by heavy goods vehicles must be prevented as this harasses the occupants and
accelerates the decay of historic buildings.

Eg: World Heritage City of Ahmedabad.

CULTURAL LANDSCAPES

Cultural landscapes are cultural properties and represent the ‘combined works of nature and man’.
They are ‗illustrative of the evolution of human society and settlement over time, under the influence of the
physical constraints and/or opportunities presented by their natural environment and of successive social,
economic and cultural forces, both external and internal‘.

Eg: Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh

HERITAGE ZONES

Heritage Zone is defined as an area of special architectural or historic interest and character of which it is
desirable to preserve or conserve.

Heritage Zone is also defined as an area, which has significant concentration, linkage or continuity of
buildings, structures, group of complexes united historically or aesthetically by plan or physical
development.

# METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS OF CHARACTER OF HERITAGE ZONES

Under state legislations, a local government is authorised to divide the land area into districts and zones
based on the historicity for its protection, known as heritage zones. The process is known as heritage
zoning.

 Heritage zones are zones delineated in the Master Plan/ Zonal Plan that requires special
attention in terms of heritage conservation.
 There are areas within the wards of the city with a significant concentration of listed
buildings, open spaces, or other heritage resources, intangible values or ensembles of
heritage assets (ie public and private architecturally significant buildings) along with the
surrounding open spaces that holistically combine to provide a certain character and
identity to the city shall be delineated as Heritage Zones.

 The objectives of the heritage zone are:

a) To conserve or preserve heritage buildings or sites and heritage areas of historical,

architectural and cultural significance that they are not adversely affected by any new
development.

b) To enhance the elements of urban design and built character including landscape of
the city

b) To provide the guidelines with regard to demolition, protection, conservation or re-

building of and alterations or additions to the existing building those are to be
designated and conserved in heritage areas.

 The following Criteria for delineation to be considered for delineation of heritage zones
1. Historical evidence
 2. Main tourist attraction.
3. High concentration of heritage buildings/areas.
4. Continuous concentration of heritage buildings/areas.
5. Core area or CBD.

 Delineation of Heritage Zone should ensure that while permitting developments around
the monumental buildings proper care should be taken towards their aesthetic environs.
 The notified monuments are to be regulated by declaring zone of special control and
imposing the following special regulations; building height restrictions starts from 100mts
radius with specific skyline, building heights, setbacks, and façade elements.
 Extend the same rule to all the notified or listed buildings/areas in the Local Planning Area
 Buffer Zone: Areas that adjoin or connect heritage areas to others and has little historic
existing character or natural areas or water bodies or lakes which require conservation.

Eg: Heritage Zones of Group of Monuments at Hampi

# URBAN CONSERVATION

Urban conservation is ―a process that focuses on the quality of urban environment by developing a
program to protect cities and urban areas from environmental and optical pollution‖
The definition highlights the importance of restoration as an essential part of conservation procedure,
regardless of the way or the area covered by preservation, whether it is a single building, urban fabric, or
an entire city. They are maintained through different methods depending on the state of the building, the
factors that led to the deterioration, its original or required function, and the proposed function.

Urban Conservation involves the following steps:

1) Institutional Infrastructure for Urban Heritage by local and state governments for conservation
2) Integration of Heritage n Urban Planning Framework
3) Revitalisation of Urban Heritage through urban renewal
4) Community / Stakeholder Participation Approach
5) Generating Awareness of Heritage.

Eg: Pondicherry or Ahmedabad

# BROAD CONCEPTS OF TERMS SUCH AS REUSE, REVITALIZATION, REGENERATION,

RENEWAL, UP-GRADATION, REDEVELOPMENT OF HISTORIC AREAS

REUSE
Reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or
designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land
conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl..
After built structures become disused or abandoned, adaptive reuse can be the perfect way to breathe new
life into an old building, while conserving resources and historic value.

Eg: Adaptive Reuse of Tonk Fort as Heritage Hotel Tonk, Rajasthan

The project entailed the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Kakod fort, into a heritage hotel. Kakod fort,
a historic Rajasthani fort perched atop a hill in Tonk, commands a spectacular view of the landscape. The
project explored the feasibility of adapting the historic spaces to function as a luxury hotel, keeping the
character of the fort intact and introducing state of the art facilities to create a luxury hotel experience.

REVITILIZATION
The action of imbuing something with new life and vitality , reviving older parts of the city

REGENERATION
To improve a place or system, especially by making it more active or successful.

RENEWAL
The process where an urban neighbourhood or area is improved and rehabilitated. The renewal process
can include demolishing old or run-down buildings, constructing new, up-to-date housing, or adding in
features like a theatre or stadium

UPGRADATION
Upgrading - or slum improvement as it is also called - in low income urban communities is many things,
but at its simplest it has come to mean a package of basic services: clean water supply and adequate
sewage disposal to improve the well-being of the community.

REDEVELOPMENT
Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses.
Variations on redevelopment include:
a. Urban infill on vacant parcels that have no existing activity but were previously developed,
especially on Brownfield land, such as the redevelopment of an industrial site into a mixed-use
development.
b. Construction with a denser land usage, such as the redevelopment of a block of townhouses into a
large apartment building.
c. Adaptive reuse, where older structures are converted for improved current market use, such as an
industrial mill into housing lofts.
Redevelopment projects can be small or large ranging from a single building to entire new neighbourhoods
or "new town in town" projects.