Preservation and Revitalisation of Built Heritage

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408). This special issue belongs to the section "Architectural Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2024 | Viewed by 11881

Special Issue Editor

Cardiff School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff CF5 2YB, UK
Interests: adaptation; architectural heritage; climate change; refurbishment; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is an increasing challenge for the management and conservation of our built heritage. Changing weather patterns are already contributing to accelerated degradation, whilst in some parts of the world, destructive climatic events have resulted in the loss of built heritage. Built heritage exposed to climate-related natural hazards attracts much attention because of the immediacy of the losses. Nevertheless, cumulative degradation risks impacting built heritage, and these risks can be further accelerated as a consequence of maladaptation (an unexpected and unwanted outcome of an adaptation strategy that was originally implemented with good intentions). In addition, one of the barriers to climate change mitigation in the built heritage sector is the compatibility of energy-saving retrofit solutions with historic building fabric. There are challenges related to preserving the authenticity of historic buildings, maintaining their traditional passive behaviours and choosing adaptive solutions compatible with the characteristics of traditional materials to avoid accelerations in decay processes. It is thus important to understand what the enablers, or the barriers, are to reduce the carbon footprint of historic buildings and to meet climate change mitigation targets. In this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of manuscripts that include research and case studies featuring the preservation and revitalisation of built heritage with a particular focus on management and preparedness for future climate scenarios, including risk assessments, adaptation plans, and answers to how we can ensure our built and cultural heritage can be both conserved and, where necessary, sympathetically adapted for our changing climate.

Prof. Dr. Carolyn S. Hayles
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adaptation
  • architectural heritage
  • climate change
  • refurbishment
  • sustainability

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3541 KiB  
Article
Climate Adaptation Planning: Developing a Methodology for Evaluating Future Climate Change Impacts on Museum Environments and Their Collections
by Carolyn Hayles, Matt Huddleston, Paul Chinowsky and Jacob Helman
Heritage 2023, 6(12), 7446-7465; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6120390 - 28 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1150
Abstract
As organisations, museums are responsible for conserving, protecting, and displaying artwork and artefacts. Museum buildings must deliver an environment that will continue to provide this facility for both current and future generations. This research focused on presenting a museum with quantifiable and measurable [...] Read more.
As organisations, museums are responsible for conserving, protecting, and displaying artwork and artefacts. Museum buildings must deliver an environment that will continue to provide this facility for both current and future generations. This research focused on presenting a museum with quantifiable and measurable data to help with climate adaptation planning. A methodology was developed using monitored data. Subhourly data for both indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity spanning the years 2012–2021 was used to produce a daily maximum, daily minimum, and daily average dataset. A sensitivity analysis determined which years to use to derive the indoor-outdoor relationships used in climate modelling. Future impacts were calculated using UK Climate Projections 2018 (UKCP18) data (12 models on a 2.2 km scale), as published by the Met Office Hadley Centre. The data contained within the 12 models was overlayed with the relationships derived to calculate the projected indoor temperature and humidity conditions within the museum. The results presented indicate that temperature and humidity conditions are projected to exceed design conditions more frequently in the coming decades. Consequently, adaptation plans must consider the potential impacts that include indoor environmental deterioration, leading to discomfort and health implications, increased energy costs, and system upgrade costs, as well as the potential for accelerated degradation of artwork and artefacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation and Revitalisation of Built Heritage)
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27 pages, 7189 KiB  
Article
A Critical Assessment of the Current State and Governance of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia
by Manuel Saba, Gabriel Elías Chanchí Golondrino and Leydy Karina Torres-Gil
Heritage 2023, 6(7), 5442-5468; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6070287 - 18 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1208
Abstract
The port, fortresses, and monuments of Cartagena were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984. Nevertheless, since 2017 they are threatened to be categorized as “in Danger” by UNESCO. This research analyzes two main critical aspects, governance and the current state [...] Read more.
The port, fortresses, and monuments of Cartagena were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984. Nevertheless, since 2017 they are threatened to be categorized as “in Danger” by UNESCO. This research analyzes two main critical aspects, governance and the current state of the site. This study applies an innovative interdisciplinary methodology that merges empirical and scientific approaches to evaluate the governance of Cartagena’s heritage (causes) and its impact on the current state of the tangible cultural heritage (effects). Methodologically, secondary information is used to study governance. The study aims to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the UNESCO site governance. Exemplary heritage management systems are studied to propose an adaptable management approach specifically for Cartagena. Over the past five years, qualitative data collected through field observations, along with a photographic report, have revealed significant issues stemming from insufficient heritage management. These problems have rarely been addressed in the existing literature. Furthermore, a quantitative approach was taken by analyzing hyperspectral images obtained from a previous study to identify vegetation and asbestos-cement roofs within the cultural heritage site. It takes a unique perspective by investigating the root causes rather than superficial issues. The study comprehensively analyzes various factors, including material degradation, vehicular traffic, environmental elements, urban structure, and architectural integrity, forming an interconnected framework with governance problems. This research offers a broader perspective that considers complex reality and goes beyond isolated problems and solutions. The study reveals that the ambiguity surrounding decision-making authority for heritage management, distributed between the Mayor’s Office and the Ministry of Culture, is a primary challenge. The lack of coordinated action significantly compromises the conservation and protection of the cultural heritage Site. Moreover, twelve current shortcomings of cultural heritage in Cartagena are identified through the authors’ five-year on-site regular visits, photographic reports, and observation. To address the prevailing concerns, a new line of command for cultural heritage management is proposed as the most effective means of tackling these challenges. Additionally, general recommendations are presented to mitigate the existing problems and prevent the classification of Cartagena’s heritage as “at risk” by UNESCO in the near future. Although, each problem identified would need a research project ad hoc to be fully addressed. This research provides a scientific perspective, drawing upon years of experience studying heritage and residing in the city, devoid of political influences or conflicts of interest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation and Revitalisation of Built Heritage)
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20 pages, 14161 KiB  
Article
Adaptive Reuse for Sustainable Development and Land Use: A Multivariate Linear Regression Analysis Estimating Key Determinants of Public Perceptions
by Ioannis Vardopoulos
Heritage 2023, 6(2), 809-828; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6020045 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3311
Abstract
Adaptive reuse is a rapidly expanding frontier study area across the world. Adaptive reuse can have a significant influence in relation to contemporary trends in (peri-)urban sustainability, especially considering the past decades of the human-caused depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution. Adaptive [...] Read more.
Adaptive reuse is a rapidly expanding frontier study area across the world. Adaptive reuse can have a significant influence in relation to contemporary trends in (peri-)urban sustainability, especially considering the past decades of the human-caused depletion of natural resources and environmental pollution. Adaptive reuse developments, which manage to incorporate a (scientifically) predefined set of conceptual theories, policy principles, and practical tools, as all the available data suggest, can achieve a good balance between invested capital, ecological conservation, the preservation of the cultural heritage, and sustainable urban regenerative renewal. This study focused on the recent FIX Brewery adaptive reuse project in Athens, Greece, as a means to establish the key public perception determinants of the adaptive reuse practice impacts on (peri-)urban sustainable development. Evidence for the relationships among five factors was provided through multiple linear regression analysis. The new empirical findings are likely to encourage concerned parties and stakeholders, and particularly regulatory entities, to pursue essential actions to set adaptive reuse at the core of urban and spatial masterplans, paving the way toward sustainable and circular cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation and Revitalisation of Built Heritage)
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33 pages, 14055 KiB  
Article
UNESCO Historic Centre (Chorá) of Patmos Island: Conservation and Reconstruction of a Collapsed Urban House
by Styliani Papatzani, Georgios Michail, Georgios Tzamalis and Georgios Skitsas
Heritage 2022, 5(4), 3100-3132; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5040161 - 13 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1547
Abstract
Historic monuments in Greece represent part of the nation’s identity and, as such, they form a crucial part of local communities, not only culturally but also socially and economically. In the current paper, the design process of reconstructing a masonry two-story urban house [...] Read more.
Historic monuments in Greece represent part of the nation’s identity and, as such, they form a crucial part of local communities, not only culturally but also socially and economically. In the current paper, the design process of reconstructing a masonry two-story urban house from the late 19th century located in the historic center (Chorá) of a distant island in the Aegean Sea, Patmos, is discussed through related theories and actual design considerations. Chorá is protected as a UNESCO site; therefore, strict rules for the conservation of any structure enclosed within its boundaries apply. Analysis of the excavation findings and architectural drawings showing the current condition and the conservation proposal, together with the pathology of the building, as well as a structural analysis of the reconstructed structure, are thoroughly discussed in the present paper. These latter can serve as a record for the specific typology of the building and the processes engineers and architects must follow in order to obtain official permission to restore and even reconstruct collapsed parts of such traditional houses, while catering for climate change issues. The maintenance of the originality of the structure is of major importance and is thoroughly discussed, together with the detailed presentation of architectural and structural solutions serving this goal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation and Revitalisation of Built Heritage)
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38 pages, 12527 KiB  
Article
Industrial Heritage of Dubrovnik—Unaffirmed Potential of Gruž Bay
by Zrinka Barišić Marenić, Roberta Pavlović and Ivana Tutek
Heritage 2022, 5(3), 2332-2369; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage5030122 - 25 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3565
Abstract
As a fortified medieval city, Dubrovnik was the centre of the Republic of Dubrovnik, one of the smallest states in the Mediterranean whose importance far surpassed its size. Just like in many other Croatian historic cities, its industrial heritage has remained in the [...] Read more.
As a fortified medieval city, Dubrovnik was the centre of the Republic of Dubrovnik, one of the smallest states in the Mediterranean whose importance far surpassed its size. Just like in many other Croatian historic cities, its industrial heritage has remained in the shadow of the historic city, not properly acknowledged as an important segment of the city’s history. This dichotomy inspired this research, whose focus was the cradle of industrial development—Gruž Bay. The research focused on archival sources, published and unpublished materials and a field study. The systematic integration of collected materials was upgraded with an analytical study, the valorisation, contextualisation and, finally, contemporary presentation. Gruž Bay was once an idyllic landscape with few Renaissance summer villas. The original matrix was overlayed with pre-industrial and industrial complexes: shipyards, a harbour, a railway, industrial and infrastructural complexes. At the turn of the 19th century, they were slowly gaining momentum, which was suddenly interrupted by nearby political turmoil, and ultimately a war. Since then, tourism has prevailed, and the industrial complexes have gradually become redundant. The affirmation of the value of the industrial heritage and its potential for reuse would contribute to the further development of this well-known UNESCO site. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preservation and Revitalisation of Built Heritage)
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