Q.1 List Ascending Degrees of Intervention in conservation.

1. Prevention
2. Preservation
3. Consolidation
4. Restoration
5. Rehabilitation
6. Reproduction and
7. Reconstruction

Q.2 Describe all interventions in detail.

1 Prevention
 Protecting cultural property by controlling its environment thus preventing agents of
decay and damage from becoming active.

2. Preservation:
 Preservation is defined as the act or process of applying measures necessary to sustain the existing
form, integrity, and materials of an historic property.
 Work, including preliminary measures to protect and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon
the ongoing maintenance and repair of historic materials and features rather than extensive
replacement and new construction.
 New exterior additions are not within the scope of this treatment; however, the limited and
sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work
to make properties functional is appropriate within a preservation project.
a. A property will be used as it was historically, or be given a new use that maximizes the
retention of distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships. Where a
treatment and use have not been identified, a property will be protected and, if necessary,
stabilized until additional work may be undertaken.
b. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The replacement of
intact or repairable historic materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial
relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.
c. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Work
needed to stabilize, consolidate, and conserve existing historic materials and features will
be physically and visually compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and properly
documented for future research.
d. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be
retained and preserved.
e. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of
craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.

f. The existing condition of historic features will be evaluated to determine the appropriate level of
intervention needed. Where the severity of deterioration requires repair or limited replacement
of a
distinctive feature, the new material will match the old in composition, design, colour, and
texture.

g. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means
possible.
Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.

h. Archaeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be
disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
Preservation as a treatment.
• When the property’s distinctive materials, features, and spaces are essentially intact and thus
convey the historic significance without extensive repair or replacement;
• when depiction at a particular period of time is not appropriate; and
• when a continuing or new use does not require additions or extensive alterations, Preservation may
be considered as a treatment.
The preservation of this historic building in Washington, D.C. resulted in an award for Excellence in Historic
Preservation by the local government.

3 Consolidation
 Physical addition or application into actual fabric to ensure continued durability or structural integrity.
 Consolidants however, should allow a material to continue to weather at a ‘normal’ rate, but slow down
and control the rate of decay. A consolidation treatment can be considered to be successful if it stabilizes
the material and does not lead to damage resulting in either material or aesthetic change.

4. Restoration:
 Restoration is defined as the act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a
property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other
periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period.
 The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-
required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a restoration project.
a. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use which reflects the property’s restoration
period.

b. Materials and features from the restoration period will be retained and preserved. The removal of materials or
alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize the period will not be undertaken.

c. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Work needed to stabilize,
consolidate and conserve materials and features from the restoration period will be physically and visually
compatible, identifiable upon close inspection, and properly documented for future research.

d. Materials, features, spaces, and finishes that characterize other historical periods will be documented prior to
their alteration or removal.

e. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that
characterize the restoration period will be preserved.

f. Deteriorated features from the restoration period will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of
deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color,
texture, and, where possible, materials.
f. Replacement of missing features from the restoration period will be substantiated by
documentary and physical evidence. A false sense of history will not be created by adding
conjectural features, features from other properties, or by combining features that never
 existed together historically.

h. chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest

means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.

i. Archeological resources affected by a project will be protected and preserved in place. If

such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.

j. Designs that were never executed historically will not be constructed.

Restoration as a treatment.
• When the property’s design, architectural, or historical significance during a particular period of time
outweighs the potential loss of extant materials, features, spaces, and finishes that characterize other
historical periods;
• when there is substantial physical and documentary evidence for the work; and
• when contemporary alterations and additions are not planned,
Restoration may be considered as a treatment. Prior to undertaking work, a particular period of time, i.e., the
restoration period, should be selected and justified, and a documentation plan for Restoration developed.

The restoration of the Baltit Fort in Hunza, Pakistan, has won a number of awards, including the 2004 UNESCO
Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation Award for Excellence, which cited the restoration as one that “exemplifies
excellence in conservation practice applied to large-scale monuments.”

5. Rehabilitation: can also be called as adaptive reuse

Rehabilitation is defined as the act or process of making possible a compatible use for a property through repair,
alterations, and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural, or
architectural values.
The best way of preserving buildings….. is to keep them in use.
Adaptive use of buildings, such as utilizing mediaeval convent in Venice to house a school and laboratory for stone
conservation.
Or turning an 18th cen. Barn into domestic dwelling, is often the only way that historic and aesthetic values can be
saved economically, and historic buildings brought up to contemporary standards.
Rehabilitation as a treatment.
• When repair and replacement of deteriorated features are necessary;
• when alterations or additions to the property are planned for a new or continued use; and
• when its depiction at a particular period of time is not appropriate, Rehabilitation may be considered as a
treatment.

An abandoned building in Washington, D.C.. being converted into luxury condominiums.

What is adaptive reuse?

 Recycling has become second nature to modern communities as we strive for environmental sustainability.
 Aiming to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, we find new life in everything from bottles and boxes to
clothes, vehicles and buildings.
 Adaptive reuse is a process that changes a disused or ineffective item into a new item that can be used for a
different purpose. Sometimes, nothing changes but the item’s use.
 The adaptive reuse of a historic building should have minimal impact on the heritage significance of the
building and its setting.
 Developers should gain an understanding of why the building has heritage status, and then pursue
development that is sympathetic to the building to give it a new purpose.
 Adaptive reuse is self-defeating if it fails to protect the building’s heritage values.
 The most successful built heritage adaptive reuse projects are those that best respect and retain the
building’s heritage significance and add a contemporary layer that provides value for the future.
 Sometimes, adaptive reuse is the only way that the building’s fabric will be properly cared for, revealed or
interpreted, while making better use of the building itself.
 Where a building can no longer function with its original use, a new use through adaptation may be the
only way to preserve its heritage significance.
 Some state agencies are making policies to manage change, including adaptation, when assessing
development of heritage places.
 Such policies contain standard criteria to help ensure that an adaptive reuse project has minimal impact on
a building’s heritage values,
 such as
 discouraging “façadism”—that is, gutting the building and retaining its façade
 requiring new work to be recognizable as contemporary, rather than a poor imitation of
the original historic style of the building and
 seeking a new use for the building that is compatible with its original use.

The benefits of adaptively reusing heritage buildings

1. Environmental:
 Adaptive reuse of buildings has a major role to play in the sustainable development of
communities.
 When adaptive reuse involves historic buildings, environmental benefits are more significant, as
these buildings offer so much to the landscape, identity and amenity of the communities they
belong to.
 One of the main environmental benefits of reusing buildings is the retention of the original
building’s “embodied energy”.
 The CSIRO defines embodied energy as the energy consumed by all of the processes
associated with the production of a building, from the acquisition of natural resources to
product delivery, including mining, manufacturing of materials and equipment, transport
and administrative functions.
 By reusing buildings, their embodied energy is retained, making the project much more
environmentally sustainable than entirely new construction.
2. Social:
 Keeping and reusing historic buildings has long-term benefits for the communities that value them.
When done well, adaptive reuse can restore and maintain the heritage significance of a building
and help to ensure its survival.
 Rather than falling into disrepair through neglect or being rendered unrecognizable, heritage
buildings that are sympathetically recycled can continue to be used and appreciated.

3. Economic:
 There are several financial savings and returns to be made from adaptive reuse of historic
buildings.
 Embodied energy savings from not demolishing a building will only increase with the predicted
rise of energy costs in the future.
 The study has concluded that “these sympathetic adaptive re-use schemes have created
commercially viable investment assets for the owners”.
 4. Promoting innovation:
 The adaptation of heritage buildings presents a genuine challenge to architects and designers to
find innovative solutions.
 As development pressures increase in our cities, more heritage buildings are being reused,
producing some excellent examples of creative designs that retain heritage significance.

Town planners and councils that recognize and promote the benefits of adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, will be
contributing to the livability and sustainability of their communities.

Drawing from the existing urban fabric of Venice’s island of Murano, this project revitalizes a former industrial
site to create two new residential complexes inside a disused factory.

6. Reproduction

 Copying an artifact in order to replace some missing or decayed parts, generally decorative to maintain
aesthetic harmony.


Then Now
The Old Summer Palace, China

7. Reconstruction:
 Reconstruction is defined as the act or process of depicting, by means of new construction, the form,
features, and detailing of a non-surviving site, landscape, building, structure, or object for the purpose of
replicating its appearance at a specific period of time and in its historic location.

a. Reconstruction will be used to depict vanished or non-surviving portions of a property when documentary and
physical evidence is available to permit accurate reconstruction with minimal conjecture, and such reconstruction is
essential to the public understanding of the property.

b. Reconstruction of a landscape, building, structure, or object in its historic location will be preceded by a
thorough archeological investigation to identify and evaluate those features and artifacts which are essential to an
accurate reconstruction. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
c. Reconstruction will include measures to preserve any remaining historic materials, features, and spatial
relationships.
d. Reconstruction will be based on the accurate duplication of historic features and elements substantiated by
documentary or physical evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different features from
other historic properties. A reconstructed property will re-create the appearance of the non-surviving historic
property in materials, design, color, and texture.

e. A reconstruction will be clearly identified as a contemporary re-creation.

f. Designs that were never executed historically will not be constructed

Nepal’s Heritage Reconstruction After The Earthquake

Reconstruction as a treatment.
• When a contemporary depiction is required to understand and interpret a property’s historic value
(including the re-creation of missing components in a historic district or site );
• when no other property with the same associative value has survived; and
• when sufficient historical documentation exists to ensure an accurate reproduction, Reconstruction may be
considered as a treatment.

8. Redevelopment:
 Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses.
 the act or process of changing an area of a town by replacing old buildings, roads, etc. with
new ones:
 the improvement of an area that is in bad condition,
 esp. an area of old buildings in a city

What is redevelopment plan?

Redevelopment is not just constructing buildings; it ensures that residents of a community are empowered to
improve their quality of life and environment as a result of sound Planning practices

Chandni Chowk redevelopment project

9. Revitalization:
 Urban revitalization refers to a set of initiatives aimed at reorganizing an existing city structure,
particularly in neighborhoods in decline due to economic or social reasons.
 Urban revitalization initiatives generally include improving features of the urban environment,
such as the quality of pavement and the functionality of the sidewalks.
 Depending on the intended usage of the revitalized neighborhood, the projects can also address the
need for improved community engagement and occupation of the public spaces, providing new
entertainment facilities like parks and museums.
 A revitalized urban space, with effective infrastructure, can create the conditions for an efficient
city, capable of promoting innovation, a higher quality of life, and economic development with
shared prosperity and environmental respect.

River Front Revitalization Project – Omaha Main Street revitalization project.

 "revitalization" can be linked to "vitality." If a place is gaining vitality, then it's being revitalized.
 A parking lot that has been turned into shops or apartments has been revitalized.
 A neighborhood with a lot of vacant lots or buildings that have been re-inhabited has been
revitalized.
 Urban renewal, redevelopment, and revitalization projects are crucial to the success of the city
because it stimulates the economy, enhances property values, instills a sense of civic pride, reduces
crime, and helps current businesses and attract new ones.
 The particular needs of an individual city are unique.

What's the difference between 'urban renewal' and 'urban redevelopment'?

 Urban redevelopment is more related to as the name says to develop again an area inside the city that is
unused, specially the brownfields, it can be achieve through the destruction of the existing buildings
and the complete reconstruction of the area in something new and more functional for the city or
could incorporate some of the buildings and structures existing as part of the new development
 Urban renewal is as William E Donges III says ‘an effort to improve an area in order to made it more
sustainable, more persons friendly, more safe.’
 The scale is smaller that in the urban redevelopment and is a lot more common, because it can be
as easy as painting the facade of the buildings, installing waste baskets, etc.

10. Regeneration:
Urban regeneration is the attempt to reverse that decline by both improving the physical structure, and, more
importantly and elusively, the economy of those areas.
Why is urban regeneration important?
 To tackle the issues of decline and urban decay.
 Every city has pockets of underused and underutilized land or distressed and decaying urban areas.
 These pockets of underused land weaken the city's image, livability, and productivity. They are
usually the result of changes in the urban growth and productivity patterns
 It essentially covers the reconstruction of built up areas, especially where there is evidence of
urban decay.
 Urban regeneration began in the late 19th century and went through a phase of considerable
acceleration in the 1940s. It’s something that every country tackles continuously
  Programmes focusing on this type of reconstruction usually involve taking an area into the
ownership of a redevelopment authority, which then selects developers to reconstitute the land for
other purposes.

Then Now

In Europe, HafenCity in Hamburg, Germany is one of the most exciting and most ambitious urban renewal
projects currently underway. Located right next to the city core, the area consists of a multitude of quays, docks,
shipyards and historic warehouses that declined after the 1950s. The new masterplan (I think now about 40% built)
consists of large sweeping public spaces, beautiful places to live and work, robust commercial activities and
tourism, and investment in cultural and educational institutions, including a new university and a shiny new concert
hall.