• ES Español (Latinoamérica)
• EN English

2.10. Heritage Conservation and Restoration (HER)

Heritage Conservation and Restoration addresses the ethical, technical, and procedural frameworks for preserving and adapting historic buildings and sites. It covers conservation philosophy, documentation and surveying, structural assessment, restoration techniques, and adaptive reuse. Students learn to intervene on historic fabric with intellectual rigor, technical competence, and cultural sensitivity. Heritage BIM (HBIM) and digital twins for conservation are covered in depth in the dedicated BIM knowledge area (see Heritage BIM (HBIM) ).

Knowledge Area (KA)	Core Tier1	Core Tier2
2.10.1 Theory and Philosophy of Conservation	1	1
2.10.2 Historic Documentation and Digital Survey	1	1
2.10.3 Structural Assessment of Historic Buildings	1	1
2.10.4 Restoration and Consolidation Techniques	1	1
2.10.5 Adaptive Reuse and Building Transformation	1	1
2.10.6 Landscape and Urban Heritage	Elective
2.10.7 Intangible Heritage and Living Traditions	Elective

2.10.1. HER/Theory and Philosophy of Conservation  (Core Tier1: 1 hr, Core Tier2: 1 hr) ↑ Back to top

Covers the philosophical foundations of architectural conservation: authenticity, integrity, minimal intervention, reversibility, and the charters that codify conservation practice.
Topics:
Core

• Historic conservation charters: Venice Charter (1964) - principles of minimum intervention, reversibility, anastylosis
• Philosophical debate in conservation: Ruskin's anti-restoration (building as ruin), Viollet-le-Duc's stylistic restoration (unity of style), Morris
• Core conservation principles: minimum intervention, reversibility, distinguishability of new work, compatibility of materials, documentation,
• Values-based conservation: assigning values (historic, aesthetic, social, scientific, economic) and managing change through a conservation management plan
• Authenticity and integrity: authenticity of form, material, design, setting, and use; integrity as the intactness of the historic resource
• Peru's Ley 28296 (Ley General del Patrimonio Cultural de la Nación): legal protection of heritage-declared buildings and sites, and the Ministerio de Cultura's authorization requirements for interventions on protected fabric

Learning Outcomes:
Core:

1. Describe the key conservation charters (Venice, Burra, Nara) and their principles: minimum intervention, reversibility, authenticity, and cultural significance [Familiarity]
2. Apply a values-based conservation framework to a historic building or site, identifying its cultural, historic, and social values [Usage]
3. Critically evaluate a conservation intervention proposal against the principles of the Venice and Burra Charters, assessing it for reversibility, compatibility, [Assessment]

2.10.2. HER/Historic Documentation and Digital Survey  (Core Tier1: 1 hr, Core Tier2: 1 hr) ↑ Back to top

Covers the methods for documenting historic buildings and sites: measured drawing, photogrammetry, laser scanning, and the use of digital survey data for conservation planning and monitoring.
Topics:
Core

• Measured drawing of historic buildings: hand measuring (tape, laser distometer) to produce scaled plans, sections, and elevations
• Close-range photogrammetry: capturing overlapping images, processing with software (Agisoft Metashape, RealityCapture), generating 3D point clouds, meshes,
• Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS): time-of-flight and phase-shift scanners, registration, point cloud processing, and extraction of 2D drawings from 3D point clouds
• Drone-based documentation: aerial photogrammetry and LiDAR for roof, facade, and site topography; flight planning, ground control points (GCPs),
• Condition assessment and monitoring: mapping decay patterns (efflorescence, spalling, cracking, biological growth) on drawings or point clouds

Learning Outcomes:
Core:

1. Describe the principal methods for documenting historic buildings - measured drawing, photogrammetry, laser scanning, and drone survey - and their appropriate scales [Familiarity]
2. Produce measured drawings of a historic building or element using hand measurement, photogrammetry, or point cloud extraction, noting areas of material decay [Usage]
3. Evaluate a documentation survey plan for a historic building, assessing the choice of method (photogrammetry vs [Assessment]

2.10.3. HER/Structural Assessment of Historic Buildings  (Core Tier1: 1 hr, Core Tier2: 1 hr) ↑ Back to top

Covers the methods for assessing the structural condition of historic buildings: non-destructive testing, monitoring, structural modeling, and diagnosis of decay mechanisms.
Topics:
Core

• Non-destructive testing (NDT) for heritage: rebound hammer, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), moisture meters, endoscopy, thermal imaging,
• Small-sample and minimally invasive testing: core sampling for compressive strength, mortar analysis (chemical composition, binder/aggregate ratio), timber dendrochronology,
• Structural monitoring of historic buildings: crack monitoring (glass telltales, mechanical gauges, electronic displacement sensors), tilt meters,
• Structural modeling for heritage: interpreting historic construction techniques (masonry vaults, timber frames, iron elements), simplified analysis (limit state for masonry),
• Decay mechanisms in historic structures: differential settlement, thrust from vaults, water ingress (freeze-thaw, salt crystallization), timber decay (rot, insect attack),

Learning Outcomes:
Core:

1. Describe the principal non-destructive testing methods for historic building assessment and identify the decay mechanisms commonly found in historic masonry, timber, [Familiarity]
2. Develop a structural assessment plan for a historic building, selecting appropriate NDT and monitoring methods based on materials, decay patterns, and suspected failure mechanisms [Usage]
3. Evaluate the structural condition of a historic building from monitoring data and on-site observations, diagnosing the likely causes of cracking or deformation [Assessment]

2.10.4. HER/Restoration and Consolidation Techniques  (Core Tier1: 1 hr, Core Tier2: 1 hr) ↑ Back to top

Covers the practical techniques for repairing and consolidating historic materials: masonry repointing, stone consolidation, timber repair, plaster restoration, and the use of compatible, reversible repair methods.
Topics:
Core

• Masonry repair and repointing: lime mortars vs. cement mortars (compatibility, porosity, strength), aggregate selection, repointing profiles (flush, recessed, tuckpointing),
• Stone consolidation: application of consolidants (ethyl silicate, nanolime, acrylic resins) for weathered stone, risks of surface crust formation,
• Timber structural repair: dry rot and wet rot treatment, epoxy consolidation (injections, cast replacements), sistering and splicing,
• Plaster and stucco restoration: lime plaster mix design, hair reinforcement (goat, horse, synthetic), decorative plaster repair (molding, running),
• Metal and glass restoration: wrought and cast iron repair (welding vs. splicing, corrosion protection), stained glass conservation (lead came repair, edge bonding

Learning Outcomes:
Core:

1. Describe the appropriate repair techniques for historic masonry, stone, timber, and plaster, and explain the importance of material compatibility [Familiarity]
2. Specify a repair method for a damaged historic building element (masonry crack, decayed timber, spalled stone), justifying material choice, application sequence, and reversibility [Usage]
3. Evaluate a proposed restoration specification for a historic fabric repair, assessing it for compatibility, reversibility, minimal intervention, [Assessment]

2.10.5. HER/Adaptive Reuse and Building Transformation  (Core Tier1: 1 hr, Core Tier2: 1 hr) ↑ Back to top

Covers the design strategies and technical challenges of adapting historic buildings to new uses: building transformation, addition to historic structures, interior retrofitting, and the reconciliation of conservation with contemporary program.
Topics:
Core

• Adaptive reuse strategies: conversion of industrial buildings (warehouse, factory, mill) to residential, office, or cultural use; religious buildings to community space
• Designing additions to historic buildings: approach of contrast (Neue Nationalgalerie, Kolumba Museum) vs.
• Interior adaptation of heritage buildings: inserting new floors and mezzanines, glazed interior partitions for program separation without structural change, MEP
• Material reuse in adaptation: salvaged timber, brick, stone, and fixtures as design features; sourcing from deconstruction
• Code compliance in heritage adaptation: equivalency provisions (IBC Chapter 34, existing buildings), alternative means and methods, structural upgrades for seismic,

Learning Outcomes:
Core:

1. Describe the principal strategies for adaptive reuse of industrial, religious, and infrastructural heritage [Familiarity]
2. Develop an adaptive reuse proposal for a historic building, including program analysis, insertion strategy (interior interventions, addition), [Usage]
3. Evaluate an adaptive reuse project for its success in balancing heritage conservation with new program requirements, assessing the reversibility [Assessment]

2.10.6. HER/Landscape and Urban Heritage ↑ Back to top

Covers the conservation of designed landscapes, historic gardens, and urban heritage: cultural landscapes, historic urban landscapes (HUL) approach, and the integration of landscape and building conservation.
Topics:
Non Core

• Cultural landscape categories: designed landscapes (historic gardens, parks), vernacular landscapes (agricultural, pastoral), associative landscapes (sacred sites)
• Historic garden and designed landscape conservation: ICOMOS-IFLA Florence Charter (1981), restoration vs.
• Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach: UNESCO recommendation (2011), viewing urban heritage as a layered ensemble of built form, open space, infrastructure, social practices
• Landscape character assessment for heritage: identifying historic landscape character types, mapping features,
• Managing the setting of heritage assets: buffer zones, views and vistas (protected views, landmark sightlines), and the design of new interventions to protect the visual

Learning Outcomes:
NonCore:

1. Describe the categories of cultural landscapes and explain the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach to managing change in historic city centers [Familiarity]
2. Develop a landscape conservation plan for a historic garden or park, specifying approaches to plant replacement, path repair, [Usage]
3. Evaluate a development proposal within the setting of a heritage building or conservation area for its impact on historic landscape character, views, [Assessment]

2.10.7. HER/Intangible Heritage and Living Traditions ↑ Back to top

Covers the conservation of intangible cultural heritage associated with the built environment: traditional building crafts, construction rituals, oral histories, and the role of living communities in place-based heritage.
Topics:
Non Core

• Intangible cultural heritage in architecture: traditional building knowledge (mortar mixing, stone carving, timber joinery), construction rituals (foundation ceremonies
• Safeguarding traditional building crafts: apprenticeship programs, craft documentation (video, manuals, oral histories)
• Living heritage approach: buildings and places that are actively used and maintained by communities through traditional practices (temples, mosques, indigenous longhouses)
• Community engagement in intangible heritage: oral history interviews for place-based memory, participatory mapping of intangible values,
• UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003): domains (oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, knowledge of nature

Learning Outcomes:
NonCore:

1. Describe the concept of intangible cultural heritage as it relates to the built environment - traditional building crafts, rituals, and oral histories - [Familiarity]
2. Develop a safeguarding plan for a traditional building craft or construction practice, including documentation, apprenticeship training, [Usage]
3. Evaluate a heritage conservation project for its engagement with intangible values, assessing community participation, respect for traditional knowledge, [Assessment]