KSHITIJ SAOJI

ELECTIVES-III

BRINGING BACK LIFE INTO A

DILAPIDATED STRUCTURE
THROUGH MEANS OF MATERIALS,
OR CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES.

ARCHITECTURAL
CONSERVATION
(MUSEUMS)
 KSHITIJ SAOJI

1.Introduction:
 Architectural conservation in general refers to the life brought back into
a dilapidated structure through means of materials, or construction
techniques.
 It is important to conserve the worn-down structure as it defines the
upcoming value of the project.
 It is not just important to conserve the past but equally important to
preserve it for the future generations to see and experience what their
ancestors built.
 Conservation can be broadly classified into 2 types, namely Cultural
and Historical.
 The cultural deals with conservation of cultural heritage buildings in tandem with
consideration of the local customs of an area
 The historical involves the conservation of well-known historical buildings and
considers changes made over time in building conservation, such as
technological advancements and new materials.

 Another term associated with conservation is Adaptive Reuse. It’s a

process of transformation of heritage building into accessible and
usable spaces.
 It helps to look at the structure in a different way and even maintaining
the original identity.
 This helps generate a lot of revenue which in turn helps the society to
be more concerned about the old structures.

2.Importance:
 Restoring an old building not only preserves the history and culture of
the area or the nation, but it also conserves the resources, reduces
waste, and saves money by repairing and reusing buildings instead of
tearing them down.
 By doing so carbon footprint on the environment also reduces
significantly.
 It helps local communities by providing them money making
opportunities as the materials needed for conservation are sources
locally.
 KSHITIJ SAOJI

Figure 2:TATA Global Beverages

Figure1: Before and after image of Dr.Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum

3.Methods of Preservation Of Historic Structures

The Department of the Interior of the United States defined the following
treatment approaches to architectural conservation:

3.1 Preservation:
Preserving a building maintains how it currently exists in the present day,
keeping any historical elements and pieces in place.

3.2. Rehabilitation
Adding to or otherwise altering a property to keep up with its current use but
still respect its historic character.

Both Preservation and Rehabilitation standards focus attention on the

preservation of those materials, features, finishes, spaces, and spatial
relationships that, together, give a property its historic character."

3.3. Reconstruction
If pieces are missing, these can be re-created to match what existed before
they were lost. This is usually done with the aid of old photographs.
Sometimes aspects are remoulded but will keep former significance.
 KSHITIJ SAOJI

3.4. Restoration
The property is restored to how it existed in a specific moment in history.
Usually, specific building materials are needed to ensure historical accuracy
and to meet codes.

3.5. Adaptive Reuse

Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a
purpose other than which it was built or designed for. However adaptive
reuse can become controversial as there is sometimes a blurred line between
renovation. facadism and adaptive reuse. It can be regarded as a
compromise between historic preservation and demolition
Façadism (or Façadomy) is the practice of demolishing a building but leaving
its facade intact for the purposes of building new structures in it or around it.

4.Advantages: -
4.1. Culture
Restoring historic buildings connect us to the past. Old buildings have unique
characteristics that can be difficult to replicate in new commercial builds.

4.2. Education
Preserving historic homes and buildings act as learning tools not only for
architects and builders, but students and communities as well.

4.3. Economy
 KSHITIJ SAOJI

Not only does historic restoration benefit culture and education, but it also
helps to boost the economy.

4.4. Environment
Any form of restoration is environmentally friendly compared to a new build.

5.Disadvantages: -
5.1. Physical Restrictions
Structural elements like columns, beams, floor layouts, and structural grids
often pose a problem to re-using the structure for various uses.
5.2. Economic Considerations
There are many economic considerations while conserving and reusing an
existing structure. There are potentially high costs of adapting the change of
use, and updating the infrastructure, and modernizing and refurbishing the
electrical systems and other services.

5.3. Deliberation over Social Impacts

Existing buildings usually have intangible aspects and attached sentiments in

the social sphere. Each structure has a notional value to the context and past
users and people.

5.4. Material Incompatibility

Many times, while adapting or conserving an existing structure, there may be

inconsistencies and difficulties in finding suitable and compatible materials.
This may even extend to the non-availability of these materials or finding
skilled workers to achieve this compatibility and unity.

5.5. Complexity and technical difficulties

Due to the obvious complexity of retrofitting or reusing, there are many

technical difficulties that designers face. Often adapting or reusing requires
complex techniques of installations and needs innovative solutions to tackle
the many barriers that such a process invariably faces.

5.6. Inaccuracy of Information

 KSHITIJ SAOJI

As structures that are usually reused or conserved, one of the many issues
becomes about the inaccuracy of information available to the designer or
architect. Incomplete or missing drawings further add to their woes. There is
often a lack of accurate information and inconsistencies in materials usage in
heritage buildings.

5.7. Perceptions about Adaptive re-use

The process of conservation or adaptive reuse is many times perceived as

expensive, with many designers and developers choosing demolition as an
easy and simpler way out. There is a lack of awareness and many
misconceptions about the opportunities for adaptive reuse.

5.8. Barriers caused by redevelopment projects

Governments and urban planning authorities often pose barriers by creating

various impositions about urban regeneration and redevelopment criteria of
cities. There may also be inconsistencies or problems faced in the scope and
classification changes of buildings – since some may require updating and
compliance to newer building code and zoning classifications.

5.9. Maintenance Issues

There may be a lot of issues faced during the maintenance of the structure,
since there may have to be frequent repair due to physical deterioration and
defects. There may also be high re-mediation costs and construction delays
caused by contamination by hazardous materials, or precarious structural
systems and elements. The projects may also be lengthy leading to reduced
profits.

5.10. Creative value

The creative value of demolition and building anew often supersedes the
value of adapting and conserving – due to the demand for adaptation of
newer trends in construction and current styles of building

ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION OF MUSEUM

 KSHITIJ SAOJI

Museums represent our cultural heritage. Therefore, they are buildings of

great importance with a significant representative character. As a matter of
fact, museums are very special buildings, as they are supposed to preserve
important and in many cases unique, cultural heritage objects from outdoor
climatic conditions.
Museums play a crucial role in preserving local culture. With careful
documentation and artefact preservation, a culture can be recorded and
remembered regardless of its future. It can also be shared and understood by
those from different cultural backgrounds. From addressing key social issues
to transforming how we see the future; the humble museum has the power to
reflect and shape our society.
Museums and other cultural institutions will always have a role to play in the
education of future generations.