Advantages and Disadvantages of Building Restoration

Advantages and Disadvantages of Building RestorationUsing display cases explore the advantages and disadvantages of in anyowing overhaul and reconstructive memory of diachronic twists.For the purposes of this discussion it is primarily each(prenominal)- strategic(a) to determine what is meant by historical and to rationalize the terms refurbishment and reconstructive memory. The terms provide be used in the context of preserving and conserving constructions. This includes maintaining their predominant features and characteristics, whilst enhancing rude(a) features in guardianship with the style and building constraints relating to traditionalistic use of materials and resources. According to English hereditary pattern buildings exist cross panaches the UK that span over a thousand years.They in addition work with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and local authorities to allocate buildings such as these according to their criteria for listing or categori zing for the purposes of their historic brilliance. These argon place using the following criteriaThose having architectural interest buildings which argon nationally important for the interest of their architectural design, decoration and craftsmanship as well as important examples of incident building types and techniques.Those deemed of historic interest this includes buildings which illustrate important aspects of the nations social, economic, cultural or military history.A variety of places that give a close diachronic association with nationally important buildings or events.Places which have crowd value, peculiarly where buildings ar part of an important architectural or historic group or argon a fine example of planning (such as squ argons, terraces and model villages) 1English Heritage define historic in relation to a number of factors. All buildings constructed in the lead 1700 ar automatically listed. as well as this is the case with most properties up to 184 0. A number of post 1945 buildings are also included in these terms. A comprehensive breakd consume of listed buildings statistics across the UK is illustrated below38% are domestic dwellings15% date from before 1600nearly 20% date from the 17th century31% from the eighteenth century32% from the 19th century3% from 1900-19440.2% from 1945 or later2Introducing stately features can have negative consequences on properties such as those defined above. Not only for cosmetic or domestic purposes but also in relation to implementing safety measures into a property. and accessibility by way of lifts and hand rails etc for the gather of people with disabilities.There is also a trend for interpreting properties of historical interest into entertainment or edutainment orientated experiences which can be argued devalues the historic importance and often encourages historical in true statement from the eruditeness perspective. The final consideration to be made in relation to this act que stion is the notion of whether old buildings should remain preserved exactly as they are without any enhancement, improvements, additions or restorations. That they should reflect the period they were constructed in and be immortalized as a historical or scientific study.This paper will seek to exemplify many of these issues relating to the redevelopment and reconstruction of historic buildings which covers a broad argument for discussion.The English Tourist Board published a paper in 1991 entitled Maintaining the Balance which proposed new schemes designed to take care that historic town purlieus worked in sync with their communities whilst providing the forebodeor with a traditional experience. Visitor Management Plans were adopted and Town Centre Managers were recruited as elbow room of pickings these initiatives forward. The conservation and preservation of built heritage often involves maintaining awful restrictions and limited planning opportunities which is not conducive to new housing projects or business opportunities which could generate enterprise and economic earns. Instead many of the UKs classified historic towns remain stagnant and non progressive.3 Similarly there are currently plans to renovate and restore the city centre of Amsterdam in keeping with its cultural heritage. The city centre is dual-lane by cardinal groups of residents. One enjoys the aesthetic benefits of living in this area, while the sulfur are simply living centrally for the purposes of work and macrocosm close to amenities. This second group is unconcerned with the historical importance of the city and is not wide-awake to invest in maintaining or developing it as such. Often when areas such as this are under preservation orders high costs are incurred for maintenance and renovation in the style accustomed to the period. This in wriggle raises the rents of properties which become too high for existing residents to afford, eventually forcing them out of their homes , as is feared in Amsterdam.4When considering the practical aspects of individual raises, when a building is disassembled or open for the purposes of renovation or reconstruction, a great many vital elements which are maestro to its heritage can be lost. This might include stiff or lime mortars used in between joist, foundations and chimney linings. wooden frames held together by pegs can fracture if disengaged and it is crucial that that high levels of woodworking skills and traditional craftsmanship techniques are applied when rebuilding and renovating buildings.5There are an abundance of sites, Museums and stately homes which are testaments to living history and function for the benefit of the public across the world today. Colonial Williamsburg and the Historic Charleston mental home in the United States, Slave Forts in Africa and Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in the UK to name a few. They all encourage the preservation of old buildings. With this redevelopment comes t he opportunity of numerous availability of grants and Heritage Lottery funding to sustain with this process. They enable people to remain aware of what is important historically and that reflects the lives and communities from which we all originate. People managing these processes need the necessary expertise with which to achieve these renovations and reconstructions. Acquiring authentication of age is substantive as is being true to the period in which it was built architecturally. Architectural historians in the United States for example have divided buildings into around half a dozen significant periods of half a century each. These phases are then sub-divided into over-lapping periods. Even then not all of these categories are universally recognized.6 This suggests reason enough for ensuring that each building selected for re-development is accurately assessed and renovated accordingly and appropriately. It is important also to remember that this is not a new phenomenon. In 1877 the painter and writer William Morris wrote a manifesto against the proposed restoration of battle of Tewkesbury Abbey. During this and subsequent periods architects considered restoration to be about changing a building for the purposes of altering it to reflect its key historical importance. For example during the late nineteenth century many Anglo-Saxon churches in the UK were restored into Gothic interpretations. This was a notice of peoples attitudes then surrounding medieval masons, who were deemed uninitiated into religion. whence the Gothic form and design purported to purist representations and was in essence closer to God.7It is important then to remember that when renovating buildings they do not become exploited for the benefit of contemporary tastes and trends. It can be argued that many of these living history experiences have become save that and are able to be devalued truly easily.Accuracy based on the facts available to the architects is what should remain of paramount importance when reconstructing any historic building.One of the most exceptional examples of reconstruction to be seen today is with the city of warfaresaw in Poland. During the Second World War over 85% of the city centre was destroyed. A huge campaign and total restoration took place over a number of years. The results of which stem today including replica churches, palaces and a market places all sensitively and historically representative of a history which spans some eight hundred years in its reconstruction. 8On the other hand reconstruction is never handout to be entirely accurate in some instances and it is these examples that encourage debate. pose for example the tourist reconstruction site at Mount Vernon in Washington where the coach house, slave quarters/ greenhouse and stercorary have all been restored following fire damage that occurred in the mid nineteenth century. around of which was based on documents and reminiscence accounts from past generati ons. Parts of the stercorary were rebuilt in 2001 incorporating the original cobbled stones and brickwork uncovered by archaeologists with research sourcing a drawing from 1807 which provided structural accuracy to be maintained. However when builders came to reconstruct the blacksmiths shop the old plantation ledgers illustrated elaborate records pertaining to its location and activities. Whilst other archives provided details relating to the working blacksmiths themselves. Nonetheless contradictions began to get on relating to the shops exact location and its appearance during the year 1799. This enmity has raged for over fifty years and has raised all the issues regarding physical reconstruction and the amount of evidence that is required in order to support the justification for re-building the property without sufficient authenticity.9Another similar example of this where reconstruction has been curtailed is with the dis caterpillar tread of Franklin Court in Philadelphia, the residencies of the former President Benjamin Franklin. During the 1970s an all-encompassing programme of research both archaeological and archival was carried out on the assumption that the house and suit would be renovated and fully furnished into an interpretive museum. But the research revealed little evidence of any pictures or drawings of what the house had actually looked like. Consequently no reconstruction took place other than the outbuildings and grounds which had retained more documented evidence. Proving that accuracy is reassuringly not always taken for granted in this type of work.Future functional requirements of a building are also aspects of development to consider within a historic building, as the law now governs that public buildings need to stick to with the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) by ensuring they have accessible routes both internal and foreign as well as ramps, lifts and toilets where necessary. This legislative requirement has had an imp act on the way in which many historic buildings have had to alter their environment, which is of range an enormous and necessary benefit for people with a disability although it rest one more area of concern where public renovations and redevelopments are taking place.The most heated debate in terms of redevelopment of historic buildings is of course a matter of architectural and archaeological appreciation. Some sites are considered simply not available to be rebuilt. Sites such as Pompeii for example or the Pyramids of Egypt. They are revered as preserved examples of the past, museums in their own right. They consist of ruins which are fragile and vulnerable. If these ruins become too fragile or it becomes impossible to maintain them then it is understandable that some sort of twist may have to be built around them. This may of course eventually decrease the visual enjoyment of a historical building which is why so many sites of importance are now being re-built. Such historica l monuments are now able to be reconstruct far more easily by way of digitization. Several digital projects of this type exist for educational purposes and are becoming more widespread. In addition many historic houses like the Queens House in Greenwich, London provide significant 3D models that demonstrate the different architectural development of the construction and alterations over time. 10Technology has become so precise and sincere in its interpretations that this may prevail as the preferred method of reconstruction and development in the hereafter.Many historic buildings get demolished just because they are old, so the modern appreciation for rebuilding and conserving these properties are essential to maintaining the cultural heritage of nations throughout the world. However it is important that the historic environment from which they have descended is fully understood. The right skills, techniques and materials from an archaeological perspective are aboriginal to ensur ing this process is achieved accurately and sensitively.BibliographyDeben, L, Salet, W (2004) Cultural heritage and the future of the historic inner city of Amsterdam Het SpinhuisSmith, M.K, Robinson, and S.M (2006) Cultural Tourism in a changing World Politics, Participation and (re)presentation Channel View PublicationsParavalos, P (2006) Moving a House with Preservation in Mind Rowman AltamiraNash, G (2003) Renovating Old Houses Bringing in the buff Life to Vintage Homes Taunton PressSickles-Taves, L (1999) The Use of and Need for Preservation Standards in Architectural Conservation ASTM supranationalJameson, J.H (2004) The speculate Past Reconstructions in the Public Interpretation of Archaeology and write up Rowman AltamiraFitch, J.M (1990) Historic Preservation Curatorial Management of the Built World University of Virginia Press, 1990Sourced from http//www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/warsaw.html, picture accessed, 20/11/08Sourced from http//www.nmm.ac.uk/visit/scenic-at tractions/architecture-and-views/greenwich-architecture-and-views, insure accessed, 20/11/081 Sourced from http//www.english-heritage.org.uk/ horde/show/nav.1373, Date accessed, 19/11/082 Sourced from http//www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1373, Date accessed, 19/11/083 Smith,M.K, Robinson,S.M (2006292) Cultural Tourism in a Changing World Politics, Participation and (re)presentation Channel View Publications4 Deben,L,Salet,W (2004247-248) Cultural heritage and the future of the historic inner city of Amsterdam Het Spinhuis5 Paravalos,P (2006 62-63) Moving a House with Preservation in Mind Rowman Altamira6 Nash,G (200321) Renovating Old Houses Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes Taunton Press7 Sickles-Taves,L (1999 14) The Use of and Need for Preservation Standards in Architectural Conservation ASTM International8 Sourced from http//www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/warsaw.html, Date accessed, 20/11/089 Jameson,J.H (2004 80) The Reconstructed Past Reconstructions in the Pub lic Interpretation of Archaeology and History Rowman Altamira10 Sourced from http//www.nmm.ac.uk/visit/scenic-attractions/architecture-and-views/greenwich-architecture-and-views, Date accessed, 20/11/08