THE I NSTI TUTE OF THE I NSTI TUTE OF HI STORI C BUI LDI NG HI STORI C BUI LDI NG CONSERVATI ON CONSERVATI ON The Home of the Conservation Professional The Home of the Conservation Professional CONSERVATI ON SKI LLS & SERVI CES: Standards in a changing w orld Dr Seán O’Reilly, Director, IHBC
What is conservation ? What is conservation ? � Conservation of cultural heritage is now recognized as resting w ithin the general field of environm ental and cultural developm ent. � Conservation: Encompasses all aspects of � Conservation: Encompasses all aspects of ICOMOS GUIDELINES FOR EDUCATION AND protecting a site or rem ains so as to protecting a site or rem ains so as to TRAINING IN THE CONSERVATION OF MONUMENTS, ENSEMBLES AND SITES retain its cultural significance… retain its cultural significance… includes maintenance and may… involve includes maintenance and may… involve preservation, restoration, reconstruction, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, or adaptation, or any combination of or adaptation, or any combination of these. (WORLD BANK ENVIRONMENTAL these. (WORLD BANK ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SOURCE BOOK (1991), Update 8, ASSESSMENT SOURCE BOOK (1991), Update 8, 1994) 1994) BUT does this cover how we care BUT does this cover how we care for places, & the people in them? for places, & the people in them?
As stakeholders we all As stakeholders we all have our own views on have our own views on historic places: & we see historic places: & we see them differently. them differently. So, too, we see Historic So, too, we see Historic Environment Conservation Environment Conservation differently.. differently.. Heritage Bill (England Heritage Bill (England and Wales): ‘putting the and Wales): ‘putting the historic environment at historic environment at the heart of an effective the heart of an effective planning system’ planning system’ The IHBC (& others) The IHBC (& others) endorse conservation endorse conservation ‘mainstreaming’! ‘mainstreaming’!
3 reasons to 3 reasons to conserve! conserve! Not for things but for people
Conservation is local & global, Conservation is local & global, for people and places. for people and places.
Conservation is not about the Conservation is not about the past, but the future! past, but the future!
SO: conservation includes SO: conservation includes ‘signature architecture’ & new ‘signature architecture’ & new design design
..repair, ..repair, … … maintenance, or maintenance, or ‘sustainable ‘sustainable refurbishment’: refurbishment’:
.. urban design, street .. urban design, street design, placeshaping.. design, placeshaping..
… it’s planning & … it’s planning & placemaking… placemaking… A frequent constraint to adequate protection is the conservation focus on individual historic buildings, rather than groups of buildings or districts . Buffer zones and development controls are needed to prevent the unregulated building that destroys context. Bank experience… points strongly to the need for area conservation in order to adequately protect the historic urban fabric. World Bank Update 8, 1994
‘There is a huge IHBC conservation gives IHBC conservation gives amount of waste generated by the solutions: maintenance, an solutions: maintenance, an construction and demolition of environmental solution environmental solution buildings. Something like 2 4 per cent of all w aste is generated by dem olition and construction . It is simply better in sustainability terms to use and recycle old buildings than to demolish them and to build new ones.’ The Role of Historic Buildings in Urban Regeneration, Parliamentary Committee (2004)
.. renewal: a social solution.. .. renewal: a social solution.. I m proving quality of life!
… … regeneration: an regeneration: an ‘an exemplary regeneration scheme… economic solution. economic solution. private and public sector partnerships.’ A conservation area containing 244 listed buildings … [ but suffering] m ajor econom ic and social decline . The Grainger Town Partnership [ secured] £ 1 7 4 m into the area… £ 1 4 6 m from the private sector .
Most important for the IHBC, Most important for the IHBC, conservation is people shaping conservation is people shaping places… places…
…for them selves, …for them selves, and for the better! and for the better!
THE CONSERVATION CYCLE! THE CONSERVATION CYCLE! This shapes the IHBC’s membership standards: our Areas of Com petence .
Conservation is stating values.. Conservation is stating values..
managing, shaped by values &.. managing, shaped by values &..
..intervening as necessary. ..intervening as necessary.
Conserving places is complex 1: Conserving places is complex 1: balancing polarised tensions balancing polarised tensions ..econom ic and social.. ..developm ent and preservation.. ..com prom ise w ithin standards.. ..specialist & dem ocratic.. .. collective and personal.. .. business and civic.. ..& it m ust be sustainable..
Conserving places is complex 2: Conserving places is complex 2: LPA service: c.95 key tasks. LPA service: c.95 key tasks. Assessing com petence is crucial!
Evaluating competence is complex! Evaluating competence is complex! IHBC: Applying standards at entry. IHBC: Applying standards at entry.
IHBC: Standards for a complex IHBC: Standards for a complex world - Our Areas of Competence! world - Our Areas of Competence! ..crossing traditional boundaries.. ..shaping specialisations w ithin generalisation..
IHBC Standards are a practical IHBC Standards are a practical skills set, for the real world! skills set, for the real world! Application in projects, com m unity & governm ent
Industry increasingly sees the Industry increasingly sees the need for our members’ abilities: need for our members’ abilities: -..managers are weaker in ‘Training in heritage conservation and the soft skills needed for management should also be an successful partnering element of projects with major -..lack of understanding of heritage issues.’ sustainability World Bank, EA Source Book - .. concern as to skills associated with design and management of projects Altogether Stronger , Our built heritage – the 6million or so UK ConstructionSkills 2004 pre-1919 buildings – is a vital and vibrant part of the built environment. HPR m ust Understanding and caring for this important inheritance requires professionals and build on this! craftspeople well versed in traditional building methods and materials and with a sound knowledge of the approach to and techniques of conservation, repair, maintenance and restoration. NHTG & ConstructionSkills 2008
Validated professional standards: 1 Validated professional standards: 1 Balanced, pan-disciplinary, cross- Balanced, pan-disciplinary, cross- sector membership… sector membership… ‘Cutting edge’ practical place-makers.
Validated professional standards 2: Validated professional standards 2: Members’ employment... Members’ employment... .. ‘high-end’, across the sector.
.. & 3: IHBC’s UK Services & Activities � Standards � Standards � Training & � Training & Education Education � Information � Information � Advocacy � Advocacy � Charity � Charity � Exemplified in � Exemplified in HPR response HPR response & Schools and & Schools and � Services… � Services…
IHBC’s ‘HESPR’ IHBC’s ‘HESPR’ TRADE LISTING: TRADE LISTING: CONSERVATION CONSERVATION SERVICES SERVICES Historic Environment Service Providers Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition Recognition Based on the IHBC’s conservation course Based on the IHBC’s conservation course recognition programme: recognition programme: NOT Accreditation - BUT Affirmation NOT Accreditation - BUT Affirmation
HESPR: HESPR: HESPR promotes members’ HESPR promotes members’ practices through: practices through: � Web based searchable resource entries for � Web based searchable resource entries for recognised companies recognised companies � Link from the HESPR to the company web � Link from the HESPR to the company web site site � Annual publication of the HESPR � Annual publication of the HESPR companies in the IHBC Yearbook companies in the IHBC Yearbook � Customer referrals from IHBC and other � Customer referrals from IHBC and other conservation bodies. conservation bodies.
Recommend
More recommend
