Fundamental Principles of Conservation Engineering and Industrial Development: The Past in the Future

Abstract

Conservation engineering can thus be defined as the branch of conservation that deals with managing the structural well being of a building, minimising alteration and extending its life for future generations. The conflict between safety standards and conservation philosophy usually stems from the fact that not just the standards themselves but also the practice of achieving the standards are based on and refer to modern materials, technology and process. Buildings can be victims of conservation interests. In the past, different categories of buildings were thought worth preserving at different times mainly reached an age and regarded as venerable. By the late nineteenth century, medieval buildings were sufficiently esteemed to be preserved for antiquity. Traditional building by contrast is based around very different principles: thermal mass, breathability, flexibility, and depending on the construction, the use of a protective, sacrificial skin. In the present ultra conservationist climate, it is arguable that conservation legislation has gone too far in certain situations. Conservation laws can have the opposite effect to what was intended, and some relaxation of guidelines would sometimes better serve the interest of a building. This article attempts a definition of the boundaries and methodology of conservation engineering, a framework shared.