For many centuries throughout the history of architecture the requirement for supervising and caring for monumental assets in the face of actions of destruction or “simple” alteration has been found. Ancient civilizations always proposed guidelines for the maintenance and conservation of their more important architectures and milestones of the past.
Heritage is often defenceless in the absence of legal instruments for its suitable protection and management. With the exception of the odd case throughout history, most of the legal tools for the protection of heritage first appeared in different countries in the 19th century, coinciding with increased popular interest in different aspects of heritage, especially monumental or representing the identity or personal history of individual peoples.
This chapter summarises suggested ways of modern heritage management, recommended strategies for heritage organisations to safeguard monuments and organise both the public access and involvement of the communities to the processes of this preservation work.
The definition of a ranking for good practices linked to all aspects of architectural heritage conservation is no easy feat. This includes projects which range from monumental architecture to other types such as vernacular, military or industrial architecture, or interventions focusing on the urban, residential, archaeological or landscape dimension.
Tradition is very important for our culture, especially in architecture. Times have changed, as well as materials, tools and circumstances, and also the use: basic elements of architecture are security, comfort and culture – all with an important influence on the economy. Today, this is all together understood as sustainability. Theory: architecture has risen from the simplest solutions in the past to the most complex compositions today. It started with natural materials, vegetal fibres and earth, followed by stone and wood, finally with combinations of several materials.
Adaptation - Modifying a place to suit the existing use or a proposed use. It contains an array of strategies and measures that are available and appropriate for addressing adaptation needs. They include a wide range of actions that can be categorised as structural, institutional, or social. It is a rearrangement to original use with technical and social improvements for better use, for prolongation its life or for changing applicability.