From Conservation to Planned Conservation, that is

from Cure to Care

Outline of the lecture:

1. Preventive conservation in museums
2. From objects to buildings: Monumentenwacht in The Netherlands and Flanders
3. An integrated approach to prevention and risk assessing
4. The vision of one process, encompassing all phases as connected to each other
5. A new understanding of the phases
6. Planned conservation
7. Grants from Fondazione Cariplo
8. Risk assessment and conservation management at Milan Cathedral

Preventive and planned conservation

Preventive and planned conservation is a strategy directed at monitoring all stages of the process
and integrating all activities.
It encompasses
- economic planning
- cultural activities design
- impact evaluation
- and also adequate supervision to ensure a building is used properly

Preventive conservation for MOVABLE heritage (museums

and collections)

How to properly conserve a picture?

Example:
 It shows that once upon a time the pictures were protected by curtains to limit the arrival of
light on them.
 b. In churches were much common the Triptychs, one big picture and two shutters painted
inside with bright colours while outside monochrome. The colours are sensitive to light,
being exposed to lot of light they can change. The external cover could change, it doesn’t

matter à The external surfaces of the shutters, as exposed to light for a longer time, was
usually painted using grisaille, that is a solution less affected by alterations.
The core problem: identifying and evaluating RISKS
Attention is usually paid only on the description of damages, but it is more important to evaluate
the risks for the future.
Therefore, it is necessary to check the object, but also the conditions all around: the effects of uses,
microclimate, lighting... and the entailed risks of decay and obsolescence.
Example: a picture can look in a perfect state of conservation, while undetected decay processes are
ongoing, due to artificial light or natural light, direct or reflected.
It is the case of the triptychs by Rubens in Antwerp.
à The cleaning of this painting, which is currently in progress in the cathedral itself, poses problems
due to the condition of the picture. Despite the virtual absence of lacunae, the paint layer shows
traces of abrasion due to earlier treatments, as well as old overpaints and damage from previous
consolidations. A committee of Rubens specialists opted in this particular case for a partial cleaning
intended to balance the different conditions of the paint layer.

From objects to buildings: Monumentenwacht in The

Netherlands and Flanders
We have the task of restoring the painting, but also preserve the work of restoration by checking the
environment, the organization for exibitions and so on.

The same is for objects…

Example: Monumentenwatch Vlaanderen

It is important to check the microclimate. In this case the object was in good
state but the relative humidity detected was very high, the consequence two months later was
molds.

The «state of conservation» (alone) can be misleading

The damages in a painting on canvas are steady
The damages in a painting on wood can be ongoing as the border conditions are bad
à Wood is a living material, sensible to humidity. The painting over a piece of wood that dilatates is
in danger.

The need of managing the condition of the environment is very clear in museums.

CONSERVATION ISSUES
Pay attention to conservation issues (raising dampness, condensation, sensitive materials).
Inbuilt incompatibility of objects made by different materials: it requires control of
boundary conditions (I.e. molsture and/or microclimate )
Lack of preventive conservation entails irremediable losses and/or restoration costs
Preventive conservation requires steady conditions (but human presence entails
variations…

Example: wooden statue of the Madonna

The statue was restored and brought back to the church for the Christmas mass. The church
was extremely crowded: at once the head of the Madonna cracked. The reason was
precisely the presence of people producing vapor and increasing humidity, the enemy of
wood.

It is very important that we take care of the boundary condition, microclimate ecc..
and we ensure steady condition for the conservation of artefacts. Also for places used once
a year with valuable furniture it is still important to ensure steady condition the whole year
in order to avoid picks of humidity.

Preventive Conservation of historic buildings

A diagnosis should be included. It builds upon the condition assessment but also upon other sources
for analysis. In the “diagnosis” it is necessary to link that condition assessment to risk analysis and
possible proposed actions, including (continuous) monitoring

The approach of preventive conservation was adopted by buildings, following the example of
museums.
 The concept of Waller (1993) as used and developed for Movable Heritage;
 It is the basis for preventive conservation
 Risk = Probability that an effect on heritage values may/will occur
 Effect is generated by an agent that result in (negative) consequences on heritage values

 A diagnosis should be included. It builds upon the condition assessment but also
upon other sources for analysis. In the «diagnosis* it is necessary to link that condition
assessment to risk analysis and possible proposed actions, including (continuous) monitoring
Agents of deterioration: adapted to immovable
 AG01: Fire (N, H) heritage (adapted from Waller)
 AG02: Water (N,H)
 AG03: Climate (N,H) (= inappropriate RH and T°)
 AG04: Physical forces (N,H);
 AG05: Electromagnetic waves (and radiation) (N,H)
 AG06: Biological agents (N,H)
 AG07 : Contaminants (N,H)
 AG08: Dissociation (H);
 AG09: (in)direct impact from human activities and human development on the fabric
(H)
 AG10: Risk for the users related to the use (which use) of the cultural heritage
fabric (N,H);
– N: Nature-driven: environmental processes affecting condition
– H: Human-driven: organizational-human factors processes affecting
condition conservation

Concepts learned from Preventive Medicine:

1. The limits of curative medicine
2. Overcome sequential barrages
• “Prevention is better than healing”
• Replace curative by preventive? Is the one in opposition to the other?
• Promotion of health

– Means of primary prevention

• Environmental Hygiene
• Vaccination
• Personal hygiene
• Preventive medication
• Selection of individuals at elevated risk

– Secondary prevention
• Fed by systematic screening (for us this part is secondary prevention),
interventions to avoid spreading the damage (for us this part is tertiary prevention)
– Curative medicine
• The third “barrage”, if we were unable to prevent we have still have the possibility to try
to cure, but we have to admit it is a defeat!

– Systematic screening (monitoring): a separate case?

• Meer diagnosis than treatment => precocious treatment, linked with “health education” =
early maintenance intervention

Three levels of prevention for CH:

 Primary prevention: uses means to avoid the causes of the unwanted effect
(damage);
 Secondary prevention: uses means of monitoring that allow an early detection of
the symptoms of the unwanted effects (damage);
 Tertiary prevention: uses means that allow to avoid the further spread of the
unwanted effect (damage) or the generation of new unwanted effects (damage).

Monumentwatch
It is a No-profit organization, founded in Holland in 1973
Task: Inspections for a regular maintenance (prevention):
1. First general inspection (Inventory)
2. Every year (or every second year...) inspection to critical points
The Monumentenwacht organization consists in a:

- Voluntary membership
- A central office managing an information system, operating teams organized on a
provincial basis
- Inspection teams: two technicians skilled through courses and on-field experience

Example: St. James Church, Leuven

Periodical inspection under the beams for insects.
Check the windows for florescence or pigeons.

The condition survey consists in:

 Visual survey, ‘quickscan’: material state and damage
 Baseline (reference) report (benchmark)
  Record of the extent and condition of an interior, damage

In 1991 a Monument Watch service was founded also in Belgium (Flemish Region)
At the beginning the buildings monitored by MW were mainly public buildings and churches;
then private owners are increasing with a better rate.

Indirect strategy
 Legal framework and policy (grants? ...)
 Availability of supporting organisations as Monumentenwacht in Flanders, ...
o Supporting & empowering owners, managers – Availability of skilled
craftsmanship
o Dissemination & sharing knowledge
 Availability of a “system”
 Economics and regional development:
o The example of “Planned Conservation” in Lombardy: CHANGES project
o Research
 Good practices, examples:
o Preventive conservation through maintenance campaign with participation of
local stakeholders (University of Cuenca)

CHANGES (Changes in Cultural Heritage Activities: New

Goals and Benefits for Economy and Society)
 conservation and valorization as preventive measures;
 effectiveness of maintenance, involving relevant craftsmanship and expertise;
 economic mechanisms underlying built heritage conservation in the ontext of
regional economy and the (wider) construction sector.
 impact of knowledge gain and its dissemination on smart economy for built heritage
conservation, heritage management and for the construction sector.
GIOVANNI URBANI (Rome, 1925-1944)
1945: Urbani enters ICR school for restorers
1947: Urbani degrees as art historian, with a thesis on Domenico Veneziano (rel. prof.
Lionello Venturi)
In ICR as a restorer, and then as a technical officer
1973: Urbani becomes Director of ICR
1975: Urbani studies the Pilot plan for Umbria
1983: Urbani resigns his position ai ICR

THE UMBRIA PILOT PLAN 1975 – Piano pilora per la

conservazione programmata dei beni culturali in Umbria
Some chosen sentences from the introduction to Pilot Plan for Programmed Conservation of
Heritage in Umbria:
• "Cultural heritage must not be dealt with separately from natural environment"
• "Cultural heritage is objectively limited"
• "Conservation problem is put at global level... available techniques can improve
situation only under the aesthetic viewpoint, not under the conservative one"

The purpose is no longer conservation of aesthetics but of something that is under treat
because of the change. So, he proposes to try a new approach in Umbria, very important
historically and from the landscape perspective. He started from Cesare Brandi’s lesson.

"Occorre che prenda corpo di azione tecnica quel rovesciamento del restauro
tradizionale finora postulato solo in sede teorica (Brandi) come "restauro preventivo"
"That turnover of traditional restoration, which up today has been
only theoretically postulated (Brandi) as "preventive restoration",
must now take the concreteness of a technical action"
A questa tecnica "diamo il nome di conservazione programmata"
To this technique "we give the name of planned conservation

Brandi’s “Preservation restoration”

After recognition, in Brandi's Theory, the first call is for both technical and critical
investigation
The questions are: is the work of art authentic? Which are its conditions?
The second call is for measures on its context: are there risks? Is there some need for
regulations regarding the enjoyment conditions?
Perhaps Urbani's concerns were more focused on material risks of damage and loss than on
enjoyment conditions: also because these problems were becoming more and more urgent
(pollution, ecology...) at his times.

Restoration according to Brandi is the method to recognize a work of art in in its historic and
aesthetic value kind and in its materiality. When we recognized a masterpiece, we can make
some mistakes: it could be fake. So after the first enthusiasm we have to check the
authenticity and the consistent of the work of art. Then we have to check if the conditions
for conservation are correct.

Beyond Brandi: Urbani and the “rudero”

Protection of ruins requires covering, e.g. by plasters: the image changes, but the fabric will
not perish.
Priority given to material conservation opens the way (or at least it seems to give
endorsement) to whole renewals of façade.
Therefore Urbani's legacy is a double one: giving priority to conservation, he is believed to
have given arguments to architects keen to over-restore.

It is mandatory to accept these changes that works for conservation: for example plastering
the walls because the climate become more and more dangerous.

1975
European architectural heritage Year, Declaration of Amsterdam: "a new policy of
protection and integrated conservation"
Urbani uses the term "beni culturali" (quite new in 1970s Italy). The introduction of this
term started a still unfinished revolution. It means an understanding of heritage not by
selection of masterpieces, but by detection of links and relationships. That is, naming
heritage "beni culturali" we mean that it is seen as a whole with its territory, and it is
significant just because of being a whole, while it would be less significant if treated spot by
spot, masterpiece by masterpiece, listed building by listed building (as it is usually).
The term "beni culturali" had been introduced shortly before, Urbani's work was basic
for its elaboration and diffusion.

The Pilot Project did not start activities on field, also because of political difficulties (for
example, a private company was supposed to be the technical partner of Ministry, but
private partnership was not welcome in 1970s Italy).

Urbani, the seismic risk and his resignment

1976 - 1980 earthquakes in Italy
- 1977 In friuli
- .. In naples
Heritage is at risk and so Urbani face different problems dealing with protection of heritage.
Research "Protezione del patrimonio monumentale dal rischio sismico"
Exhibition in 1983, intended to be set up in variousperipheral seats of the Ministry
- Only two soprintendenze (out of 73!) ask for hosting the exhibition ("thinking of evil
brings bad luck": Somebody narrates that a Soprintendente answered the proposal
of the exhibition with a very Italian gesture... Prevention? Protection? "Facciamo le
corna!")
- And so Urbani resigns in 1983, just when this exhibition opens, twelve years before
the scheduled end of his position at ICR

After Urbani: The Risk Map

The Risk Map" is a project carried out by the Central Institute for Restoration (Istituto
Centrale per il Restauro) with the aim of providing the authorities in charge of safeguarding
the national territory and the Central Administration with a technological instrument of
support for scientific and administrative work.
The project has been conceived from an idea of Giovanni Urbani and gathers the
methodological contents developed in the "Pilot Plan for Programmed Conservation of
Cultural Assets in Umbria" (1975). The initiative was defined in a subsequent document, in
"Memorabilia" (1987) entitled "For Risk Map of Cultural Heritage" and the project arrived
only in 1990 within the framework of the law 84/90, which provided financial support of 28
milliards for the implementation of the pilot plant and assigning the scientific responsibility
to the ICR.
The information processes developed with the Geographic Information System of the Risk
Map, make it possible nowadays, to calculate the intensity of the loss risk to which each
monumental and historical artistic asset of the Italian cultural heritage is subject and also,
give the opportunity to get acquainted with their distribution all over the territory through
thematic cartographic representations that can be constantly updated.
Risk map
Between 1992 - 1996, the ICR (Istituto Centrale per il Restauro) started the implementation
of The Geographic Information System, called "MARIS" (MAppa RISchio, i.e. Risk Map), in
order to provide
the Public Administration with this information that should be the basis of planning. The
main users are the Departments (Soprintendenze) of the Ministry for the Assets and Cultural
Activities (il Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali) operating for the safeguarding,
conservation and maintaining of the archeological, architectonic, artistic and historic Assets
present on our territory which are of competence of the above- mentioned Departments.
The project is still active, creating a databank more and more interactive with operational
functions (e.g. fire brigades...).

Italian Code 42/2004, art. 29

Conservation is obtained by a coherent, coordinated and planned work of
- Investigation (studio)
No definition given, but a key role
The Italian word (studio) comes from the Latin “studium”, which means both study
and something like care, or love
Without care and love (passion? Curiosity?) it will be impossible to make anything
for the conservation of Heritage

- Prevention
"Prevention means the set of activities useful to limit the situations of risk
concerning the cultural property in its context"
Example: the risk of floodings in Florence - Prevention is carried out through
upstream regulation of the Arno River
- Maintenance
"Maintenance means the set of activities and interventions oriented to the control
of the conditions of a cultural property and to the permanency of its integrity,
functional efficiency and identity.
 - Restoration

à guarda le vecchie definizioni

Idea of reuse and conservation project not separated with coevolution in mind to
implement a long-term vision and strategy

Restauro
"Restauro means the direct intervention on a cultural property through a set of operations
oriented to material integrity and to recover the property itself, to the protection and
translation to future of its cultural values. In case of historic buildings being in zones
declared subject to seismic risk, restoration includes structural enhancement."
«Restauro» is a definitely qualified work, requiring specialized skills and resources to
guarantee:
- Accurate survey (now digital 3D: laser scanning, photogrammetry) looking for small
differences, which can be the hints for investigation and knowledge of details to be
conserved and not inadvertenly destroyed.
- Deep understanding of the history and the building phases.
- Diagnostics of materials and decay processes.
- Detailed design of the interventions and their sequence.

Remarks

 In comparison with old Italian laws, we have the new definitions of Prevention and
Maintenance (before 2004, only Restoration had a definition, as the direct
intervention)
 Public funding extended to indirect interventions (now the State can fund prevention
activities in the context, or maintenance activities, or monitoring...)
 Requirements for Restauro will be met only if there is a program oriented to make
specific resources available

SLIDE CHE HA SKIPPATO TROPPO VELOCEMENTE

Comparison
 Feilden: degrees of intervention in “conservation projects”, from minimum
(prevention) to maximum (reconstruction), associated with the principle of minimum
intervention

 Italian definition: stress on coherence, coordination and planning, because

all kinds of interventions are necessary in the new vision of the “conservation
process”

Since 2003 there have been many field trials of implementation of Conservation Plans for
historic buildings, it could be of some interest to try an analysis about the evolution of the
tools and of the different impacts depending on the characteristics of the owner, the
regulation frameworks and constraints, and on professionals/technicians’ competences.
The opportunity of testing the methodology in different situations highlighted the
potentialities of Preventive and Planned Conservation approach, and of the different
operational tools used for the Conservation Plans filling in, but also some important
criticalities.

At the beginning the adopted strategy was the implementation of the Conservation Plan,
trying to demonstrate the economic convenience of the continuous care and of
maintenance. This approach has been very effective in order to verify the limits of the
regional guide lines and to improve the conceptual structure of the Conservation Plan. At
the same time all the difficulties related to the not adequate procedures of public bodies for
the planning of maintenance works and to the lack of competences on built cultural heritage
came to light.
It has been necessary to shift to a more methodological level and try to involve the
stakeholders in the strategy design; thus Preventive and Planned Conservation has been
considered as a strategic line in some wide area projects; Cariplo Foundation opened an
annual call for best practice of implementation of this approach.
Fondazione Cariplo, an organization that anticipates needs
Officially, Fondazione Cariplo was set up in December 1991 as part of the reorganization
process for the rationalization and privatization of Italian banks. The foundations that were
established as a result of this reorganization process had the mission to carry on the
philanthropic activities previously carried out by savings banks.
Fondazione Cariplo does not aim at taking the place of public or private organizations
already active in the field nor to merely provide financial backing to them.
The mission of Fondazione Cariplo is therefore to be a resource that helps social and civil
organizations better serve their own community. The Foundation’s primary vocation is
supporting the organizations of civil society that represent the social infrastructures of our
system. Its approach is based on the principle of subsidiarity. In a nutshell, its mission, role
and operational strategy contribute to outline the profile of a foundation which acts as an
entity that anticipates emerging needs - or selects deep-seated yet still unmet needs - tries
new solutions to respond more effectively and less costly to them, and ultimately makes its
best endeavors to disseminate successful solutions.

The 88 Foundations are independently managed as nonprofit public benefit organizations

with their own bylaws that operate in sectors of public interest. Since they operate in
sectors of public interest, they are subject to the oversight of the Ministry for Finance and
Economic Affairs that sees that the officers of foundations act in compliance with the law
and the bylaws, which also define the territory where a Foundation operates.

Cariplo Foundation acts on the entire territory of Lombardy Region plus two
Provinces in Piedmont Region

Slide (approfondire?):
- System of 12 churches owned by «Comunità Pastorale della Beata Vergine del
Rosario di Vimercate (MB) e Burago di Molgora (MB)
- S. Antonio former convent, Morbegno (SO)
- Bianzone & Ponte in Valtellina

Condition assessment and monitoring in Milan Cathedral: putting risk assessment into
practice
Since 16, the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo (VFD) is the private subject in charge for the
realization and the preservation of the Cathedral.

Considering the important transformations in the management process

undertaken by this institution in the last years, in 2015 the Politecnico di Milano was
involved by the subscription of an agreement for providing technical and scientific
competences on specific research fields regarding the Duomo di Milano.

By the agreement, the historic series of the measurements set for controlling the
building geometrical variations (like the slope of the main structures) are still on-going
while, in parallel, new advanced survey systems have been introduced for integrating the
data coming from past and future monitoring campaigns.

CONDITION ASSESSMENT:
The long lasting of the works for the realization of the cathedral created the conditions for
developing specific competences by the skilled workers of the Veneranda Fabbrica.
Archive documents testifies a progressively setting of periodical actions addressed to the
condition assessment of the various structures finalized to identification of specific
interventions.

The continuous care approach matured in the Veneranda Fabbrica gave place to a study
methodology addressed to the specific decays afflicting the main materials composing the
Milan Duomo: the Candoglia marble.
The codification of the interventions on this stone elements produced reliable procedures
still followed nowadays and defined as best practices

The long tradition in developing a detailed knowledge of the different structures drove to
relevant results, as demonstrated by the case of the main spire, investigate by Count A.
Nava who designed the intervention on the basis of his studies.
RISK ASSESSMENT:
After an accident occurred in Santa Croce church, Florence, where the downfall of a portion
of a decorative stone composing a pulvino caused the death of a tourist in October 2017,
the Veneranda Fabbrica is trying to develop an analytical procedure for preventing similar
risk conditions.

Considering the large quantity of artistic works positioned along the building external and
internal prospects, the effects produced by the material fall, even if of small pieces
considering their height, could represent a serious risk for the people visiting and working in
the cathedral.

Taking into account the periodical controls carried out by regular inspections, the
idea is to improve a quantitative analysis for decays evaluation that will support the
evaluation of the risks.

The Fabbrica developed a procedure aimed to identify the elements requiring a complete
substitution and the ones to be maintained by sealing and repointing or to be partially
reconstructed by tessellation.

The polymeric materials introduced during the restoration interventions in the

1970s gave rise to a series of decays related to the compatibility and durability aspects; and,
as well, to effective ignorance of how a new component can interact with the old
monument.

These polymeric materials were used both in surface parts (mortar joints, marble
consolidation, protection and painting) and within the structure (passivating coating of
metal bars). After 60 years from their applications, recent observations revealed the
problems connected to the loss of adhesion and elasticity of these products showing new
tasks concerning durability and compatibility issues.

As for the effects induced by thermal solicitations, on the exterior surfaces and in the
interiors, the thermal and hygrometric conditions are now regularly monitored. The indoor
microclimate represents another source of risk, potentially producing a negative effect on
the diversity of materials conserved in the interiors.
The idea is to propose a qualitative and semi quantitative analysis of the stone surfaces
organized in different steps. It is an attempt for classifying the risk. By considering the visible
conditions of the element, the estimated durability of the material and the regularity of the
inspections, a computation of these parameters could drive to a safety index. To this aim, a
series of simulations and sensitivity analyses were carried out for evaluating the reliability of
this method.

Compatibility and Reversibility

Compatibility
Different fields and scales: reuse / conservation
 Functional: carrying capacity
 Symbolic: does the function meet the spirit of the place?
 Physical and mechanical
 Chemical

(New) functions may be compatible or incompatible according to:

 Damages produced to the historic fabric of the building (material)
 Symbolic inconsistency

Material damages due to incompatible functions

1. Too many persons walking on fragile floors
2. Humidity due to crowd breathing (or singing)
3. Light required by exhibition of artworks, which are sensitive to light

VILLA REALE DI MONZA

Very expensive restoration. At the end of the works the villa was opened to the local community for
one week for free, to be aware about how the works were carried out.

[1] (1-2) A problem is the crowd in museum. There are lots of artworks fragile and precious.
Whenever there are too many people the microclimate can change (breath). When we
admit 200 people in a room the quality of air is affected, humidity and temperature can
change.
This happens also in historic churches à the heating system is turned on just for the time of
the mass for the comfort of people: the result is that the humidity reaches the pick, while
when turned up it decreases and the relative humidity increases causing condensation.
Italian churches are like museums.
[2] Light can change the colors or damage the textile

Concept of carrying capacity:

How many persons can enter a museum the same time?
There are risks for artworks (people modify the microclimate) + Noise and bother lower the
visitor’s satisfaction.

The carrying capacity of a place (a town, a building, a museum) is the maximum number of
persons (e.g. tourists) that can be sustained without physical damages and without lowering
the satisfaction of the persons themselves

1.

Compliance with the spirit of the place

Example: Milano, S.Paolo Converso

The church was desecrated in 1808. Then many different uses of the building, among them a
recording studio (interesting because it exploited the wonderful acoustics).
After 2014 turned into an office of architecture, introducing an internal structure in steel
and glass
 After 2016pat of the church is used for
exhibitions and events, sometimes provoking more discussions on the compatibility with the
place (whose decorations had been competely restored already in 1932)
A tennis court in a former church, very important for its architectural style and decoration?

Compatibility and conservation techniques

The definitions of compatibility, as implemented on conservation techniques, can change
but three elements are always present:
 some differences,
 a changing environment
 permissible damages.

One speaks for instance of mechanical compatibility in an element made of two different
materials. Because of the differences between the characteristics of the materials, different
behaviors are induced by variations of the external conditions and relative tensions arise.
These tensions must not provoke damages so heavy, that they cannot be carried by the
system.

Chemical compatibility à As some new material is added to strengthen a surface (e.g. a

plaster) the requirement of compatibility implies that the new material does not enter in
chemical reactions with the plaster itself, not to produce chemical alterations and the
formation of salts, which could provoke increasing decays
Managing incompatibility
We can identify a trashold of sustainable damages and a series of damages not acceptable.
For example, if some materials are combined and the environmental conditions changes,
their relationship can change in a dangerous way.

The matter is that in traditional buildings there are a lot of different materials joined
together, so incompatibility is “built-in”.
Why did old buildings last in spite of these “built-in” dangers? Because the changes of their
environment have been smooth and did not go outside a “compatibility field”.
If we can identify the “compatibility field”, the task will not obtain absolute compatibility
(that is impossible), but to manage incompatibility, e.g. managing the environmental
conditions.

Example: iron tiles of the Duomo

They were realized in a time when iron elements were not easy to produce. Today, with the
new knowledge, they are considered unacceptable. The engineers nowadays wanted them
to be reconstructed; but they are part of an historic building. We have to deal with the built-
in incompatibility.

The changes in the environment were very smooth, so the incompatibility (potential) was
not turned on. Until the environmental, border condition are right, don't go beond the
treshold, the incompatibility can be ignored -> DOMAIN OF INCOMPATIBILITY
If we know these admissible border conditions, we can manage the built-in incompatibility
and this will lead to a good conservation

Example: Statues in baroque church

These statues are realized in 'fake marble': the artist used stucco, pretending to realize a
copy of marble. They look very white, finished with mortar of gypsum powder.
 If we look at
St.Joseph, he is in pretty fair conditions, compared to the one next to it which is much more
damaged.

The decay is due to the materials used by the artist from the
beginning: a body of gypsum and a coating made with a mortar rich in magnesium.
The chemical incompatibility was not active, until one of the statues has been reached by
water. Then the situation went outside the compatibility field, and the decay has been very
rapid.
The incompatibility brings them to react producing epsomite, a sulfite of magnesium,
increasing in volume 5 times when they get in touch. The new crystal are 5 times bigger.

Reversibility
Does it exist?
Critical restoration (and many conservation scientists) think that Reversibility is a basic
principle in Conservation ethics, because it leads to avoid permanent alterations to the
original material.
From Conservation viewpoint, any alteration gives a permanent sign; if you remove
something (e.g. the covering of an archaeological area), it will be impossible to remove the
effects of its presence for the time it has been there.

Reversible shelters?

The «reversible» shelter designed by Minissi in Piazza Armerina (Sicily) archaeological site
was very light and the minimum invasive, but it has been said that it provoked an alteration
of microclimate and the growth of molds, attacking the mosaics. Now it is possible to
remove or modify the shelter, but the damage is done...
Was it really «reversibile»?

Sometimes a solution looks reversible, but just because the level of analysis is not fine
enough (e.g. a doorway opened breaking a wall: you can close the hole using old bricks and
traditional mortar, but the damage to material authenticity will be permanent)
There is the risk that reversibility could be the way to avoid better solutions (“it’s ugly, but
don’t mind: it can be removed”)

That happens frequently in the interventions that aim at solving the problem of
architectural barriers (i.e. accessibility, or Design for All, or Universal Design). A good
intervention in a historic context should at the same time be functional and give a positive
message. If the added structure looks temporary, the message is that the problem has not
been seriously considered, as if accessibility were not worthy to be dealt with as an
important requirement.

Example: Church dei Francesi, Rome

Ramp that enables to go up the front flight of steps: at first wooden without guardrail, then
in stainless steel with guardrail (multipurpose...)
The church can be fully appreciated also by people with disabilities (blind, wheelchair…).
Architectural quality takes into consideration also this factor.

Therefore:
A perfect «Reversibility» does not exist
It is a principle meaning that one has to be careful in producing changes in historical
contexts, avoiding removing what is significant (potentially everything!) and thinking to the
effects on the long run (e.g., compatibility).
Under the chemical/physical perspective it means that undesired reactions and effects
should not happen
Under the structural perspective, it means that it should be possible to regulate the devices
(such as rod ties) following the behavior of the structure
In general, it should be possible to remove (as much as possible) in the future what is added
now.
That’s why the best understanding of reversibility is «responsibility», that is to think in
terms of evaluations to come not now but in the future.
Heritage Preservation and Local development

SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION: STATE OF THE ART

• Sustainability and Sustainable development
• (Built) Cultural Heritage / Sustainability / Sustainable development
• Preventive and Planned Conservation
• Case studies and projects
• Conclusions
• References

Sustainability and sustainable development

 World Conservation Union IUCN - Conservation of natural resources
 Meadows Report “the Limits to growth” published by Club of Rome. It opened for
endless economic growth as long as that growth is not associated with growing
physical impacts (eg in resource use or pollution output)
 Brundtland Report is arguably the most often quoted definition of sustainability:
"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs.”
 Rio de Janeiro conference introduced the idea of scarcity of some resources and of
limit to the uncontrolled production of harmful substances, besides having
enlightened the issue of climate changes as an effect of pollution and unlimited
economic growth
 The changes needed in the cultural heritage should not
compromise the opportunity for next generations to find the same opportunities.
94 à introduction of the system based on sustainability, society and ecology

 Sustainable development based on the triple bottom line model, then arranged by
John Elkington
 Emphasizing the value and potential of cultural heritage wisely used as resource for
sustainable development and quality of life in a constantly evolving society; the role
of cultural heritage in the construction of a peaceful and democratic society, and in
the processes of sustainable development and the promotion of cultural diversity.
(FARO 2005)
 Report of the United Nations. Conference on Sustainable Development . Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil 20–22 June 2012
 Draft outcome document of the United Nations summit for the adoption of the post-
2015 development agenda (the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development), which
outlines sustainable development millennium goals: eight goals focused on people,
planet, prosperity, peace, partnership.
To make growth sustainable we should shift to development. The growth is qualitative, not
just quantitative. In the development people are at the center, they needs are satisfied at
360 degrees.

(Built) Cultural Heritage and Sustainability and Sustainable development

BCH is involved in a form of “strong sustainability”, as it is a capital built by not renewable
resources, as featuring authenticity, irreproducibility and irreplaceability, so that no
consumption with related compensation with other forms of capital can be accepted as
“weak” sustainable development admits.
In week sustainability the human utility is central, there is a paid compensation for what we
do.
In the opposite model nonrenewable resources constitute a capital that, if restricted,
decrease the human utility.
Example: a bridge is valued as a landmark in the development of the architecture. There are
two options, whether destroying and build a new one, or keeping it and restoring. This
options in the weak system are to be evaluated in function of the new project: is it better?
Strong sustainability takes into account the value for the future. Today a completely new
bridge could seem more valuable, what about tomorrow?
!!! Don't give up on the heritage. Can we build in terms of a long perspective? Or what we
design now will be obsolete in 80 years?

Faro Convention states that the

“conservation of cultural heritage and his sustainable use have human development and
quality of life as their goal”.
Cultural Heritage has a role in the processes of sustainable development. This is the main
reason for assuming culture as the fourth factor for the recognition of sustainability, thus
changing the triple bottom line model in quadruple bottom line model.
The Faro convention à Subscribed by Italy last year as some of the words are not in-line with
italian beliefs ???

Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society
(Faro, Portigal, 27.X.2005)

Conservation of cultural heritage and its sustainable use have human development and
quality of life as their goals.

A new approach: protection should be obtained not against people but with people, i.e.
involving people in «heritage game»:
“... take the necessary steps to apply the provisions of this Convention concerning:
– the role of cultural heritage in the construction of a peaceful and democratic society, and
in the processes of sustainable development and the promotion of cultural diversity;
– greater synergy of competencies among all the public, institutional and private actors
concerned.”

Article 2 – Definitions
“For the purposes of this Convention:
a cultural heritage is a group of resources inherited from the past which people identify,
independently of ownership, as a reflection and expression of their constantly evolving
values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions. It includes all aspects of the environment
resulting from the interaction between people and places through time;
b a heritage community consists of people who value specific aspects of cultural heritage
which they wish, within the framework of public action, to sustain and transmit to future
generations.”

The matter is about giving people an active role in preservation

Private actors are investors and individuals (financial companies and people)
Heritage community à a community that interacts exploiting all the available instruments of
communication.

Article 4 – Rights and responsibilities relating to cultural heritage

(leggi slide se vuoi)
Article 7 – Cultural heritage and dialogue
(leggi slide se vuoi)
Article 8 – Environment, heritage and quality of life
(leggi slide se vuoi)
Article 9 – Sustainable use of the cultural heritage
(leggi slide se vuoi)
Article 10 – Cultural heritage and economic activity
(leggi slide se vuoi)

Which sustainability for conservation?

• Energy efficiency
• The "organic" component of historic construction materials,
• The (environmental) sustainability of products and techniques used in conservation
works
• The life cycle assessment
• The (social and environmental) sustainability of reuse instead of soil
• consumption
• The sustainability of using innovative information devices
•

The sustainability of the costs of restoration and the sustainability of the following
management of historic premises.
 Passive -
focused on our monuments
Active - heritage as a factor for development à conservation and valorization as a driver

Example: Bronzi di Riace

It took 10 years to build the museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria), 40
years to link the airport. It was impossible to think about a development to enhance the
discovery. There is the need of hiring a skilled team able to set up a program allowing
development and growth, which is possible in a developed territory. In Italy sometimes
there is not sustainable growth for industries, and the precious heritage can't allow the
passage from growth to sustainable development.

Social Sustainability
The issue of psychological obsolescence is relevant as well as the attitude to prefer things,
including architectures, looking “new” forever. We are about to say that in our lives the
“newness value” described by Alois Riegl took the command on the other values.
In order to guarantee a true social sustainability, an ethic of durable has to be recovered, so
that BCH could be treated with care, being repaired and maintained, implementing the
principles of PPC.

The main benefits of conservation process are to be found on the long run. These benefits
concern the intergenerational time typical of non-use values as well as the collective
dimension of cultural heritage. The involvement of people in long-lasting actions implies the
acceptance of the principle of responsibility, which involves communities of persons
interested in cultural heritage towards actions marked by authentic values, such as the
transfer to future generations of cultural legacy.
 Preservation of historic buildings is people involvement

Cultural Sustainability
The cultural sustainability of conservation of BCH comes from the capability to transfer to
future a legacy of values.
These processes require the recognition of shared values/meanings, and therefore
require as well a temporal horizon on the middle/long period.

When discussing about conservation, the opinions can be much different. The matter is
about involve people in understanding and detecting: before restoration is important that
people notice the important points of the heritage. When people learn about the
importance of certain points of a building in decay they are happy.
Good exibitions are the ones able to teach something

Environmental Sustainability
The variable Time in this case can be related with the speed at which natural resources are
consumed. For the conservation of not-renewable resources also the carbon footprint has
to be taken into account.

Learning from traditional practices and crafts: “traditional” roof in the Alps

Stone slabs (“lose”) roofs in Aosta Valley. Local rules enforce to remake roofs with stone
slabs, and give incentives to owners, for the sake of conserving the alpine landscape. But
those roofs are made with two different techniques.
1. The ancient technique
 Small and not regular slabs, coming from local quarries.
Slabs can be reused, and the single slab can work for approximately 200 years. Thos
roofs cannot be insulated.
A frequent maintenance is required.
2. The new (since 1950 c.) technique “a goccia” (drop-shape slabs)
Big slabs coming from quarries outside the region (special track in Aosta railway station) No
reuse of the old slabs.
Slabs nailed on wooden planks; insulation is possible.
No maintenance, in case total remaking.

Regional law to give incentives in order to remake roofs in stone for the sake of landscape.
The stone quarries were exhausted: the stones were imported from other regions
à environmental impact
à are they still traditional?

PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE:
Obsolescense is what the industry invented to increase the production. This works for
smartphones, machines, cars etc it is the so called technical obsolescence.
In heritage the same is true for building materials: once upon a time the service life was
much longer than today.
The problem here is about ecology. The maintanance, due to the short service life, is not
repair anymore, but substitution.

1. Technical à durability of building materials

2. Psychological à newness value: restoration (reconstruction)
3. Programmed à maintenance as substitution
Economic Sustainability
Historic Preservation as an infrastructure for development
Historic preservation can be seen as an infrastructure for social and economic development
according to the models of Knowledge Economy

We can talk in terms of different economy. There are different approaches

heritage/economy, for example TOURISM that is able to support the preservation of cultural
heritage.
Which kind of jobs are created by this economy? Good or poor ones? Which one contribute
to sustainable developement?
In the society people, depending also on their education, have different, more or less
important, roles.
Economy can enhance heritage and vice versa. Culture is a capacity, not an asset to be
exploited.

A cost/benefits analysis should encompass (besides “traditional” factors):

 middle-term parameters as the evaluation of the value of the property after the
works carried out
 property value discounting back on the middle term
evaluation of resources needed in order to keep for long the efficacy of the initial
 investment
 Total Economic Value:
o Costs and benefits of non-use values
o Costs and benefits of use values
 Impacts of cultural production
The term of capacity buildings is the most interesting: in conservation you can implement
very modern tools or old fashion one
Example: laser scanner. At the beginning was very expensive; today it is much more
affordable. Who could affort it, had to be aware of advantages of the innovation, from
drawing to a tool that contains all the data in a machine.
This kind of innovation involved also heritage preservation:
From conservation to transformation menagement

Preventive and Planned Conservation

 A first definition of Conservation:
“to execute, in progress of time, interventions aimed to stop, or better to limit and
slow (because stopping this process is impossible) the increasing entropy (decay) of
the system”
 A later definition:
To bring conservation out of an unproductive and isolated position, it is necessary to
work out the concept of “transformation management”, that is: “a new process for
making conservation effective, a vision of conservation which does not exclude
development”

 The
last definition:
Conservation is obtained by a coherent, coordinated and planned work of
prevention, investigation, maintenance and restoration
 Concept of
progression, through time as well as through space, can be retrieved in conservation
process (PPC)

Current model

 Conservation works (restauro) are very expensive

 Prevention is better than cure
 Maintenance is more convenient

Progressive model

 Planned and Preventive Conservation is effective as it integrates conservation and

valorisation in a management vision
 New models for the evaluation of conservation activities
 Built Cultural Heritage as driver for sustainable development

This vision can be used to make integrated conservation: we are able to build relationship
between conservation and valorization.
Conservation process is a LONG-TERM STRATEGY requiring the implementation of long-term
activities and different experts.

CASUALISTIC VISION OF LINEAR TIME (oriented)

conservation time is circular on the short term, linear and diachronic on the middle/long
term

NOT REVERSABLE
PPC and economic sustainability
If economic sustainability is to be found in the whole conservation process and not only in
the phase of “restauro”, this means to mark temporally all the conservation activities,
because each phase has its own “time”

Case studies and projects

 Cariplo Foundation’s grants
 Cultural Districts
 Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe
 The Halland Model
 CHANGES
 ILUCIDARE

Cariplo Foundation’s grants

Foundations are independently managed nonprofit public benefit organizations with their
own bylaws that operate in sectors of public interest. Since they operate in sectors of
public interest, they are subject to the oversight of the Ministry for Finance and Economic
Affairs that sees that the officers of foundations act in compliance with the law and the
bylaws (legitimacy and not merits). Fondazione Cariplo has its own Bylaws that entered into
effect on March 16, 2006 and then were progressively fine-tuned to the current version, as
approved by the Finance Ministry by order dated March 20, 2006 and October, 22, 2012.
The Bylaws set out, inter alia, the purposes and areas of action of the Foundation, its
programming, employment of assets and transparency rules, the composition of the
governing bodies.
Cariplo Foundation acts on the entire territory of Lombardy Region plus two Provinces in
Piedmont Region.

GUARDA SLIDE

Outcomes
Ten years on the field experience can be an interesting case study under several points of
view:
- Time span
- Continuity
- The regional extent
Even if the expected change did not happen yet, an increasing consensus can be detected
A way for a meso level solution has been tracked: a path which merge a top down approach
– the grant – with the bottom up needs of the owners.
A relevant number of professionals and decision makers have been reached
A first step forward the shift from restoration to continuous care

Barriers and obstacles

The survey has been useful to observe the bottlenecks and barriers that still make the
change unfeasible.

The decision to applicate seldom came from the owners, but initiatives were promoted by
other subjects, such as universities or specialized professionals, who were informed of the
Call

Only in few cases the guidelines promoted by Lombardy Region and the related Information
system (SIRCOP) have been implemented (nor did Fondazione Cariplo require the
implementation).
Some promoters were definitely not updated on the methodology.

As the Call was reserved to public bodies (or similar), the projects went through all the
problems related to regulations not oriented to long-term activities, and to the lack of
sensitivity and skills in public officer.
Also the lack of skilled inspectors has been detected, but it is also possible to observe that
they were totally absent in the beginning, and just because of these calls the first
experiences in the region have been carried out

Cultural districts:
Investment: Each of the six cultural districts received a grant of up to 3.8 million euros as
part of an equal-share co-financing scheme involving another local organization.
Starting and ending year: 2005 – 2014

ILUCIDARE
The background of the Cultural District Project launched by Cariplo Foundation is the wide
area project «Magistri Comacini» based on a formal agreement signed by Lombardy Region,
Cariplo Foundation and several public and private partners. The grant was of 6ml euros.
PHASE 1. In 2005 Cariplo Foundation asked Politecnico di Milano – Dipartimento BEST to
draw up a Pre-feasibility Study in order to define the contents of the call «Cultural Districts
as a tool for economic and social valorisation of local cultural heritage»
Call “Cultural districts, economic engine for the territory” – 37 proposals have been
submitted.
PHASE 2. 11 proposals have been selected, among which the project Monza and Brianza
Cultural District. In this phase the total investment was € 85.000, € 60.000 funded by Cariplo
Foundation.
The Feasibility Study has been drawned up.
PHASE 3. Start up period: creation of the Monza and Brianza Cultural District,
implementation of the feasibility study, creation of new partnership, finding of new
resources.
PHASE 4: Follow up activities, evaluation, new projects.

à Capriolo Foundation’s aim was to highlight the active role of Cultural Heritage within local
(economic) development strategies.
MONZA AND BRIANZA PROVINCE
55 municipalities 800.000 people
A dialogue with the stakeholders has been started, aiming at involving them in the matching
grants process: the peculiarity of the proposed strategy was to set up practices making
conservation sector a catalyst for innovation.
Four buildings have been selected to finance their restoration and reuse:
 Castello Da Corte, Bellusco
 Ca’ dei Bossi, Biassono
 Palazzo Borromeo Arese, Cesano Maderno
 ex-Filanda, Sulbiate

The pilot interventions have been chosen according to a set of specific criteria.
Some of these criteria are almost obvious:
 the location and accessibility,
 the typological variety,
 economic feasibility,
 quality of management plan, functions profitable to the designed territorial system.

Not so obvious the idea of privileging:

 the quality of the restoration process (the program, the project, survey, the
diagnostics, the procurement...),
 the direct commitment of public officers,
 an innovative maintenance plan,
 an educational plan to be
 

developed together with the restoration works.

Monza and Brianza Cultural District:

Monza and Brianza Cultural District is a model for local development meant as an engine for
economic and cultural growth . 13 Partners – 13 actions - 4 buildings restored – 3 pilot
projects – hundreds people involved.
The total investement is € 8.5 milions, € 3.6 milions funded by Cariplo Foundation
The Spinning Mill in Sulbiate (MB)
Thanks to the Cariplo Foundation grant of € 800.000,00 Lombardy Region allocated to the
project a contribution of € 895.000

Results – start up phase

 Definition of quality based procedures
 Test of collaboration among different public bodies
 Communication §
o pH
o Ville Aperte
o Cantieri Aperti
 Interaction with privat subjects
 Partnership with University
 Interaction with the local context
 Definition of management model

STRATEGIES FOR DECISIONS AND MONITORING

The evaluation of public assets belonging to the built cultural heritage can be considered a
challenge given the multiple values engaged. Moreover, when an intervention of
restoration, or better to say conservation, has to be faced, conflicting interests can be
generated and the public bodies plays a strategic role in defining a trade-off among
dimensions involved.
Innovative models for enhancing cultural heritage: the Trading zone concept

The Trading zone is where players meet, who don’t speak the same language, but they need
and want to trade, so they have to invent some way to understand each other, and come to
some agreement.
This is what happens when subjects from different sectors are called to interact in a project.
 Value
Chain Model vs Network Model:

The value network models firms create value by facilitating a network relationship between
their customers using a mediating technology. Service value is a function of positive
network externalities.
Network model for Heritage activities:
 Heritage is not for profit but for general benefits (not earnings, but an
empowerment of local economy)
 Customers are Citizens, i.e. potential players in Heritage Game
 Externalities are not only network externalities, because of the diversity of players
(Jacobs externalities, i.e. playing on human capital and diversity)
 Such a model affects also the notion of values (not stated once forever by the
experts, but emerging from the network – experts become mediators, or
provocateurs)
 Mediation is given by policies aiming at internalizing externalities
 Such a model helps in improving the organization as it focus on the real targets
(intangible benefits) and not only on production

THEN HALLAND MODEL, Sweden early 2000s

Halland Model for sustainable historic conservation is a theoretical and practical-
experienced model aiming at nurturing regional development based on sustainable
principles.
Halland Model, includes workforce development, the construction industry, the historic
built environment sector, real estate owners, local and regional authorities and trade
unions.
 100 historic buildings conserved
  1,200 new jobs in the construction industry
 One third of all construction workers trained inttraditional techniques
 235 new jobs on improved premises

GETTING CULTURAL HERITAGE TO WORK FOR EUROPE

Why, What, How
Can Cultural Heritage contribute to more sustainable development models? Which are
currently the bias in Cultural heritage processes?
Which actions or strategies could remove these bias?

Decision Making:
Use, Conservation, Valorization
Referring to BUILT CULTURAL HERITAGE:
(Historic) Buildings have to be used (inhabited, visited) as architecture can be understood
only by use (not by sight only)
Values recognized in (Historic) Buildings make their use more valuable and enables
valorization activities
Use threatens conservation (wear and tear)
Conservation is not a purpose in itself: the aim is to make historic buildings accessible (i.e.
usable) by the broadest public of today and of tomorrow
Valorization can not happen without conservation
Conservation is not only a matter of material processes, it happens also because of social
processes (people involvement...)

The bias in Decision making

Conservation and Valorization are often thought as separate things, identifying valorization
with tourism industry and cultural sites with theme parks Conservation works are meant as
extraordinary activity, out of ordinary budgets, beyond the manager’s skills, unrelated to
values and valorization activities
 A long-term vision is
seldom implemented
Actors in the heritage field are often experts and specialists (art historians, scientists,
architects, engineers, archaeologists, economists etc.), who care for just one micro-process,
not for the wholeness of the process

The two models

Program-based system
Program-based system (includes major works and overall strategies, as well as the
implementation of preventive conservation as an optimization strategy) – often ambitious
as it involves the whole process and requires changes of attitude by all the stakeholders
Problems not limited to physical conservation
Valorization meant as the relational side of preservation, working out dynamically the
significance of monuments and sites
All the opportunities at hand (dissemination of conservation contents, implementation of
“upstream” perspective, new publics involved, long-term strategies...)
All the bias involved (short-sighted decision making, lack of awareness, process captured by
single actors...)

Preventive systems
Preventive system (does not include major works, changes of function, funding strategies..)
– less ambitious, effective on its targets, can generate side benefits
Continuous attention
People involvement
Philosophy of repair, which refers to keywords of degrowth and circular economy
Empowerment and attitudes which enable better decision making also outside the circle of
prevention practices and physical conservation

Threatens
CHANGES partners can tell stories of success, or lessons learned, and their models could be
replicated
Upstream perspective seems not to be implemented spontaneously
Favorable conditions should be created by top-down provisions, very sensitive to politics
Currently in the sector very different visions and proposal coexist, so cultural policies are
seldom consistent

Change mind first

CHANGES Project aims at innovating conservation practices and policies
It is mandatory as Preservation was born in a world that doesn’t exist any longer

CONCLUSIONS
It is difficult to deal with the four pillars separately, in sustainability evaluations many
transversal elements emerge as well as many overlapping fringes between the various
sectors
Culture and Time are taken into account, as they play just the role of relational and linking
agents for the sustainability of BCH sector

Time should be made explicit in each of the four components

If the positive effects on the long run of PPC activities are not taken into account, the sole
recovery intervention will hardly be sustainable, as well as the sole existence of a cultural
good. In fact the phase of “restauro” is the one that requires the highest financial resources
and therefore poses an issue of economic sustainability, while it entails the most invasive
transformations and so impacts more on environment, not forgetting that costs carried by
public sector concern social sustainability as well.

Look at the management model as a strategic tool for an effective Preventive and Planned
Conservation approach integrated with the valorisation activities

Stress the importance of training and competences

Enhance projects and best practice of people participation in conservation of built cultural
heritage

09. Heritage Preservation and Digital Transition

Management of Built Cultural Heritage: How can we manage such a complex process?

Why digital tools? Because we have to manage a complex process. We have to know if maintenance is enough,
if major interventions of preservation or including design are necessary.

Knowledge management

 Different formats for the documents produced in each phase of the process
  No automatic flow of data
 Usually, no common Work Breakdown Structure
 Waste of information
 Waste of time and money (investigation to be repeated…)
 Mistakes due to poor knowledge

Knowledge has to be managed as well. Work breakdown structure is useful also for the division of tasks.
Information produced, must be stored, otherwise they go lost turning into a waste of money and time.

BIM for Historic Built Environment

To understand what BIM is, we can imagine Lego blocks that can store ‘unlimited’ building lifecycle data.

SkyBIM = Document Management System for

Buildings. BIM elements can be used as Smart Folders for “unlimited” data storage.

OPPORTUNITIES:

Spreading of digital technologies throughout the different activities

Development of survey 3D techniques, which enable to get terrific accuracy

BUT

BIM authoring software may drive to a standardization, which threatens diversity and authenticity of historic
buildings

Advanced 3D survey

The 5mm resolution survey, based on laser scanner point clouds, provides an architectural representation of
the Cathedral, which will be turned into a HBIM platform.

The high-resolution photo-plans of the exteriors, combined with the navigable 3D digital model, are providing
an innovative interoperable tool for planning and recording several preservation activities on different
elements of the building.
 EXAMPLE: Castle in
Sondrio
After laser scanning campaign it was found out that the plans used by the municipality were wrong of 1m
sometimes. Detail of an umbrella vault, difficult to scan. The point clouds have been transformed in surfaces.
What to do with the realized model? Designing intervention, organize knowledge, structural analysis,
presentations to the public. The data collected are possible to be used in a three-dimensional virtual
representation, either to be shown, or to analyse.

S. Maria di Collemaggio, L’Aquila

Another example is the Collemaggio

basilica in Aquila. Here, 3D technologies have been used for the reconstruction. The church had previously
been damaged by several earthquake, after which it had been always reconstructed. In 1703 it was rebuilt
with baroque features. Then medieval features were brought back.

BIM was used to detect damage, deformation and cracks. Point clouds were used to generate also 2D
drawings. Photogrammetry was used to keep track of the cracks and decorations. At the end it was impossible
to use the HBIM for all the programmed interventions.
 The problem was to create files of the
particularly shaped vaults to finish the model. Unfortunately, this was impossible to use to work with all the
parts of the church, but it still proved to be fundamental also for important decisions on reconstruction.

Indeed, the model was used for some decision during the construction process, for example, the re-design of a
completely destroyed part. The comparisons were made considering the BIM, hence the decision took quite
some time. The 3d model was useful to show how the construction site would have gone on.

The real failure was for the reconstruction of the pillars.

The church is very long. From the section we can tell that the stiffness of the building is very strong in the main
nave direction, but fragile on the short axis. Therefore, the response to earthquake is good only in one
direction. The pillars didn’t collapse but were highly damaged. A very strong strengthening needed to be
designed. Indeed, they were completely unuseful due to the cracks, and probably would have led to the
structural collapse of the church in case of a following earthquake. They needed some safety interventions.

The idea was to substitute the damaged ones with new

stones, as a “scuci and cuci”, only removing and re-integrating some parts. The goal of this decision was to
conserve everything that could be saved from the original church. Every stone of the pillars was studied in
order to substitute only one damaged ashlar per time and not to lose the authenticity of the pillars. At the
same time the real dimension of the necessary pieces was transferred from the BIM model to the producer.
The problem was that the producer was not using that technology and therefore not able to produce the
ashlars. BIM is a tool of communication, so that was the main issue.

The research goes on…

 Avoiding bottle necks and redundancy

 Defining Levels of Detail (Geometry, Information)
 Interoperability throughout the process (HBIM for facility management, energy efficiency, user
involvement…)
 Integrating BIM, GIS and databanks
  Linking conservation and enjoyment

The next phase was to work with the geometry and details of the structure, through BIM, GIS and databanks
integration and Interoperability throughout the process. The goal of using technologies is also connecting the
different processes of a work. However, the main goal was to avoid redundancy: keeping the authenticity of
the original church, models were extremely detailed, they required a supercomputer that not every worker on
site actually owns.

So, several models were implemented. For example, the architectural one is not the structural one.

Many failures had happened through the data exchange, because they were not able to use these complex
models. Nowadays the idea of a digital twin has become way more popular. Digital twin may be considered as
an alter ego of the real one, a digital copy of the structure is now siding many, and in growing number, of real
buildings.

Studies and certain analysis can be carried on just on the virtual model. It is not enough to have a digital twin,
but this has to be modified and fit for the function. Digital models are very useful as every one of them that
can be created to fit to an activity, more than one twin. The issue is that these digital twins have to be
effective, so they need to collect much and precise data that sometimes is not available. Studying a tower with
vaults and frescoes on its surface, the conservation works require the contribution of a structural engineer to
analyse the safety of the structural walls, which are made of stone and hard to study, while at the same time a
conservator of heritage is needed in the study and preservation of the frescoes. Analysing safety of the
structure is one thing and another is research on the level of conservation.

In synthesis, the survey is the same, but the dimension of these phenomena are different from one case to the
other, hence the models have to be different to organize the different functions (architectural, structural,
maintenance, etc…). All these BIMs work separately but refer to the same share data interacting with each
other. Indeed, all the created BIM brothers refer to a unique cloud, the shared data, the common archive, that
implies that their diversity is not radical, and that a new introduction affects and needs to be added on the
other twins.

Such complex process of restoration of detailed buildings improving technologies need to be implied. The
beginning of the survey is sided by simple 2D models, the with the growing accomplishment of data, also the
models become complex. In the first phases of the process however, we decide the accuracy of the survey
study based on the very first or already owned data. Then, going on with the phases, detailing become less
complex. The extremely detailed survey of the building is stored and conserved, as that of S. Maria of
Collemaggio, so that for the future times the later work will have a stronger starting point, which actually is not
mandatory nor requested: sometimes the work has a specific goal, and the very complex and heavy detailed
model is completely unuseful. That’s the main idea being downgrading.

CHERIE - Cultural Heritage Interopable Environment

Demonstrating case at Museo di Capodimonte
Taking care of the people and of the object: very often these requirements exclude each other, as some
materials require microclimates that are not that much suitable for humans.
This project shows that this method can be the future for historical preservation. The technology was
implemented in the museum of Capodimonte. Initially the model was a model for exchange. The project was
approved two years later, and the technologies introduced for its workability have land on the market, making
the work more interesting. They were studying the energy management, etc.

Tapestries were one of the most

important typologies of pieces in Capodimonte’s record, au pair with wood and modern art (the materials used
are unknown, we can only suppose how art can be kept safe with time). This is the case of the Cretto of
Gibellina for the example, the best strategy of conservation of artworks of that type isn’t a rule. Indeed, these
are very difficult to preserve since no information on their behaviour in time is available.

Another intervention happened in the attic under the roof in the 70’s, where the relationship with climate,
light and temperature is problematic. That specific roof has many windows to let light into the galleries,
however it represents an issue at the preservation level. On the lower ground the state of conservation is
problematic, as we can see from the tiles, and not only because the building is huge.

Use BIM introduces the possibility to add historical data. The survey helped a lot in creating a 3d model that
would give value to the complexity of the interior of the Museum, and to its complex staircases for example.
The model was exported and transferred to a software for structural analysis. The software has some limits in
relation to the diversity of the heritage since some material and decorations or columns and capitals cannot be
reproduced.

Digital tools such as augmented reality also help to show the different historical processes and changes of the
built heritage. Of course, to transform the survey to a model we need a reproduction of the historical pieces as
sublevels and a library of special elements introducing elements designed for this specific need, and then a
level of detailing matching the purpose. It was possible to identify four different types of stones, typical of that
place.

Very interesting with the platform, which stands for the common data collector, is the possibility to add new
levels of information, and among this document, we can have both pdf and excels to make elaborations.
Nevertheless, it also holds the historical data that are extremely useful and needed for the survey. It is possible
to identify a timeline according to the purpose of the same rooms over time. The most important part was the
shared data about the structural analysis, connected in a model that could be worked on with other software
in order to evaluate the structural calculations required.
 The model had to be able to identify specific
characteristic, as the use of different stones even in the same elements. It can also be used to tell the story of
the different parts of the building. The royal room became an auditorium, that can be showed through its
specific 3d model integrated with the comparison with the past use of the space.

Facility management. BIM was originally born for the management of property and then developed by
software houses for design.

A door may be classified and details of producers, features, costs, maintenance data can be added. Also,
manuals and instructions may be added.

Space management. Controlling climate, temperatures is fundamental for the conservation of the building and
its works of art in the case of a museum. Sensors are placed to study the changes with the number of visitors.
This may be useful for preventive conservation.

Management of the climate is critical: the state of the environment implies the conservation of the included
artworks too. Visitors also impact on the microclimate, and this needs to be considered and managed. Carrying
capacity if the people admitted are often limited to this purpose, a choice that comes after the elaboration the
data of the AI observation of the visitors in order to organize the timing of entrances by computing the average
time of people in the single rooms. On this basis, the data are collected in the platform data collector, a useful
information for the managers for the re-organisation of the rooms.

In Uffizi they placed sensors to track the visitors’ flow. Elaborating this data with AI it was possible to predict
the entrance time. This system enhances the customers’ satisfaction and helps the local economy. Tracking
visitors was fundamental during the pandemic, since the carrying capacity was reduced.
 The same implementing on an archaeological site also took place in
Pompeii, and the Museo Egizio in Turin for the temporary exposition “Invisible archaeology” implying digital
technologies to allow people seeing what they usually can’t see. Two different technologies were used. The
first exploits photogrammetry and projectors. The digital data has been transformed in a projection of lights to
repaint the blank sarcophagus, for example, to allow people to see what only an expert can see. The second
one was to simulate the removal of the bandages of mummies, another counter producing technique that
allows to see what is hidden inside. Now, the body can be detected through the same radiations that we use in
x-ray for medical purposes. The X ray used were the same medical ones used on an alive person not to ruin the
piece. It was a real surprise for the visitors however to see, an example of how digital photogrammetry can be
implied on a more daily level for the sake of people’s knowledge.

Digital transition goes towards connection and exchange of information. Exchange platforms for digital
information are necessary.

HE – LEZIONE 10 2.12.2022

Starting from a key study, Ospedale Maggiore.

In the main courtyard, the architecture has different colours because of
the kind of stone used coming from Lago Maggiore, the so called pietra
angera. There are some conservation issues; the diversity of the stones is
given due to the amount of oxygen that affects iron contained in the
stone, originally all the same.
The building was the main hospital of Milan. It was turning point in
hospital architecture. They wanted a huge building as a political symbol of
a big public hospital, almost out of scale.
Filarete describes a project which was influential for this typology.
It maintained the original function til 1930. This led to the decision to
make about what do with it. The bombings made a lot of damages. The
reconstruction was possible trying to put back the original pieces
(anastylosis).
The central façade built in the 17th century has a very complex design
with a “gothic” style on the ground floor and a more “baroque” one in the
first one, as a church. The managers of the hospital asked Richini….. to
continue the same design, so he had done the design in the same style of
two centuries before.
The upper story survived the bombing, and it was immediately
strengthened, but it did not survive restoration: it was removed since it
was thought to be a non-valuable addition. This opinion lasted until a
drawing of Richini was found, in which the upper story was present.
Originally, he proposed two styles for this part, a gothic one and a more
modern one, which would have looked like an addition. This proves that
research is fundamental, and it is never definitive since new more in-
depth research, may lead to a different result.
At the end just some parts were rebuilt and left as ruins as a memory of
war. The missing of some parts is a strong message. The other parts were
rebuilt in modern style.
To rebuild the courtyard, they used the photographic documentation to
assemble again all the pieces. But behind the anastylosis there is a lot of
reinforced concrete supporting the original elements.

Richini substituted the columns but not the arches à complex and strange
+ they are organized in one design à the color is different not on purpose
but random it depends on the quality of the stone
Complex building à not only because of the events but also because of the
architect that completed the existing building à Ricchini was a great
architect because he was able to find a new architecture which is
contemporary to him and he was able to metabolized what was already
existing à architecture on the existing building exploiting some parts and
changing others.

CONSERVATION ISSUE à pollution and conservation of the stones

exposed to the quality of the outdoor air in Milan center
1. HISTORICAL RESEARCH
YOU CANNOT WORK ON HISTORICAL MATERIALS IF YOU DON’T know
the history of the material
Documents for the procurement of the different materials.

2. Geometrical survey
Extremely important in this field, we need a very high accuracy
because in order to understand historical buildings we have to look
at details, we see the differences where other people see
similarities. In the courtyard it was possible to identify different
techniques in the capitals related to different ? (penso abbia detto
quacosa tipo come costruttori tipo contractors)

3. MATERIALS MAPPIANG
It is important to identify the different kind of stones because different
stones require different treatments + the kind of stone is related to what
happened in the building à some stones are different in correspondence
od where the columns were substituted à white granite was more valuable
than pink one at the time.

4. INTERVVENTIONS
Diagnostic of the decay to understand what to do à the decay has to be
classified; the causes have to be detected and. A method is necessary in
rode rot understand where and what to repair. What is required to remove
or to solve

3 sets of drawings with the survey of the material, geometrical and decay
à this part is the most important one + important component of the cost
because this kind of treatment are very specialized and have to be made
by specific contractors.
 We can have different
drawing for the different steps:
 this building is very
ordinary in terms of materials, just plaster but the plaster requires a very
detailed analysis of the materials because us layered, has heavy
treatments in the past. Here is possible to see a technique with different
colors and is clear to give the contractor indications on what to do
(corresponds to every different colors). Purple analysis of the decay; blue
one ..?
In Italy there is a law that enforces the presence of the restorer to support
the architects to design this kind of project à the architect is not enough,
requires the competences of restorers because you
RESTORER = a craftsman + university degree à we have schools in
Italy to form this kind of high-specialized craftsmen/artists
The real problem in Italy if that we have too many architects and small
number of restorers à1925 only architects worked on this because
conservation was not this kind of operation, restoration was drawing
decoration, now it is a high specialized intervention. It is very complex to
manage this team of different skills working together and if an architect
used to make planning or tall buildings ec.. it is quite difficult that he/she
is going to be specialized on this kind of project.
CRITERIA for the decision making for the different technical option for the
different intervention.
à to not mix gypsum and Magnesium lime otherwise in case of humidity
they can end up in a conflict and destroy the statue. For 4 centuries the
statue was perfect until there was no humidity in the church
Controllability = cleaning à is an operation that required to be slow
and perfectly controlled, ca be stopped at any time
They light on fire the surface of the painting and thanks to the thermal
shock it was possible to remove the varnishing à seems uncontrollable but
every detail is studied very precisely, each quantity.
Not just for cleaning but also structure strengthening we use devices that
can be controllable like tie-rods. In
In cleaning is very important not to damage. When removing, the less is
better because in the future if you have to correct this intervention what
you removed can be make again but it is less authentic.

In restoring paints there is the technique “rigatino” = making small lines

of the color, at first sight look of the same color of what is missing but in
reality you can detected and recognize what part is missing.

à Compatibility and prevention of the external actions is what enables

materials to be durable. Some interventions which are made to prevent
damages don’t last for a long time and need a new intervention after a
certain period of time (Important for the post intervention maintenance).

EXAMPLE ALREADY SEEN

For stone conservation work there are 5 phases which follow each
other and come after the investigation and so on …

1. PRE-STREGHTHENING: Cleaning should be the first phase but not always the surface
is strong enough to support it.
2. CLEANING
3. SEALING AND POITING: there are parts where there are some gaps and have to be
fulfil.
4. STRENGHTENING
5. PR
ETECTION
à these phases are always necessary, for example strengthening not
always
1. Bonding mixture injections
2. Tissues
à The water is conveyed to the surface without any pressure to dissolve
the deposits on the surface which required to be solved by this chemical
action.

à you need to be supported by a conservation stylistic to

decided the best conservation for solution.
à organic chemicals swapping resins for frescoes
 à devices like micro-abrasion = mechanical action can e
use only when the surface can be touch
à laser do not touch the surface. Is it a bit expensive so it used just when
it is needed and has a competitive advantage in respect to other
techniques.

à we need something that is performative and at the same time

compatible (like for the support)
Before treating the stone, it is mandatory to work on the gaps

The technique that now is customary is to make a fluid mixture

that goes inside the materials, impregnates the material. The stone is a
material which is very consistent but inside has some voids à enhance
the porosity of the material. The technique si to fill the pores with this
mixture going in dept to reach the most coherent underlying material. The
mixture can create a chemical bond with the stone or not àcan be a
skeleton put inside.
 As many decaying processes are forced by water, it is very
important to protect the surface à put a new layer on the surface and it
should have a lot of requirements, among them the most curious thing is
that it should be permeable to vapor but not to water. It means it
have to be water repellent, but the surface reacts with the water forming
a contact angle of more than 90 degrees.

The final result is to have a durable surface (like in Ca

Granda in Milan)
Conservation intervention made in 1993 and 10/15 years later they had
again some problems.

Planned conservation plan means that they organized all the knowledge
produced during the surveys and technical knowledge, it is organized in
the 3 parts mentioned above.

What is interesting in this case is that few years later we had a pilot plan
for the conservation of the courtyard implementing a system for the
conservation. Maintenance not with full restoration but with localized
interventions, implementing a system which will allow the continuous care
of the building.