Adopting Smart Building Concept in Historical Building: Case of Abu Jaber Museum, Jordan

Abstract

Introduction: Heritage conservation attracts wide attention worldwide. Jordan has many heritage buildings that were preserved, rehabilitated, and adapted to new functions. However, these conservation efforts could not solve the energy consumption problem or maintain the economic and financial balance, thus reducing building efficiency, slowing down the conservation activity, and forcing us to consider new solutions, especially since Jordan has limited energy sources. Integrating smart technologies in historical buildings is widely effective in achieving the sustainability of their historical, symbolic architectural values. Purpose of the study: We aimed to explore the potential integration of smart technologies in cultural and heritage buildings. Methods: We suggested an alternative solution — adopting the smart building concept in the Abu Jaber Museum in Al-Salt (which recently got on the UNESCO World Heritage List since it has more than 1000 heritage buildings), using an automated lighting control system. Approach: We deployed the qualitative method and case study approach to investigate the potential of adopting the smart building concept in the historical building in Al-Salt, Jordan. The study sheds light on the possibilities of utilizing smart technologies in historical buildings in Al-Salt. The findings indicate that smart technologies can offer great opportunity in preserving the architectural heritage and raising the efficiency of heritage buildings. Novelty: The study provides a framework based mainly on automated lighting systems in historical buildings. For the first time, the focus was on historical buildings in Jordan and their performance.

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