Heritage Building Adaptation: Decision-Making for Contemporary Interventions

Abstract

Existing old buildings were considered as the city's culture reminder. By the time, they could be kept via adaptation for contemporary usages. That adopting considered the context of the environmental, social and economic idea of the prior eras, related to the building's life cycle, that guided by local solutions. This paper started with the adaptation process definition with an evaluation of a number of building's state to bring out the different potential outcomes for discussing the future adaptation possibilities, especially that known as "alterations and extensions". Therefore, by rethinking of the new addition's integration into the heritage buildings will support the heritage value and fit new functions to present innovative design process approaches in the field of heritage preservation's design. By analysing some case studies, the study achieved some criteria for designing the alterations and extensions by making them an effective component in the design of old heritage buildings. And finally applying these principles to demonstrate its efficiency.

Documenting and Restoring Aspects of Damage of the Historic L'Atelier D'Alexandrie (Timfako Palace) in Alexandria, Egypt

“…[10] A heritage building is a structure or part of a structure that should be preserved for historical, architectural, aesthetic, cultural, or environmental reasons. [4] Historic buildings contain information about the social and cultural structure of the community, the lifestyle, and the architectural styles of the period in which the building was constructed. As a result, these historical-cultural relics reflect a community's life, values, and social memory.…”

“…[3] The heritage buildings were critical in passing on the social-cultural identity to future generations. [4] Heritage structures and cities provide powerful visual documentation of regional history and the form that serves as the foundation of local culture. One of the primary concerns of modern society is the preservation of the building's heritage.…”