ASSESSING THE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF HERITAGE

Abstract

In the last decades, due to oil discovery, many Middle East countries have experienced rapid urban growth and accelerated infrastructure and transport developments. A lively debate is currently investigating the directions for the new urban and architectural growth. The construction of contemporary cities characterized by innovation and technologies is in contrast with the need to preserve and rehabilitate the national heritage by establishing new links with local history and culture. The paper presents some significant examples of recently completed adaptive reuse projects in the Middle East area and shows the growing need to strengthen local heritage value. The interventions were assessed by considering the environmental, socio-economic, and socio-cultural aspects derived from the adaptive reuse project. As a cultural, social, environmental, and energy-saving value, sustainability is one of the most important principles that should be applied to any restorative intervention on heritage. The assessment results show that there are many links between heritage restoration, promotion of cultural values, synergy with climate, and the compatible adaptive reuse of the restored buildings. Therefore, the concept of sustainability is addressed through its meaning of unity and harmony in a broad sense by considering the respect for the ecosystem, social aspects, investments, and costs, which may vary depending on the scale of interventions ( urban-architectural). The aim is to define a persistent approach to restoration while respecting the environmental principles of sustainability.