Layers of Modernism

Objective: The aim of this study was to map and analyse the structure of the scientific discourse on adaptive reuse of buildings, with a focus on the pillars of sustainable development, in order to identify its main narratives, emphases, and knowledge gaps. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in the concept of sustainable development proposed by the United Nations (UN), taking into account its environmental, social, and economic dimensions as they relate to adaptive reuse as a strategy for sustainable development. Method: A hybrid qualitative approach was applied, combining a Systematic Literature Review to select a final set of 216 articles retrieved from the Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect databases, with Content Analysis for the categorisation and interpretation of the data. Results and Discussion: The results indicated a predominance of the environmental dimension in the literature, with a strong emphasis on energy performance metrics. The social dimension revealed a duality between heritage preservation and community needs, while the economic dimension emerged as a driver for justifying and enabling projects. Research Implications: As the main practical implication, the analysis highlighted that the fragmentation of knowledge reflects a lack of construction management processes and tools tailored to the unique challenges of building reuse projects. Originality/Value: The originality of this work lies in the synthesis and structuring of a broad and fragmented field of study. The study offers an overview that highlights both well-established areas and existing gaps, serving as a guide to inform future research and professional practice.

<p>This thesis proposes a composite framework for the evaluation of the environmental impact of tourism development on host destinations. In this study, the environmental impact of tourism is considered as a social-ecological phenomenon that can be categorized into the two aspects of natural and social-cultural impacts. Ecotourism is introduced as a type of sustainable tourism in that its policies and principles for development are based on conservation of environmental heritage (including natural and cultural heritage) via engagement of local people and communities in the tourism development process. The proposed composite framework arises from the integration of an ecological and a cultural framework for the sustainable development of tourism. This framework places the conservation of natural resources as the main ecological outcome for eco-tourism. The proposed framework uses the ecological footprint (EF) of the main tourism activities and services (including transportation, food and accommodation services) as the ecological indicator for evaluation of ecotourism development to ensure it is ecologically compatible. Ecological footprint (EF) is a way of measuring environmental impact. It assumes that everything needed for living, including all energy, goods and services can be obtained from land, and that any wastes produced can be absorbed by land (Wackernagel and Rees, 1996:9). Because land productivity varies considerably around the world the average global productivity is the normal measure, and this is called global hectares (gha). The ecological footprint of a product or activity produced/ consumed and conducted by a defined group of people can be measured through the following equation: EF (gha) = Lifecycle energy use of a given group of people (product and activity pro-duced or conducted) Gigajoules (GJ) / carrying capacity of the Earth (GJ/gha). The above equation determines the area required to produce resources and to absorb pollutants like carbon dioxide generated in the lifecycle energy use of the product or activity through using fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). Through using an ecological perspective, this thesis views culture as a system that links a group of people or a community to their surroundings through their use of local mate-rials and energies, and the production and consumption of products from these. The proposed framework determines the main cultural outcomes for ecotourism development such as conservation of heritage and making the host people aware of their cultural values. In addition, it introduces related activities such as social events, conservation of heritage and producing and consuming local products as contributive activities for achieving the outcomes stated above. Furthermore it investigates and refines a number of indicators that can be used as tools for evaluation of the cultural footprint of the development of ecotourism. Within these, local gross domestic product (GDP) as a social-economic indicator arising from tourism activities is also considered. This thesis concludes by presenting a case study of ‘The Otago Central Rail Trail’ (OCRT) as an example of ecotourism. The OCRT was introduced in the New Zealand Tourism Strategy (NZTS) for 2015 as a successful model for community-based development of sustainable tourism. The investigation reviews the impacts of the OCRT on natural and cultural heritage by using the framework developed in the thesis and its related ecological and cultural indicators. Through using the proposed holistic framework and the model for sustainable development of ecotourism, this thesis finds that, influenced by the development of the OCRT, many cultural heritage items including 60 bridges, 3 tunnels, and 78 buildings (used as OCRT accommodation services) have been refurbished. The restoration of this heritage can be considered as a policy that contributes to awareness of OCRT residents of their cultural heritage and identity. Likewise, as a part of the educational process related to ecotourism, this also makes an opportunity for OCRT visitors to learn about the cultural values of their host people. As shown in Table 5.84, in 2011, the total EF of 11,788 OCRT visitors including the EFs of the four categories of transportation, food, accommodation and activities is 1,617 gha (0.138 gha /visitor). In comparison with the EF of 0.03 gha/ visitor for sustainable tourism (see Table 5.86), the overshoot portion of the EF of the OCRT is equivalent to (0.138 – 0.03) 0.108 gha/ visitor. Likewise the total overshoot EF of 11,788 OCRT visitors is (11,788 visitors × 0.108 gha) 1,273 gha (see Table 5.86). This overshoot EF of the OCRT indicates that although the project has already been considered as a successful sustainable tourism project, still needs to reduce its total EF by 1,273 gha to be environmentally sustainable. As determined in Chapter 5 (see Table 5.88), the overshoot portion of the OCRT is calculated as 127,310.4 GJ/year. Since the costs to generate 1 GJ of overshoot energy use through using renewable energy sources (in this case wind + solar) is NZ$ 19.8, consequently the total cost to generate the overshoot energy use of the OCRT through using the latter systems (wind + solar) is equivalent to (127,310.4 GJ × NZ$ 19.8) NZ$ 2,720,746. Table 5.90 shows that in 2011, the total GDP of the OCRT is NZ$ 6,245,289 This means the total cost that must be spent to generate the overshoot portion of the OCRT energy use in a sustainable way (NZ$ 2,720,746) is 43.6% of its total GDP (NZ$ 6,245,289). Consequently the sustainable portion of the GDP (GDPs) of the OCRT is (NZ$ 6,245,289 – NZ$ 2, 720,746) NZ$ 3,524,543. The results of this thesis demonstrate that using local products (e.g. home prepared foods) as a sustainable cultural behavior not only contributes to the ability of the host destinations located along the OCRT (such as Naseby and Cromwell, used as further case studies) to present their cultural products, but also contributes to reduce the environmental impacts and increase the economic outcomes of the OCRT. For example, producing 17% (13,346.4 kg) of the total of 65165.05 kg consumed food as home prepared food reduces by 5.5% the ecological footprint related to the food consumed by OCRT visitors. As determined in Chapters 5 and 6, in three case studies, producing home prepared food contributes in a sustainable way to the increasing of the economic outcomes by about NZ$3.5 / kg of food produced. This thesis indicates that in all three case studies, using refurbished buildings as accommodation services, which is considered as an activity that contributes to preserving the cultural identity of the host destinations also contributes to reducing of environmental impacts and increasing the economic outcomes related to OCRT. For example in OCRT using 12.9% of bed space as refurbished buildings reduces by14.5% (7.3gha) the total 50.5 gha ecological footprint of accommodation services compared with when all accommodation buildings are assumed as new buildings. Chapters 5 and 6 determine that in OCRT using 21,378 m2 of refurbished buildings as accommodation services (12.9% of total bed spaces) increases by 5% the sustainable portion of GDP related to accommodation services. In Naseby also using refurbished buildings as accommodation services has the same sustainable ecological, cultural and economic outcomes as for the OCRT as a whole. The framework indicates the use of open air areas as being a cultural-ecological indicator for evaluation of architecture as being sustainable. Through using the framework, it is determined that using open air areas including balconies and verandas as part of OCRT accommodation buildings exerts environmentally friendly influences on the host destination. For instance in OCRT using 387 square meters of veranda and balcony as part of the 80,356m2 accommodation buildings decreases by 1.5% the total ecological footprint (50.5gha) of buildings used as accommodation services in OCRT. The thesis results demonstrate that an architecture that will contribute to sustainable development through ecotourism has a cultural footprint area in which the architecture contributes to the host societies knowing and preserving their cultural identity, capitals and heritages. Simultaneously, it contributes to reducing the environmental impacts and increasing the economic outcomes of the host societies through ecotourism. This thesis determines that since all ecological, cultural and economic characteristics of sustainable architecture are linked together, a strategy to develop sustainable architecture is successful when it considers the linkage between all of these profiles and influences that they exert on each other.</p>

<p><em>The participation of citizen in the conservation of heritage buildings and structures on Surakarta Baluwarti background by conservation measures are often perceived as a barrier to regional development. It causes people to be hesitant in doing conservation measures. Baluwarti been determined to be of cultural heritage, the citizen in Baluwarti required to actively participate in the conservation of cultural heritage buildings and structures. Conservation of cultural heritage in Baluwarti not limited to protection, but also includes the utilization and development. The problem in this research is how much the participation of citizens in the conservation of cultural heritage buildings and structures in the area of Surakarta Baluwarti. The method used is to conduct field observations, distributing questionnaires, and analyzes the frequency distribution and descriptive analysis. The results of the level of citizen participation Baluwarti in the conservation of buildings and structures in the region. The results of this study indicate that the level of citizen participation at the level Baluwarti being. This result indicates the persistence of participation in conservation, but need to increase the participation of buildings and structures related to the conservation of cultural heritage Baluwarti.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><strong><em>Keywords:</em></strong><em> </em><em>Building and Structure, </em><em>Conservation, Cultural Heritage</em><em>, </em><em>Participation.</em></p>

Conservation, as an emerging discipline, is mutually constituted with the heritage institutions in which it is practiced. Professional conservators have been amending the focus of their work, from attending to the material preservation of heritage spaces, places, and objects, toward the values that people have for their cultural heritage. This chapter describes an alternative conservation product, which is entangled within the multiple interactions between objects and people developed during the conservation event. This reflects a shift in focus from the materials from which conservation objects are composed, to the aspirations of the people who are affected by the conservation of their heritage. This challenges conventional heritage conservation practice, by privileging a community's cultural systems over universalized concepts of heritage. As a result, conservation practice requires principles, policies, and guidelines that help conservators to engage people in decision‐making about their heritage. New frameworks for understanding conservation practice enable creative and diverse solutions within heritage conservation. This is described in this chapter in terms of materials‐, values‐, and peoples‐based approach to conservation. This allows heritage conservation to address the social issues of the present and engage the future, rather than merely seeking to fix the past. In so doing, it validates conservation responses that seek to incorporate the multiple ways that people care for and use their own cultural heritage.

The paper presents a factual analysis of the sociocultural and political determinants of entrepreneurial intention with insights from Nigerian society to provide an understanding of their manifestations and causal effect on entrepreneurial intention. The objective is to validate the provisional understanding of the effect of sociocultural and political factors on entrepreneurial intention provided in the literature. In consonance with the objective a systematic review of the literature was carried out to search for pertinent factors using web based search engines, and several scholarly articles were isolated and examined. Topic search was used to identify articles on sociocultural factors in connection with entrepreneurial intention using their titles, abstracts, and keywords. It attempted, through an extensive literature review, to provide an integrated view for a more comprehensive understanding of sociocultural factors and entrepreneurial intention; and the key sociocultural factors that lead members of society to become entrepreneurs. For robustness, an extensive search for relevant literature was undertaken through a continuous filtering process and 134 articles dealing with sociocultural and/or political determinants of entrepreneurial intention were obtained. The factual analysis of the Nigerian context provided evidence that confirm the theoretical postulations in the articles reviewed. Evidently, all the sociocultural factors and political factors have some direct or indirect influence on entrepreneurial intentions in Nigeria. However, some of them only have modest influence. The strongest and most direct factual evidence was shown in unemployment, work experience, family values and ethnic values, while the weakest and most indirect influence was shown as religious values, social recognition and status, and social security. The effects of peer influence, social network, and job displacement are considered to be relatively weak. Essentially, however, the Nigerian experience and cases argued in this paper provides clarity to the hitherto provisional understanding of how entrepreneurial intention is affected and influenced by the sociocultural experience of a people.

This comparative study examines the evolving field of international cultural heritage conservation, focusing on the integration of critical heritage discourses into conservation legislation, goals, and planning systems in England and Germany. By addressing questions about the definition, governance, and management of heritage, it stimulates reflection on the alignment of planning systems and conservation tools with the needs of pluralistic contemporary societies and their definitions of heritage. The chapter traces the development of international heritage discourses, theories, and policies, exploring their influence on conservation practices through a comparative analysis of two informal planning tools: Local Heritage Designation in England and Kommunales Denkmalkonzept (KDK) in Germany. Results show that while these tools do not signify a radical overhaul of urban conservation practice as advocated by critical heritage scholars, they reveal common incremental changes in three areas: widening definitions of heritage, increased participation in identifying local heritage, and integration of heritage into broader urban development and place-making efforts. These trends reflect a growing acknowledgement of diverse heritage values and the necessity of engaging communities beyond the expertise of conservation professionals. Although current practices fall short of the transformative demands of critical heritage studies, they represent a shift towards more inclusive approaches, offering insights for policymakers, planners, and researchers. The chapter advocates for place-based, informal planning initiatives that prioritise local contexts, aligning heritage conservation with broader societal and urban development objectives. It underscores the need for ongoing international dialogue and comparative research to better integrate tangible and intangible heritage into conservation planning.

PurposeThis article aims to empirically investigate the influence of socio-cultural and political factors and actors on the perceived autonomy and control of state agencies in Pakistan. Taking an institutional perspective, which envisages a diverse course of agency reforms, owed to varied national cultures, historical paths and traditional mindsets, the authors argue that the institutional theory provides an explanation to the autonomy and control status of the agencies.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 39 senior public officials and governing board members in federal agencies by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was performed using NVivo-12 for data analysis.FindingsThe results disclose that the agencies operate within an overriding politico-administrative culture of intervention and supremacy of the central government. There is a close relationship between the political actors and actors' implementing agents, the bureaucrats. Although the disaggregated public agencies are created under the agency model, a culture of political influence and control still prevails within them. Among the socio-cultural factors, corruption is reported as a critical influencing factor for agency autonomy.Research limitations/implicationsThe study emphasizes the need to adapt and modify agencification practices in developing countries based on the political, socio-cultural and administrative contextual factors and actors and the varying degrees of influence the practices exercise over the Government machinery.Originality/valueThis study unveils the implications of the new public management (NPM)-led agency model in Pakistan, which was primarily adopted as a part of the structural adjustment program (SAP) under loan conditionality from international donor agencies and explores the indigenous doctrines that govern agencies functioning under ministries.

In the article, the international experience of renovating historical buildings is explored, with an emphasis on historic residential buildings.
 The history of the emergence of the idea of renovating historical buildings abroad is investigated. The concept of organized architecture preservation emerged in Italy and quickly spread to other European countries in the early 19th century. With the growing interest in preserving architectural heritage, new renovation technologies and methods, as well as innovative funding schemes, were developed.
 Financial programs and grants used in Europe and America to finance the restoration of historical buildings are highlighted. In the United States, there are numerous programs that provide financial support for the restoration and preservation of important historical buildings, including federal tax incentive programs for historic preservation, certified local government programs that offer financial assistance for building rehabilitation through state historic preservation offices, the Community Development Block Grant program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the repair and reconstruction of historic buildings damaged by natural disasters. In Europe, each country has its own program for financing the renovation of historical buildings, for example, in Germany, there is the "Städtebaulicher Denkmalschutz" program, in France, there is "La Fondation du patrimoine," in the UK there is the "Heritage Lottery Fund," and in Sweden, there is the "Riksantikvarieämbetet" program, all of which provide funding for the renovation of historical buildings, including residential ones. Funding under these programs may come in the form of grants, interest-free loans, or tax credits.
 The main methods of renovating historical buildings that are most commonly used in European and American countries have been identified. The method of renovation is determined by the condition of the building, its inclusion in a certain list of landmarks, the legislation of the country in which the renovation is carried out, etc. In particular, the following methods of renovation can be distinguished, which are used in practically all countries: superstructure, construction of new buildings on the site of historical ones, extension, increasing the energy efficiency of the building, renovation of the building, construction of underground parking.

The research explores the influence of environmental factors on the performance of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Oda, Ondo State. Primary data were gathered through the administration of questionnaires to the selected SMEs. Analysis of the data was conducted utilizing Simple Percentage, Chi-Square (X2), and Regression Techniques. The findings of this study clearly show that political and social-cultural factors have significant impact on SMEs performance in Ondo state with the result of hypotheses shown that there were significant positive effect of political and socio-cultural factors through monetary and fiscal policies on the existence of small scale business in Ondo state as the situation was showed through t-statistic and p-value (P= 0.022<0.05) on coefficient value (t=2.098>2.00) and F-stat value 7.617= p(0.034) that showed the robustness of the model with significant differences on the impact of economic factor through government measurement and control from how it was before the inception of this government tenure in Ondo state. The research concludes that environmental factors significantly affect the performance of SMEs in Niger State. In light of these findings, it is recommended that owners and managers of SMEs strategically involve themselves in ongoing monitoring and environmental scanning. This involves a thorough analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to consistently assess the overall health and vulnerabilities of their businesses.

The Preservation of Urban Heritage: An Idea from Modern TimesThe Opening statements of the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites-commonly known as The Venice Charter 1964-tell us about the scope and depth of its origins. They express the concern for history and its material expressions, which is:Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations of people remain to the present day as living witnesses of their age-old traditions.1They articulate the universality of the values of this heritage.People are becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and regard ancient monuments as a common heritage.2With these considerations in mind, the charter articulates the challenge for architects and technicians of historic monuments gathered in 1964 in Venice as holding:The common responsibility to safeguard ... [the historic monuments] . .. for future generations . .. [and] ... to hand them on in the full richness of their authenticity.3In its conceptual makeup, the charter is a product of its time. It is strongly influenced by the ideals of the international movement in architecture and is the embodiment of a reaction to the romantic reconstruction and improvement approach used by the conservators of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This is evident in the charter's call for the recourse to all the sciences in the practice of conservation and restoration in Article 2, and it is also present in many of its detailed recommendations. A few are worth mentioning: the monuments should be intervened with minimally, and any intervention should show respect for the original materials (Article 9); and when interventions are needed, each should bear a clear contemporary stamp so as to differentiate it from the monument's original material(s) and/or design (Article 9).The charter also departed from the early tradition that focused on the preservation of an individual monument and recognized in Articles 1, 6, 7, and 14 that the preservation of a monument should also encompass the preservation of its setting. Moreover, it indicates in Article 5 that the preservation of a monument is facilitated if it is put to some socially useful purpose.4 The Venice Charter provided scholars and practitioners with internationally agreed upon principles to guide the preservation and restoration of ancient buildings, but allowed each country to apply the established principles within the framework of its own culture and traditions.Much has happened in fifty years and it is most appropriate to take a fresh look at the Venice charter. The focus here is to trace the charter's contribution to the study and practice of urban heritage preservation and the challenges that the profession currently faces. This endeavor, however, would be incomplete if no proper consideration were given to the different charters, norms, recommendations, conventions, resolutions, and other documents approved by ICOMOS and UNESCO in the last fifty years that expanded the scope of the international concern for our material and intangible heritage and provided guidelines for its preservation. The list is long and varied, each making its unique contribution to expand the scope of the concern for material heritage. This is the case for the Nara Document on Authenticity of 1994, which provides this broad perspective and stresses that authenticity is the essential, qualifying factor concerning the values of heritage. It specifies that authenticity includes the monument's form and design, materials and substance, use and function, traditions and techniques, location and setting, and spirit and feeling. Most of the other documents further expand the concepts of urban heritage preservation from individual monuments to neighborhoods and towns.The Preservation of Historic Neighborhoods and Towns: A Growing ConcernThe recommendations of the Burra Charter of 1979 extend beyond the individual monument and include the preservation of places of cultural significance. …

Amid the introduction of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the longevity and lifecycle of heritage and modern buildings and the process of redevelopment have come under greater scrutiny. Through adaptive reuse, i.e., changes that involve both a functional and a physical component, practitioners can give a second life to existing buildings. To define the state of the art in the scientific research focused on building adaptive reuse, the authors conducted a rapid evidence assessment. It emerged that adaptive reuse is comprehensive topic that deals with social, economic and environmental issues. The goal of the adaptive reuse studies varies from social to environmental topics such as human-centred adaptive reuse, and energy efficient adaptive reuse. A comprehensive approach to adaptive reuse requires integrated strategies aimed at preserving valuable pre-existing human artifacts in the Anthropocene era, characterized by unsustainable consumption and transience of data and images. Adaptive reuse combines pragmatism and creativity and requires sensitivity in the selective approach on existing structures, contexts, and materials. Adaptive reuse projects call for specific skills and targeted strategies that falls into different action categories: reuse, restoration and renewal, i.e., innovative transformations of the “old and degraded” into “new and performative”. Overall, adaptive reuse optimizes environmental sustainability, efficient regeneration processes, increased community interest, and profitability, making it an attractive opportunity for stakeholders seeking to revitalize urban and peri urban areas. Adaptive reuse projects deliver workable solutions, support heritage and cultural preservation, while meeting the changing needs of communities.

Landscapes, society and its values in Israel undergo dramatic and rapid changes. Therefore, issues of conservation, reconstruction or restoration of sites, buildings, gardens and landscapes need to acquire special and greater importance. The protection of natural and cultural sites such as nature reserves and national parks has already gained public support and legal recognition by the Act of National Parks and Nature Reserves, enacted in 1963 and amended in 1994. In the 1980s the Council for the Conservation of Buildings and Sites in Israel was established on a voluntary basis. Formal and legal frameworks were provided in 1991 by amendment no.31 (plan for site conservation) to the Planning and Building Law of 1965.1 However, the amendment refers only to structure(s) or site(s) attached to a structure(s), and does not relate to a site that has no structure(s) on it, such as open land or a garden. The issue of identifying historical landscapes and gardens and their conservation and maintenance is not specifically dealt with. The international framework for Historic Gardens established by ICOMOS-UNESCO in two charters,2 is mostly too general and does not suffice to deal with all practical management and maintenance issues. The garden at Ramat Hanadiv therefore provides a useful case study by which a perspective on the issues of historical gardens and their management in Israel can be gained.

This article discusses the importance of archaeology in the conservation and restoration works in Malaysia. Even though the development of archaeology in the nation is approximately 200 years, it is still considered a new subject. Even so, more than 50 research projects on the archaeological conservation of buildings and historical sites have been completed in this nation. Some of the archaeological conservation projects completed include Kota Kuala Kedah, the candi of Lembah Bujang, Fort Cornwallis, Suffolk House, High Courts, and Shop Houses of (Lebuh Acheh) in Pulau Pinang, Muzium Matang in Pasir Salak, Balai Budaya in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Lukut in Negeri Sembilan, Kota Melawati and Istana Bandar in Selangor, Bangunan Onn Jaafar in Johor and Fort Megarittha in Sarawak. These archaeological conservation projects had varying success. Successful in this context is when a site is uncovered with carefully preserved and restored archaeological finds and the reconstruction of certain structures whereas unsuccessful is when all the archaeological finds are disregarded or even destroyed. Therefore, this article attempts to uncover several factors about the importance of archaeological activities in the conservation or restoration of buildings and historical sites. Among that being suggested is that all historical buildings or sites that have to preserved and conserved should first be investigated archaeologically, all archaeological finds should be restored, and reconstructed in order to preserve the specific authenticity of the historical building or site, some funds should be set aside for these activities, and that it should be undertaken by an archaeologist who is experienced and trained in this field.

The primary objective of this research is to address the research gap in the conservation of heritage buildings in Canada by integrating Historical Building Information Modeling (HBIM) as a tool. The proposed study aims to develop an enhanced framework for the preservation of historical buildings through the utilization of HBIM and 3D-scanning technology. As a result, the research aims to generate a comprehensive database comprising various families of models while also incorporating strategies for point-cloud clustering data. The significance of this research lies in its potential to contribute to the conservation and restoration process of historical buildings. Currently, there are a lack of standardized approaches and comprehensive databases for accurately documenting and reproducing historical buildings. By integrating HBIM and 3D-scanning technology, this research will enable the creation of highly accurate three-dimensional virtual models, consisting of millions of points, which will serve as a comprehensive dataset for the restoration of heritage buildings. The findings of this research will benefit multiple stakeholders. Preservation architects, conservationists, and heritage professionals will gain a valuable tool for documenting and analyzing historical buildings with a high level of precision. The comprehensive database and framework proposed in this study will facilitate decision-making processes during the restoration and preservation phases, ensuring that the original architectural elements and materials are faithfully reproduced. Additionally, policymakers and governmental organizations involved in heritage conservation can use the outcomes of this research to establish standardized guidelines and regulations for the preservation of historical buildings in Canada. Ultimately, the broader community will benefit from the enhanced preservation efforts, as it will contribute to the cultural and historical identity of the nation, fostering a sense of pride and connection to the past.

<p>Historical buildings, which play a major role in shaping the urban fabric, are facing challenges due to climate change. Today the cultural values are considered among the main goals of sustainable development much like the social, economic and environmental values. Therefore it is important to discover the sustainable ways of conservation and maintenance practices on mitigating the impacts of climate change, so that the historical buildings can play an active role in achieving sustainable development goals without compromising their cultural and heritage values.</p><p>Nature-based solutions (NbS) are considered as sustainable and effective solutions on mitigating impacts of climate stressors. Exploring their compatibility to conservation practices can bring mutual opportunities to the urban fabric and to the historical buildings. However, nature has been considered as a threat amongst the conservation practices due to potential biodegradation of materials, obscuring the heritage structure and requiring an additional cost of maintenance. Nevertheless, many uses of nature-based solutions come across in history, e.g. in the form of turf or sod roofs that provide thermal insulation on extreme climate conditions. Today, there are some attempts to integrate NbS to heritage environments within the scope of retrofitting projects. Nevertheless, a comprehensive methodology of performance assessment on mitigating climate challenges without compromising the cultural and heritage values has not been developed yet.</p><p>This project aims to develop a decision making framework for heritage actors on evaluating the compatibility of NbS to conservation and maintenance practices of historical buildings that are exposed to adverse impacts of climate stressors in the urban context. For developing a general outline of the framework, various NbS will be evaluated and categorized based on quantitative data in the literature according to their aesthetic fit to historic buildings, their structural feasibility and their performance on mitigating the effects of climate stressors. Throughout the project, process and value based research will be conducted on carefully selected case studies. The selected case studies will be evaluated within the scope of determining the severity of the prevailing climate stressors in their context, their structural sensitivity and their adaptability capacity to the new interventions. Based on the results, the compatible NbS and design measures can be identified. In the later stages of the project, the feasibility of the proposed nature-based design for the case studies will be tested by monitoring and comparing the results before and after the implementation.</p>