Planning to live longer: A model for the maintenance-focused conservation plan of heritage building

Abstract

A maintenance-focused management planning and implementation is the key to longevity for any building, most especially for heritage structures. Maintenance neglect can cause major issues even to the point that the building is deemed uninhabitable. Aside from age, this poses a graver threat to heritage buildings since abandoning occupancy speeds up its deterioration. In the case of recently restored or reconstructed heritage buildings, a new lease on life cannot be guaranteed if the post-monitoring and maintenance will not be implemented. While newer buildings have more flexibility in terms of repair and maintenance, restoring heritage buildings are far more complicated because the primary consideration is to retain its original fabric and authenticity. The Australia’s Burra Charter advocates taking necessary actions to keep these heritage buildings useable, however, changes should be kept to a minimum so that the cultural essence and significance is maintained. Conditionbased and preventive maintenance will be explored not only to sustain the structural integrity of the building but also to ensure that the original fabric of the building will be retained as opposed to reconstruction and restoration, or repair. This paper established a framework for a conservation management plan (CMP) with focus on maintenance to sustain the existence of our architectural legacies. This study will tackle the requirements and constraints of managing and maintaining a heritage building. It will also investigate the importance of monitoring as part of the project management plan as mandated by law specifically the Australia’s Burra Charter. Three case studies were studied using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Interviews, field observations and archival records were employed to bring out the initial framework. This framework will be validated using focus group discussions in order to develop a model, or final framework, for an effective maintenance management plan and monitoring of heritage buildings.