Figure 7 Potential ways of conserving built-heritage

Figure 7Potential ways of conserving built-heritage

Mohd-Isa, Zainal-Abidin and Hashim (2011) posit that building conservation ensures protection of built heritage in an effort to retain its authentic nature and represent the root and history of a society. In this context, building conservation involves continual compromise between protecting the character of the built heritagein order to fulfil the present day standards satisfied by comfort and public safety. In the section below, five approaches of conserving built-heritage are discussed.

2.5.1 Preservation and maintenance

FarisHmood (2019) observes that preserving built heritage involves providing a guarantee that architectural and historical features of old buildings and areas remain protected by removing aspects such as erosion, sedimentation signs and protecting open squares. As such, preservation focuses on the implementation of measures that minimize the deterioration of the built heritage in order to avoid major restoration interventions. A similar concept is also identified in the maintenance of the built heritage, whereby, different works are undertaken in order to ensure the proper condition of the built heritage is sustained and that decay and deterioration are avoided (Mohd-Isa, Zainal-Abidin and Hashim, 2011).

2.5.2 Restoration and reconstruction

The restoration of built heritage describes the maintenance of the architectural heritage’s aesthetic value with particular respect that the corematerials that facilitate development of the building are utilized in an effort to maintain its genuineness, civil value and historic roots (El Namara, 2013). As a result, the building materials used are required to be compatible with the original ones used and it is also important to ensure that the building remains protected in order to avoid changing its basic features.

On the contrary, the reconstruction of built heritage refers to the recreation of deteriorated resources that had either vanished or were destroyed in an irreversible manner (Hadzimuhamedovic, 2011). The concept is therefore different from restoration which involves introducing new material to the fabric of the building. Hadzimuhamedovic (2011) further adds that heritage buildings may be reconstructed due to diverse reasons such as dilapidation, natural disasters such as floods and fire, political factors such as terrorism and government programmes to develop new buildings. The argument advanced for continued reconstruction of built heritage is that, it enables individuals to extend their knowledge of their own values and restore the forgotten components of their identity (Hadzimuhamedovic, 2011). In turn, this leads to increased awareness of place and other people and communities who occupy the given places and subsequently, allows them to be responsible towards their