(IN)TANGIBLE HERITAGE(S)
Abstract
Building conservation is increasingly framed as a social and people-focused activity. Consequently, alongside technical knowledge of material decay, architectural conservationists are now expected to also consider engagement and participatory practices to help define their broader conservation and re-use strategies. In England, this is evidenced by changes in national policy and formalised conservation guidance – both of which support an emergent socio-cultural expansion of heritage representation. In turn, this has created fertile ground for: an increasingly diverse listed building stock; a surge in non-designated heritage assets (local lists); and an increasing focus on the intangible (more-than-physical) qualities of buildings as a means to warrant their designation. Yet despite these significant changes, the theory and methods that underpin architectural conservation remain largely unaltered, with little guidance available that outlines how architectural conservationists might engage with social groups or consider intangible qualities of heritage in ways that can specifically inform and enhance how a listed building is to be conserved and/or adapted. Reflecting on results from both primary research and literature survey, this paper explores some of the more dynamic and participatory practices that architectural conservationists could employ within their day-to-day role as a means to consolidate tangible and intangible heritage. It suggests these practices can, in themselves, be considered as intangible heritage, thus rendering the practitioner as integral to the very phenomena that they are tasked with conserving. The paper concludes by suggesting these practices can assist in transcending the increasingly outmoded adherence to material permanence alone, thereby contributing towards a more current and representative framework for building conservation practice.
Johnathan Djabarouti is a chartered architect (RIBA) and accredited conservation professional (IHBC). He is currently undertaking an AHRC funded PhD in Architectural Heritage at the Manchester School of Architecture, where he also teaches as an Associate Lecturer in Architecture. His broad research interests include the conservation of built heritage, critical heritage theory and intangible heritage – with a specific research focus on the interface between intangible heritage and building conservation.