Protecting the cultural architectural heritage of our country is essential, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said today, during the conclusion of the first phase of the Sustainable Regeneration of Heritage Buildings (SRBH) project and the launching of its subsequent platform.
"Cultural heritage is also central to the continuing success of the tourism industry, which is one of our main economic pillars. A strong commitment to protect and celebrate cultural heritage is not only a responsibility towards the people of Malta, but is our duty for future generations," she said.
The SRBH initiative is a multi-faceted project led by Architect Amber Wismayer, under the auspices of the President of Malta. The main aim is to raise awareness regarding the potential of heritage architecture in achieving long-term energy savings. The project seeks to identify and investigate measures of sustainably improving the internal comfort, and consequently the environmental performance, of heritage buildings whilst safeguarding cultural and historical value.
Through a study at San Anton Palace, and with the contribution of key stakeholders, the first steps were taken to develop a national strategy for the sustainable regeneration of heritage buildings, she said. The project included detailed studies on the environment within the Palace, such as room temperature, humidity and other factors. Many people who work and live in the Palace were also surveyed and some issues which arose were the hot Summer temperatures as well as cracking paint due to humidity. Wismayer explained how the Palace has many heritage characteristics which may be found in many heritage buildings in Malta.
The findings helped understand how the building features can be better utilised to create an energy saving and sustainable comfortable environment, through minor changes, such as opening certain windows at certain times of the day to help with the heat and humidity situation, rather than switching on air conditioners, the better use of natural light through the placement of mirrors, and more. She also highlighted the importance of courtyards in heritage building, as a way to help keep the rest of a building cool, and mentioned that many-a-time when someone suggests closing off a courtyard with a glass roof, they are not aware of the consequences, such as a temperature increase, that such a move could bring. In this situation, computer based modelling and environmental monitoring can help reach such conclusions and help clients make better informed decisions, she said.
In her conclusions, she highlighted how existing policies and legislation do not support the sustainable regeneration of built heritage. She highlighted that while architects have design control, there is limited dedicated research to support an architect in making informed, evidence-based decisions. The team proposed that heritage and energy values should be assessed solely but collaboratively by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Buildings Regulations Office (BRO). She said that when an application regarding a heritage building is proposing interventions, the Planning authority should address the application purely from a planning perspective and once that is settled, that the application move to a collaborative analysis by representatives of the BRO and the Superintendence, who would have a scope of finding balance between heritage, energy and habitability.
After studying the proposal, they should go back to the architect with any concerns and reach a solution which considers the characteristics of each case. If there is disagreement, then the application should go to an appeals board which would be comprised of key stakeholders.
She said that in order for this to work, building regulations would need to be strengthened and developed to account for means of achieving a comfortable internal environment, and resultant energy savings, in heritage buildings.
The Platform created through the project is directed towards promoting the formulation of a national framework designed to achieve a balance between the aspects of heritage conservation and energy efficiency. The SRBH team invited those stakeholders striving to ensure the sustainable re-use of heritage buildings, to contribute to this initiative through a coordinated strategy seeking to protect our architectural legacy whilst ensuring a reduction in energy demand.
The platform will bring stakeholders together for coordinating, launching and disseminating future findings.
"Improving the energy efficiency of local built heritage will support the safeguarding of Malta's architectural legacy, and promote energy savings at national level," Wismayer said.
The SRBH project has been undertaken with the collaboration of the University of Bath and the Cardiff Metropolitan University. This event closed the first phase of the project, and launched the SRBH Platform.
from The Malta Independent http://bit.ly/2MK7MMF
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