ingenieur 2021 vol85 Jan-Mar 2021 | Page 18

INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
UNDERSTANDING BUILDING CONSERVATION CONFLICTS
Building conservation conflicts need to be managed to minimise negative impacts on environment , economy and social context . Having a thorough understanding of building conservation conflict management requires stakeholders to not only recognise mutual problems but also engage with one another based on clear goals so that all parties agree to resolve arising conflicts . A longterm conservation benefit and an effective building conservation conflict management will be enhanced by integrating stakeholders ’ understanding of both social context and material impacts , especially when dealing with conservation of the original fabric of heritage buildings .
The understanding of building conservation conflicts cannot be fully achieved from a single model or perception , but instead it requires an integration of conceptual approaches developed by many disciplines , including social sciences and humanities ( Adams , 2007 ; Naidoo et al ., 2006 ). Many conflicts appear to go beyond material differences between stakeholders , while some arise from power relations and are directly linked to the changing of attitudes and values that are rooted in social and cultural history ( Redpath et al ., 2013 ). Many people , including building owners or clients , local authorities , agencies , contractors , public and even conservators , are facing a dilemma in building conservation conflicts . Sometimes it falls to the very basic understanding and awareness of these issues , whether it is from top-down or bottom-up approaches .
CHALLENGES IN MANAGING BUILDING CONSERVATION CONFLICTS
Heritage buildings possess cultural , historical , intrinsic use values , symbolic significance and show the relationship between the building and its location . A building might have little heritage value as a property , but a momentous event transpired there . This evolution and transformation of its own chronology makes the building significant to its value and sense of place and creates a personal identity to its surrounding and context . The lack of understanding of heritage value creates a lot of conflicts . More commonly , conflicts may arise because of other reasons , such as when stakeholders are excluded from conservation planning ( Katz , 1998 ) or when historical factors make conservation appear threatening ( Niemela et al ., 2005 ).
The conflict challenges , some of which are often complex , seemingly intractable and openended ‘ wicked ’ problems , are widespread within building conservation and are damaging to both conservation interests and the livelihoods and well-being of people involved ( Redpath , 2013 ). Disagreements about building conservation objectives are also inevitable . The challenges usually lie in the prevention of the development of damaging conflicts by minimising destruction because not everyone supports conservation objectives ( Redpath et al ., 2013 ).
An overview of some of the challenges in managing building conservation conflicts are described below :
Short-term Solutions Building conservation includes the appearance of the building , especially its original fabrics , for example , the case of one of the heritage mosques in Selangor .
The decision was made as a temporary solution due to time constraint in overcoming the problem of diverting a vast amount of rainwater from the mosque , which disturbed the look of the heritage mosque itself ( see Figure 1 ). Further investigation was needed to to get the best solution , holistic and long-lasting . Another issue was to have a proper rectification on the root cause of the problem , whether due to design failure or otherwise . There was a need for detailed investigation and analysis before deciding the best options and referring to the National Heritage Department ( NHD ) for approval .
Although the adaptation of new elements to the mosque in order to prolong the building life gave a different value , the synchronisation of the overall impact was prioritised , especially when integrating them together . Adaptation of new elements at the courtyard , ( see Figure 2 ) such as a new roof design was analysed critically in term of holistic design , which is suitable to the need of the space utilisation , especially regarding height clearance , pitch of the roof , size of the gutter and
16 VOL 85 JANUARY - MARCH 2021