Introducing Tolerance: Strategies for Operating on the ‘As Found’ in Self-Built Settlements of Caracas

In Venezuela, the term ‘rancho’ designates dwellings built by the urban poor. The word connotes a precarious structure and the crudest material expression of poverty. However, ranchos are the result of adaptation to changing needs and networks of cooperation. Strategies developed around material scarcity and gradual change are relevant to...

Architects’ Methodology in Adaptive Reuse of Heritage Buildings

Adaptive reuse (AR) of heritage buildings is common practice in The Netherlands and is becoming more and more common at the International level. While AR projects are generally considered positive actions towards preserving the qualities of heritage buildings, not all projects have similar (positive) impact. To propose a methodology for dealing...

Reading Sites, Building Stories

Doing architecture is an act of bricolage. New things take shape out of the existing. The architect makes do with the materials at hand. Accidents happen, incidents occur, circumstances meet. The site-specific nature of the architectural project opens up questions on how to work with materials at hand and as found, and how to capture, approach...

NIT Urban Heritage Lab: A Multi-Disciplinary Platform for Teaching Transformation and Reuse of Water Heritage

Throughout history, fresh water supply has been an issue of political, social, economic, and cultural importance to cities. Istanbul and its hinterland have a rich water heritage of more than 1,500 years. This includes dams, tunnels, aqueducts, distribution stations, water towers, reservoirs, fountains, and baths, as well as the social and...

Zero Waste Church: Education for Circular Reuse of Religious Buildings

While heritage conservation is usually associated with the action of “keeping”, circular approaches are often seen as focusing on flexibility, and disassembly. Both share the common goal of using existing resources efficiently and avoiding waste. The conservation of cultural heritage is a complex issue that requires a cautious balance between...

As Found. At Hand.

This paper explores how intuition plays a role in navigating the complexities of projects dealing with heritage, drawing from the practical experience in the office of Marie-José Van Hee architecten. Van Hee has a dual relationship with heritage. On the one hand, the Flemish heritage inventory – set up around the time she started her architecture...