1- Comparison of regulatory aspects and practices in Belgium, Walloon region, France and Italy.

In Europe, States have developed, due to their history, their own system of administration of material heritage, based on national legislation (heritage codes). However, we find certain invariants:

• The principle of public utility easement seems common to the countries of the European Union. This is in any case the case for France, Italy and Belgium. This principle implies that the owner of a monument, building or object whose heritage value has been assessed and recognized by the State (or the Region, depending on the distribution of powers), whose protection the State ensures, has responsibility of the conservation of the property but cannot freely dispose of it. It must comply with the legal framework linked to the protection of regional/national heritage.
• The distinction between monuments whose preservation, maintenance and restoration represent a higher interest, to the point of being protected by the State, and others. Consequently, the establishment of inventories which cover the entire heritage of interest and, often, the classification of the degree of protection to be provided to each of the works listed
• The establishment of an administrative body made up of experts, responsible for enforcing legislation and issuing opinions on the validity of the planned conservation/restoration operations.
• The establishment of support systems for conservation/restoration efforts for the private park
• The inclusion of monuments and buildings in a broader protection perimeter (the “surroundings” of monuments, city centers, landscapes, etc.)

Here is a comparison of the way in which these aspects are approached in France, Italy and Belgium.

WHO MANAGES THE WORK ON THE PROTECTED HERITAGE SITES?

In the Walloon region (Belgium)

In Italy :

Who directs the work? Who can work on built heritage sites?

What you must remember :

• Protected monuments (classified, registered, inventoried, vincolati) are particularly supervised for any work that could substantially change their nature.  The competent authorities to support and control the work come under the State services (and the Region in the case of Belgium).
• The countries do not use the same procedures, which are subject to regular change, which can reduce the possibilities of international mobility: thus, in Italy, access to heritage sites is strictly restricted to professionals registered on the official list of restaurateurs and restaurant assistants, while in other countries access is less limited. In all cases, companies and craftsmen working on these sites must provide guarantees of skills, by providing appropriate training and/or significant site references.

2. The current challenges of old built heritage projects in Europe

2.1 The challenge of using digital technology, AI and new technologies wisely! 

Whether murals, ancient monuments or modern audiovisual works,  European cultural heritage remains vulnerable, subject to these various threats of alteration such as pollution, flooding, vandalism, territorial conflicts. Faced with these risks, digitization is often presented as a crucial solution to protect, conserve, restore, research, disseminate and promote this heritage. Technological advances, such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, offer impressive opportunities to preserve and stimulate cultural interest, particularly among young people.

The European Commission has an active role in the promotion and digital preservation of cultural heritage. Europeana, the platform  European digital cultural heritage, facilitates access and use of cultural content https://www.europeana.eu/fr. In 2019, 26 countries signed a declaration of cooperation to accelerate the digitization of heritage, which emphasizes 3D digitization, cross-sector cooperation, and citizen engagement. In 2020, the Commission established the 10 basic principles for 3D digitization of tangible cultural heritage. In 2022, the study on the quality of 3D digitization of tangible cultural heritage: mapping of parameters, formats, standards, reference criteria, methodologies and guidelines [https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/fr/library/study-quality-3d-digitisation-tangible-cultural-heritage] focuses on the quality of 3D digitization of tangible cultural heritage, exploring parameters, formats, standards, benchmarks, methodologies, and technical developments. It highlights the urgency of technical specifications to ensure interoperability and long-term sustainability, especially with the increasing integration of virtual resources in advanced research, and anticipates the potential impact of future technological advances, notably in computer software. 2D/3D data acquisition and artificial intelligence. She mentions the challenges posed by automatically compiling data from various devices, extracting geometric features, and the evolution of technologies like 5G and 6G. The study highlights the need for new skills, international standards and regulations.

Additionally, it examines the likely influence of emerging technologies such as blockchain, cloud computing, internet of things, terrestrial and aerial LiDAR, as well as machine learning on the field of cultural heritage digitization . It highlights the growing importance of augmented/virtual/mixed reality, drones, AI and cloud and mobile computing in the management, documentation, modeling, conservation and protection of cultural heritage. Finally, the report examines the potential of these technologies in relation to open data, Heritage Building Integration Model (HBIM), holistic building data modeling, and digital twins.

We see, the future is already here! Those involved in heritage projects know that if the memory of traditional techniques is essential, modern digital means make it possible to achieve technological feats which make it possible to ensure projects which, without them, would represent an impossible expenditure of energy and financial cost. to assume. The major challenges remain that of preserving manual know-how, and that of regulating the use of digital means, subject, much more than “material” tools, to increasingly rapid obsolescence.

FOCUS On the HBIM The term “HBIM” refers to “Historic Building Information Modeling”. HBIM is a specific approach to building information modeling that focuses on the documentation, management and preservation of historic or heritage buildings. This is an extension of the concept of BIM (Building Information Modeling) applied to old structures.

HBIM aims to capture and integrate historical data specific to ancient built heritage buildings, such as information on original construction, modifications over time, traditional materials used, etc.

Its main objective is to facilitate the preservation and conservation of historic buildings by providing a detailed digital representation that takes into account their historical and architectural characteristics.

Just like classic BIM, HBIM takes into consideration the entire life cycle of a building, from its design to its construction, operation, renovation and possibly demolition. However, in the case of HBIM, the focus is on the sustainability of historic buildings.

The HBIM model enables accurate visualization of the building, providing conservation professionals and decision makers with a platform to analyze current conditions, plan restoration interventions, and anticipate the impact of potential changes. As with any major project in the field of ancient built heritage, HBIM often involves collaboration between experts in architecture, structural engineering, art history, and other fields related to heritage conservation.

HBIM is emerging as a valuable method for managing and preserving built heritage, combining BIM principles with elements specific to historic buildings. It allows for a more holistic approach to conservation, while leveraging digital technologies to document and protect the unique character of historic structures.

2.2 The challenge of adapting built heritage to global warming

Whistleblowers

• In 2020, the ICOMOS General Assembly 26 adopted a resolution on Cultural Heritage and the Climate Emergency which “Calls on the entire ICOMOS community to implement heritage responses to climate change that strive to protect all types of heritage from the impacts of climate change, current and predictable, occurring suddenly or slowly, by putting in place vulnerability and risk assessments, monitoring and implementing appropriate climate change adaptation strategies and risk-informed disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery strategies.”
• The 5th Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate (IPCC-IPCC)   published in 2013-2014, cites built heritage, cultural or not, for the first time; This is an important sign for the scientific community involved in this issue: “Increased climate variability, warmer temperatures, changes in precipitation and greater humidity will accelerate the deterioration and meteoric degradation of stone structures and metal of many cities… The increased risks that climate change brings to the built environment… are also valid for built heritage…”.

What risks have been identified?

Global warming presents major risks for built heritage, notably rising water levels, increased precipitation, extreme temperatures, climatic accidents, and population migrations. These factors lead to degradation such as thermoclasts, appearance of new insects, fires, floods, landslides, soil degradation, alteration of materials, and saline efflorescences.

Faced with these challenges, the adaptation of built heritage to climate change is crucial. Energy assessments, although necessary, must take into account the diversity of materials and the specificities of the heritage. Consultation with owners, craftsmen and built heritage preservation associations is essential for targeted renovation interventions.

Old buildings, representing 30% of the housing stock in Europe, offers interesting energy performances with average consumption of 200 kWh/m²/year. However, standardized renovation approaches, such as exterior insulation, can compromise heritage value and generate pathologies. Current legislation on thermal renovation is still too often based on a uniform vision of buildings, where "modern" buildings (made of non-breathable materials) most often do not sufficiently take into account the intrinsic characteristics of old buildings, leading to solutions inappropriate and harmful. Financial aid does not sufficiently encourage heritage-friendly renovations, thus risking compromising the preservation of old buildings.

To guarantee the sustainability of built heritage while responding to climate challenges, it is necessary to promote adapted approaches, promoting the specific assets of old buildings such as its durable materials, its inertia, its natural ventilation, and its bioclimatic design. The preservation of this heritage is of interest cultural, tourist, economic and ecological, requiring a balanced approach between the imperatives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the conservation of architectural heritage.

3. The training challenge technicians who know and adhere to the professional culture of conservators-restorers, architects and decision-makers on heritage sites.

• As indicated in section 2 of this module, energy renovation companies are called  to work more and more on old built heritage sites. However, the staff of these companies rarely master work on old buildings. However, renovating an old building (historical monument or not) requires using specific techniques and breathable materials. Knowledge of the specificities of old buildings seen through the prism of energy renovation is one of the main training challenges of the coming years for all heritage stakeholders, new entrants or specialized companies established in the sector: some to understand the walls on which they work, others to select the best approach which will reconcile reduction of energy costs and maintenance of the cultural and heritage value of the building.
• Training in traditional know-how, but also openness to new technologies is a double challenge for this sector. Beyond that, training must enable heritage technicians to develop an ability to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of their technical choices, and their ability to inform themselves about all the technical possibilities offered to them. For certain professions, their survival is at stake   : like cut stone, where the time savings and savings made by prototyping using robotics only make sense if the stone cutters have perfect mastery of their traditional know-how! [Robot & Prototyping (snbr-stone.com)]
• Training technicians called to work on heritage sites in the common culture of the sector: mastery of the issues linked to multi-actor representations of the cultural and heritage value of old buildings, paintings, sculptures; mastery of a common architectural and professional vocabulary; mastery of methods for regular monitoring of construction site progress and reporting.

Challenges are meant to be met!

➔ For an optimistic vision of the digital future of heritage, you can refer to the UNESCO initiative Imagining heritage in the digital dimension / 50 thinkers for the next 50 years. One of these 50 thinkers, Anab Jain, declares his vision of the role of heritage in the next 50 years:

“ In the next 50 years…the rich history and heritage of the past is recognized as a basis for envisioning a better future for humanity. Heritage encompasses not only built heritage, but also the stories and narratives through which we can have a sense of control and feel connected to each other. »

Anab Jain

➔ The financial issues are so important regarding aid for energy renovation of the building stock that public policies will be forced to take into account the specificities of old built heritage and decouple this building sector from “modern” buildings (cement) and new eco-responsible constructions. A return to common sense regarding the maintenance of the advantages of the inertia of most materials used in vernacular construction already seems to be beginning in several countries (in France for example, the publications of the information mission of the Commission of the culture, education and communication of the Senate seem to go in this direction [r22-794-syn.pdf (senat.fr)]).

➔ Heritage training, after long decades of disenchantment on the part of certifiers, is regaining strength! This is the case for heritage painters, with an IFAPME/AWAP benchmark which will allow new qualifying training in the Walloon region in 2024 (and will join the already existing heritage mason certification), the Tuscany region in Italy with a new profile as a building painter and decorator filed in 2023; finally, in France with the filing this year of a new professional heritage painter certification with France Compétences, the “policeman” of French professional certifications.