The epistemology of architectural conservation

The relevance of architectural conservation is questioned today, and the specificity of architectural heritage is diluted inside the wider cultural heritage, rather than clearly integrated within the discipline of architecture. Cultural heritage is an appropriate term to understand the importance of this economic sector and its impact on society, but unsuitable to design policies, or indeed education and training programmes, in architectural conservation. Instead, these have to be devised and delivered based on the profile and level of the learners, the specific learning outcomes and the competences to be acquired. Important is also the sequence of learning, the resources available, and, critically, who is delivering the learning. But the fundamental element is the knowledge to be transmitted, and the evidence on which it is created. This paper exposes the foundations and types of architectural conservation knowledge today, and discusses how it should be transmitted, used and advanced, in education, training, policy and practice. It also identifies the knowledge and capacity gaps, proposing a global, coordinated and equitable sharing of existing and new knowledge and research in architectural conservation.