The innovation value for quality in the traditional architecture rehabilitation

Ensuring the “continuity of life” of the historical building heritage through an “appropriate use” is the basic objective for a conservation that can be considered, beyond the concept of simple preservation, as a dynamic action of future construction, in terms of “integrated conservation” within the social, economical and cultural realities of the territory. This issue is particularly important for the traditional architecture of the Mediterranean area, as the attribution of new functions, or even the simple preservation of the original ones, can involve the alteration of the formal, technical, material and functional values. Buildings designed for specific uses could not meet the changed requirements, connected to the functional destinations which standards have inevitably evolved over the time. Even the apparently simple conservation of the residential destination, that is predominant within the historical centres, may lead to these contradictions. In fact, the practice has demonstrated, on the one hand, that the critical states for the functional efficiency are not present only when the new destination involves structural, functional and equipment transformations and, on the other hand, that the continuity of the residential destination could allow the conservation of the original features of the building, as this destination is based on activities that change little and/or involve a very flexible behaviour. Besides, the quality of the life at one time required spaces and functions, absolutely unsuitable with the quality now imposed by the modern needs. Furthermore, the interventions of functional suitability of the building heritage have often produced, especially within the historical centres, an “adaptation” with forced alterations and introductions of elements and characters, that have changed the original typological and morphological aspects, with a dramatic difference compared to the theoretical assumption. The definition of theoretical, technical and technological tools is an important challenge in order to deal correctly with the issues of both the reuse and the continuity of use for the traditional architecture. It should avoid the transfer of adapted methods or the slavish application of functional and/or technological solutions that have been already experimented for new buildings. For this purpose, the innovation of approaches and technological solutions can be, far away from a claimed modernity in itself, an essential instrument to face the difficult connection between the conservation of the architectural and morphological values of the ancient buildings with the modern life requirements and the conformity with laws and standards in force, as well as with the demand of more and more specific and complex performance levels.