Approaches to the redesign of heritage buildings

Nowadays, when the global crisis is felt in every field of activity, it is a well-known fact that the global problems, such as the efficient use of natural resources, energy conservation, and the respect towards the environment, have become concerns of even greater importance for the contemporary society.

Lately we can equally notice a tendency to promote the European policy of preserving the cultural identity of the cities and historic sites, of restoring the architectural heritage, and of awakening of the public interest towards it as well.

Thus the preservation of the existing buildings favours the economy of resources on the one hand, and the preservation of the historic continuity on the other hand. In all this the built environment becomes the most tangible proof of the continuous evolution of civilization.

In this way recycling gains a new dimension, from the simple waste cutting down and reuse to urban recycling, i.e. the process of renewal by conversion. This procedure which presumes the reuse of the buildings by adapting them to new functions has become not only a true phenomenon, revealing an attitude towards the built extant, but also a current trend in architecture.

Thus it is emphasized that the redesign work of existing buildings is extremely complex in nature, a process where replaning the interior space must get special attention. The method in approaching the replaning of heritage buildings is a constant concern for the academics in charge of the design activity at the Interior Architecture Faculty.