VALUE BASED CONSERVATION

Determining the right approach to a conservation project is not a simple task. Many factors play a role in shaping the outcome, and, in order to have a successful project, there must be a logical approach to the design. This is where Values-centered conservation decisions come into play. This is the process of prioritizing the “understanding (of) why the fabric is valuable and how to keep it that way, and only then moving on to decide how to 'arrest decay'” (Randall, 2006, p.10). This methodology has shifted away from emphasizing the retention of fabric as the leading conservation goal and focuses on the question of why that specific fabric is important to society and how to preserve those values.  Only then can you look at how to conserve the material and fabric. 

The role values play in the conservation field is important and not something new, as Randall Mason (2006) discusses in his article describing the developing trend of valued-centered approach to preservation. He finds both the Venice Charter (1964) and the Athens Charter (1931) discuss the values associated with preservation, but that today the field of preservation is taking value-centered approach much more seriously and letting it guide the decision making process (p. 2). It is used to help analyze a building’s situation from all stakeholders’ points of view to come to the right decisions as to how to preserve the building. Once the values of a property are clearly established they are available to help create a conservation objective. Once the objective is established, strategies and degrees of interventions can be analyzed to see which is the right match for the desired outcome, as the Burra Charter states in article 5.2, “Relative degrees of cultural significance may lead to different conservation actions at a place” ( Australia ICOMOS, 1999).

When referring to values in this type of methodology, professionals are describing  any relative worth or importance of a historic property. This can be referring to any number of topics such as :

Often values are further categorized into two groups: contemporary values (C) and heritage values (H). Heritage values could be described as values that are “contributing to the sense of a place being endowed with some legacy from the past - Quite literally the stuff in need of preservation” (Mason, 2006, p.9). Where as contemporary values are “important for reasons  other than recovery or retention of cultural significance” (Mason, 2006, p.9). These distinctions are typically made due to the fact that not all values can be considered equally. Some values will end up being more important than others and the conservationist must make that distinction based from the information and guidance of other professionals.  Traditionally, conservationists were most concerned with the historical and aesthetic values due to how these values tend to allow us to connect most with our stake in heritage sites. 

An example of a site which has multiple heritage and contemporary values is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West in Arizona. According to the preservation master plan, Taliesin’s values are categorized into four main values which are then subdivided into more specific values attributed with the buildings and site. The first of the four is the Historical and Aesthetic values, such as being valued for a “work of art,” valued for being a “master work of architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright,” and the “layers of change and evolution of the site” which is seen as a value to the site. The plan also lists Economic Values such as revenue gained from public tours and Experiential Values as a place of immersive educational experience and the experience the tourists have when visiting. The last category discussed is the Social Values associated with the site such as the value the students gain from living together at the site, as well as the value gained from continuity of use from generation to generation.   

Once the conservationists were able to establish the list of values and further understand each one as an important part of the site, they were able to determine which values held more significance for the continuation of the site. It was found that one of the most important aspect of the site was the experiential values the students who attend the Frank Lloyd Wright institute gain from continuing the traditions first introduced by Wright at the school’s founding. Part of these traditions were learning from, maintaining, and adding to the building to further their knowledge of architecture through hands on experience. This is a problem as it conflicted with other values found important to the site, such as the building being considered a example of the master’s work, therefore making the preservation of its most final state important for future generations. The conflict could have disrupted the view of the site’s values. These two values will need to be weighed against each other to find a solution that will consider both values equally, thus allowing for the best option for conservation for this site. (Harboe Architects, 2015)

Due to any given number of values associated with a project, it is easy to see why this process of incorporating all values is very difficult and leads to more problems and questions than solutions. This is one such restriction placed upon the values-centered approach to conservation. No one individual can comprehend all values associated with a site.  There will need to be multiple professional and community members in collaboration to produce the best outcome. Benefits for this approach can be seen as well.  For instance, when Randall Mason (2006) describes four arguments for Values-centered conservation:

The values-centers approach helps conversationalist to understand a historical site before any work is done. This approach leads to a more complete and successful conservation objective statement which in turn helps guide the design of the project to suit its future needs, whether it be a preservation, rehabilitation, reconstruction or restoration. This should help guide the project to suiting and benefiting the greater surroundings and people directly in contact with the project. Without this form of conservation there may become a disconnect between the project goals and the values the communities has placed on the site.