Zoekresultaten

Home batteries in the Netherlands:

Heritage, social values and the threat of ruination

Valuation of heritage buildings is usually performed by architectural-historical experts, who use a typology of heritage values based on conservation philosophy. Increasingly, social and spirituality values are included in heritage assessment frameworks.What happens to valuation systems when external events influence the chances of survival of heritage buildings, such as earthquakes induced by gas extraction in the Netherlands? While the mining company uses a narrow economic perspective on value, the public fears for loss of character of their historic towns. New safety regulations constitute a new and even stronger threat to heritage buildings. Recently, a heritage assessment framework was published, to help with value assessments in the affected region. In this paper, we compare experts’ and laypersons’ values by analyzing the new assessment framework as well as public documents. We conclude that heritage value assessments should incorporate social values, including memories and symbolic meanings, to create a balanced valuation system.

The heritage of captains on Wadden Sea islands

Ameland, a Dutch Wadden Sea island, is blessed with many historical buildings, such as captains’ houses, which make up picturesque townscapes. Together with the attractions of sandy beaches, these quaint villages attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Ameland also has the ambitious goal to become self-sufficient in renewable energy. Our (practical) aim is to support local stakeholders with the design of energy transition strategies that take account of heritage values.Theoretically, we rely on a layered framework, where meanings and values of individual buildings, townscapes, landscapes, local historical narratives, as well as economic and social values can find a place. In our project, we encountered value conflicts and will discuss how these conflicts can be resolved. In this respect, we refer to the concept of a value hierarchy.We investigate heritage values held by inhabitants of Ameland. What aspects of their built environment do they value in particular? How are specific building types, historical townscapes and landscapes evaluated? What impact of energy measures and scenarios do they find acceptable? To this end, we developed an online questionnaire, which was distributed by local stakeholders. We found a range of heritage and sustainability values held by the inhabitants and stakeholders of Ameland. In the discussion section we will return to the conflicting values in the Ameland case. We find that the presence of heritage values leads to the specification of conditions for the application of energy measures; these should be as invisible as possible. Thus, to combine the values of heritage and sustainability, setting norms and requirements for the implementation of new energy measures is advisable.

Valuation of mediaeval churches, towards an integration of experts and laypersons views

Sustaining historical buildings does not always align with the ambition to promote sustainability in the built environment. In this paper we explore the dynamics and strategies that spring from this basic tension, by investigating the differences and similarities between expert’s valuation and peoples’ valuation of historical buildings, as well as their views on energy efficiency. Our paper highlights mediaeval churches in Groningen, which represent an important European heritage. We cooperate closely with the SOGK, a regional organization that is taking up the challenge of maintaining these churches in a region that is depopulating, secularizing and, to all that, suffering from earthquakes.

Valuation of medieval churches; taking account of laypersons’ views

In this paper we investigate laypersons’ valuation of historic buildings, their experiences of thermal comfort in those buildings and contrast this with their views on the appropriateness of energy efficiency measures. This paper presents four case studies of medieval churches in Groningen, Netherlands. Valuation studies is used to investigate the values that are attached to historic buildings by various stakeholders. We apply the ‘heritage as a spatial vector’ approach, to position heritage in relation to developments in society and the landscape. Our theoretical contribution lies in the combination of heritage approaches and valuation studies. We conclude that for a more balanced assessment of historic buildings, laypersons’ valuations should be further integrated in heritage studies.