International symposium on young heritage (1975-2000)

(Registrations for the symposium are open until January 30 inclusive)

VUB Architectural Engineering and Urban cordially invite you to the international Symposium on young heritage (1975-2000), which will take place on February 6th and 7th at the Royal Library of Belgium.

The built heritage sector is currently facing significant challenges, primarily driven by demographic shifts and the imposition of more stringent energy and comfort standards. Notably, a growing number of relatively recent buildings are undergoing substantial renovations without a prior assessment of their heritage potential. These premature interventions can be attributed to a lack of awareness and recognition of the architectural and historical significance of these young buildings. A crucial step towards a more comprehensive value assessment and the development of suitable strategies for the recognition, maintenance, restoration, and renovation lies in acquiring knowledge about, among others, the building materials employed.

The core objective of this symposium is to provide valuable insights into the current state of knowledge regarding the built heritage from 1975-2000 and the contemporary challenges associated with its preservation. Our aim is to gather knowledge from across Western Europe and to bridge the gap between policy, research, and practice. By seeking points of intersection among these domains, we aspire to foster a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in preserving these younger architectural treasures.

PROGRAMME

TUESDAY 06/02

1:00 PM Introduction by Urban
2:00 PM Session 1: Value assessment

METHODOLOGIES AND FRAMEWORKS FOR ASSESSING THE HERITAGE VALUE OF YOUNG HERITAGE (1975-2000), INCL. THEORETICAL APPROACHES AND PRACTICAL CASE STUDIES.

Keynote lecture by Kees Somer [Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, Netherlands]. Kees Somer will shed light on the assessment method for post-65 heritage in the Netherlands, with particular attention to the development of a cultural-historical framework for the assessment and the practical application of this method on a national and local level, through case studies.

Series of short presentations

5:00 PM  Drink

WEDNESDAY 07/02

9:00 AM  Introduction by Marylise Parein (VUB)
9:30 PM  Session 2: Policy Instruments

CURRENT POLICY ON YOUNG HERITAGE AND STRATEGIES AND INSTRUMENTS TO SAFEGUARD YOUNG HERITAGE (1975-2000).

Keynote lecture by Harry Lelièvre [urban.brussels]. Harry Lelièvre, Head of the Safeguarding Department at the regional administration urban.brussels, will delve into Brussels’ policy instruments to safeguard heritage and offer insights into the recently completed inventory of post-war heritage (1939-1999) in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Series of short presentations

10:30 AM Session 3: Building Materials

RESEARCH ON BUILDING MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS TYPICALLY USED IN BUILDINGS FROM 1975-2000, EXPLORING ASPECTS SUCH AS PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF THESE MATERIALS, PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES, TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS, REGULATORY FRAMEWORK, ETC.

Keynote lecture by Eric Monin [Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture et de Paysage de Lille, France]. Through his research and teaching activities, Prof. Eric Monin has developed extensive knowledge on building materials, components, products, and systems from 1975-2000. He will present some findings on typical, innovative, and representative building materials from this period, as well as the current appreciation for these materials.

Series of short presentations

11:30 AM Session 4: Restoration and Preservation

RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES OF CONTEMPORARY BUILDING MATERIALS (1975-2000), ENCOMPASSING BOTH THEORETICAL RESEARCH AND PRACTICAL CASE STUDIES.

Keynote lecture by Andreas Putz [Technische Universiteit München, Germany]. As professor of recent building heritage conservation, Andreas Putz is specialized in ‘high-tech modernism.’ Starting from the material characteristics of this heritage, Andreas will discuss some of the challenges related to their historical documentation and technical evaluation, and how to deal with this in research and renovations.

Series of short presentations

1:00 PM  Lunch
3:00 PM Guided tour (EN/FR) of the iconic site “La Mémé” by Origin Architecture & Engineering (Campus UCL, Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe)

info & source: www.vub.be and urban.brussels