Heritage management has over the years become a discrete area of consultancy as well as a type of service dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the historic built environment.

Who normally gets involved with this and who requires the service?  

Building and asset managers and owners require the service. Facilities managers also require the service. Quite often managers of institutions such as hospitals, hotels, schools and universities require the service – also naval bases and defence sites or mining sites on which Colonial and Federation buildings were built prior to those sites becoming mined.

Who provides the service?

Most often, conservation architects but also less qualified heritage consultants who have knowledge and skills pertaining to the conservation of the historic built environment. Knowledge and expertise in understanding heritage fabric; how it performs and methods of conservation is required. Experience in dealing with building and facilities managers is also required because most of the time money is an issue and alternative methods of conservation need to be sought. Thus, the heritage management program needs to be conscious of the building/ asset owner’s budget and sufficiently flexible in discovering alternatives that may be cheaper to implement and be more efficient.

Another important consideration is access and safety. Quite often access is difficult because a university/ school/ naval base/ hospital etc. needs to stay in operation 24/7 and cannot be interrupted as a result of complex and dangerous building operations such as overhead scaffolding and hoarding or cranage and heavy earth moving activity.

Some of the projects that Rappoport has been engaged in require sandstone conservation in the city where enormous sandstone blocks have to be lifted to great heights over pedestrianised streets and footpaths and the safety and access intricacies of such projects is paramount.

Rappoport has a wealth of experience in relation to the management of large and medium heritage sites. Visit our services section of the website to see the breadth of Rappoport’s experience. Also watch our videos: 

Respecting Heritage Significance

Ethics of Conservation

Value of Heritage

Paul Rappoport – Heritage 21 – 10 April 2015