Conservation Architecture

- Mignonne D'souza, Simi Kaur Dhaliwal

It is always a tragedy when a well-built structure falls into disuse or is allowed to deteriorate because of neglect. “The architecture of the past needs to be preserved for posterity to learn from such traditional wisdom, and for their timelessness, environmental sustainability as well as cultural appropriateness,” explains Ar. Yatin Pandya, Proprietor, Footprints E.A.R.T.H, outlining why architecture conservation and adaptive reuse projects are of such significance.

Restoration is one of the best ways to preserve the world’s wealth of architectural landmarks, while the more polished approach of adaptive reuse help retains a building’s fabric, especially for buildings of limited historical significance. Ar. Anubhav Gupta, Chief Design Officer, Business Head Vikhroli, Head CSR and Sustainability at GPL Design Studio, Godrej Properties Ltd, Mumbai, explains “Adaptive reuse endeavors to imbue new purpose to existing buildings. It is credited with saving the urban fabric and creating a sense of place and is a human-centric approach to new development.”