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Historical Preservation Classifications

Alma Madera
May 6, 2017
2 min read

ReInvigoration vs. All Historic Preservation Classifications

As a whole ReInvigoration is different than all other preservation types as it focuses on extending uses of a site and having additional work in contrast to existing design concepts. However, contrary to some people may assume it still keeps the integrity and history of a property. To clarify, each historic preservation type is chosen depending on the physical condition, intended use, and interpretation, or significance of the building. With Reinvigoration, it includes most of the types with the design process. Reinvigoration preserves the existing building by maintaining the majority of the historic material intact from a specific and significant time period in which it was built, as well as repair and reconstruct historic material that is deteriorating. In addition to keeping most on the building whole, it allows for a new intervention that may not follow historic design features, but does follow all code requirements with the perimeter of the historic areas. However, there is a new addition to the site with modern design proposals.

Preservation

Preservation places a high premium on the retention of all of all historic material and retention of a property’s form as it has evolved over time. It does this through conservation, maintenance, and repair. It focuses on a building's continuum over time, consecutive occupancies, and with respectful changes and alterations that are made following the original architecture style.

Restoration

Restoration focuses on the retention of materials from the most significant time in the property’s history. It depicts a property at a particular period of its history and removes all other evidence of other periods.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation emphasizes in the retention and repair of historic materials but allows for more flexibility towards replacement because it is assumed the property is more deteriorated prior to additional work being done. It acknowledges the need to alter or add to a historic property to meet continuing or changing uses while retaining the property’s historic character.

Reconstruction

Established limited opportunities to recreate a vanished or non-surviving site that is no longer intact or a portion of a property for interpretive purposes. This includes the landscape, building, structure or an object continuing same historic design concepts with new materials and mandated code requirements.

Conservation

Conservation refers to the preservation of specific materials and the management of the cultural property to take it into the future. It uses careful scientific analysis to understand the specific details of a certain problem and helps find appropriate solutions. This may include working with specific colors in a historical context as well as may involve some sort of maintenance and restoration.