Passionate about the way old buildings work? Thestructural analytics of built heritage? Then Leuven is calling! The International Scientific Committee on the Analysis and Restoration of Structures of Architectural Heritage (ISCARSAH) will hold its Annual Meeting in this historic Belgian city on September 13. The meeting will occur during the 10th International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historic Constructions (SAHC 2016), also being held in Leuven from 13-15 September 2016.
ISCARSAH was founded by ICOMOS in 1996 as a forum and network for engineers involved in the restoration and care of building heritage. The first meeting of the ISCARSAH took place at the Engineering University in Rome in March of 1997 and the committee has met twice a year since then in venues all over the world. Members of the ISCARSAH are composed of internationally renowned engineers, scientists, architects, specialists, and educators with representation from Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America.
The Committee has authored the ICOMOS Charter – Principles for the Analysis, Conservation and Structural Restoration of Architectural Heritage (ISCARSAH Principles) which were ratified by the ICOMOS 14th General Assembly in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in October of 2003. PDF formats of the ISCARSAH Principles can be found at the Committee’s website in English, French, and Spanish.
SAHC 2016 has as its general theme “Anamnesis, Diagnosis, Therapy, Controls”, which emphasizes the importance of all steps of a restoration process in order to obtain a thorough understanding of the structural behavior of built cultural heritage. US/ICOMOS thanks US/ICOMOS Fellow Stephen J. Kelley, FAIA, SE, FAPT (a former ISCARSAH president) for his work as a member of the SAHC 2016 International Scientific Committee.
The conference marks oth the 10th anniversary edition of the SAHC meetings and the 40th anniversary of the Leuven-based Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC). In view of addressing themes relevant to the UNESCO-chair on Preventive Conservation, Monitoring and Maintenance of Monuments and Sites chaired by RLICC, the conference organization also invites research and review papers on 6 specific themes.
- Innovation and heritage
- Preventive conservation
- Computational strategies
- Sustainable strengthening of masonry with composites
- Values and sustainability
- Subsoil interaction
Also occurring that week will be a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC). The celebration will take place the day before the ISCARSAH meeting on Monday September 12th. The RLICC is named for Professor Raymond Lemaire, a foundational figure in ICOMOS and one of the authors of the “Venice Charter”. Shortly after becoming the president of ICOMOS in 1975, the late Prof. Raymond Lemaire established the institute to disseminate the interest in built cultural heritage preservation worldwide through interdisciplinary training and to promote reflection on the integration of heritage in today’s society – for tomorrow’s generations.
The anniversary meeting on September 12th will bring together representatives of various organisations and authorities in the field of heritage as well as several alumni of the RLICC. Former US/ICOMOS Executive Director and current ICOMOS President Gustavo F. Araoz, Jr., F.US/ICOMOS is slated to join representatives of several renowned international organisations in remarks that will highlight the role of international, multidisciplinary education and research for cultural heritage management and development. In the afternoon, four panels composed of RLICC alumni of different nationalities, backgrounds and cohorts will have an interactive discussion on the dynamics of international, national and local organisations as well as education, research and professional activities.