ADAPTIVE REUSE OF TRADITIONAL HOUSES OF ALMORA

Abstract

Every citizen experiences a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the influence and significance of the structures that make up the urban landscape. The built environment, like its outstanding and unique natural surroundings, provides a vital link to its past, assists in celebrating architectural achievements, and offers a vision for the future. it is a working, functional illustration of the many chapters in the story of human settlements. Protecting this built heritage and preserving the urban story for future generations presents a real challenge, a challenge that is being enthusiastically taken up by both individuals and groups like builders, developers, architects, community groups, heritage councils, and all levels of government. Adaptive Reuse, preserving our past and building our future, conserves the built heritage by successful merging the existing heritage structures and cutting edge architectural design. The best way to preserve heritage structures is to give them a sympathetic new use. This work demonstrates how Adaptive Reuse could contribute to enhancing, preserving and sustaining the built environment. This thesis gives a brief overview to the definition, need, criteria, benefits and negative aspects into Adaptive reuse considering its environmental. social, economic and innovative feasibility for Historic dwellings. The architects role is the main focus in any Adaptive reuse project This thesis discusses a historic building initiated into Adaptive Reuse through an elaborate process of defining its causes of decay, and thereafter conducting the preparatory procedures of making inventories, inspections, research, analysis and recording and finally putting forth the final evaluation report. This report chanellises the cost control measures into effective degrees of interventions. Presenting these buildings to deliver the historic message is important as the concluding effort This thesis awakens us to both global and regional guiding instruments of contemporary Adaptive Reuse practices, the heritage conservation Charters, their assumptions, theories and practices. A cross cultural perspective assesses the various adaptations, merits and validity of the most recognized Building Conservation Charters like the Venice Charter and the Burra Charter as well as the important Urban Conservation Charters like the Washington Charter and the Australian ICOMOS Charter. Thereafter the contributions of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in preparing the World Heritage Listing of significant historic properties, their nomination process, criteria for selection, tentative listings, and success stories are discussed_