Djabarouti, J., 2019.

Understanding the Intangible Heritage of Buildings

The conservation and adaptation of existing buildings (particularly listed buildings) is becoming increasingly focussed on not just the input from built heritage professionals but also the views and opinions from people and communities. This is represented by changes in relevant policy and guidance in England (influenced by international charters and conventions), that are now placing emphasis on community involvement as a means to understand the value of built heritage. This has powerful implications beyond the need for more community input - it also encourages the conservation of non-mainstream social narratives and discourse, broadening the scope of what can be classified as heritage in contemporary society. Many of these communal and social values focus on immaterial and everyday aspects of heritage, such as memories, stories, events, absences and emotions. This research looks at how this contemporary recognition of intangible heritage impacts the way we identify, value and safeguard the built heritage for future generations. By situating the research within a pragmatist paradigm, a mixed methods approach seeks to understand how the intangible interests of communities can be balanced alongside the tangible concerns of built heritage professionals, leading to novel collaborative approaches towards the conservation and adaptation of built heritage in England.