How Buildings Can Lose Their Historic Character
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The REHAB YES/NO learning program has been specially developed to make a point about choosing approaches to rehabilitation work that preserve the character of historic buildings in our nation's communities. In the case of the examples that follow, this was not done, and, in consequence the historic character of these buildings has been lost.
You will see work that no doubt began with good intentions, but—because those aspects that make up the building's historic character were not clearly identified before rehabilitation began—ended up causing the loss of historic fabric as well as the inappropriate alteration of exterior features; or interior spaces and features; or the site's landscape features. You'll also see how incompatible new additions—large and small—are capable of creating an undesired "new look," and robbing historic buildings of their unique character in the process!
10 NO Issues focus on dramatic "before and after" illustrations of historic buildings. The "befores" point up each historic building's significant qualities or character prior to rehabilitation work, while the "afters" demonstrate how inappropriate work has changed their historic character. In each instance, the completed work did not meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. These Issue summaries are not intended to be all inclusive, that is, the examples of work illustrate BASIC issues involving material loss and visual change. Other illustrated examples could very well be used and there are many other—more complex—issues in rehabilitation that are not included here.
It is better to look at all 10 Issues, but if you prefer to pick and choose, you may wish to use the IssueIndex that can be found at the top (right) of each page.
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[TOP IMAGE] Inappropriate change to a historic building means the loss of its distinctive visual qualities, as well as a lessening of its long-term historical and cultural value.
The specific Standards for Rehabilitation that were applied in each case study project will be highlighted here.
