Promoting cultural diversity through the promotion of architectural heritages

Earthen architectural heritage is a testimony to a people’s creativity and their modes of territorial settlement, closely linked to natural, social and cultural contexts.
To rediscover and promote these diverse legacies of earthen builders is to give them their rightful place in local construction cultures that have been perfected over thousands of years. It also serves to inspire the well-tried knowledge and know-how so as to better contribute to sustainable development and the improvement of living conditions of many peoples the world over.
Applied research is enriched by fieldwork; click here to learn more about our activities.

The Heritage theme encompasses three research programmes:

• Conservation of heritage;
• Archaeology and Conservation;
• World heritage.
  
  

The scientific objectives of the Heritage theme cover six basic lines:

• Expand research on the history of rural and urban architectural heritage, especially those built in lesser known materials (adobe, wood and fibres), while at the same time dealing with those built with modern materials (steel, cement and concrete);
• Develop interdisciplinary methods and strategies of archaeological heritage studies (esp. earthen), which contribute to the drafting of action and management plans that integrate the largest array of scientific issues, while at the same time allowing a better association of peculiar interests and the most divergent of disciplines and assembled sciences (ie. between archaeology and conservation).
• Develop methods of heritage conservation and management that promote the participation of stakeholders and contribute to the sustainable development of local communities, on a social, economic and environmental level (in line with the theme “Housing”)
  Expand the research and development and applied research in the field of conservation materials and techniques, particularly for earthen architecture (in line with the theme “Materials”).
• Manage the impact of heritage research, its conservation and management, on higher education, research and professional capacity development (site managers) while supporting the development of specialised curricula and scientific programmes in universities and other institutions.
• Integrate all the scientific and pedagogical objectives of the theme in the development of the “Earthen Architecture 2007-2017” project, which is carried out in partnership with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and a variety of national and regional cultural institutions; research, training and ‘projets situés’ (local site projects).