Materials from a Heritage Perspective

Abstract

Historical materials can be studied from various technical, symbolic, artistic, health-related and other perspectives. This process points to a constant versatility, in which conservation goes beyond the conventional spheres of its management, such as inventory. In the case of the buildings in the Historic Center of Cuenca (HCC), construction materials are studied for historical and architectural perspective, to ensure maintenance and even to inform contemporary design. Thus, the type of material becomes the analytical axis to study the architecture of buildings that trace their origins to the Cañari, Inca, European and American influences through social and cultural interactions. Through the study of three materials (adobe, stone and brick), it is possible to define the energetic implications of their production and use, as well as understand the requirements for their architecture conservation or rehabilitation, thus making it possible to assess the relevance of the interventions and management policies in force. Therefore, a solely historical-artistic, physical–mechanical or chemical vision is not sufficient, as the interest comes from perspectives of resource efficiency and articulation of cultural meaning. Today, this interest is positioned within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.