Contemporary Architecture in the Historic Environment

4
Introduction to the Annotated Bibliography
approval processes—used for new constructions in historic environments. Some
publications simply explain how design review processes work. A number of
authors analyze existing guideline tools by evaluating their successes or failures in
ensuring high-quality designs that are compatible with the historic context, sometimes
providing a comparative analysis of different tools already in use. Other
authors question the usefulness of existing tools and propose improved or alternative
approaches. Some texts focus specifically on the topic of evaluating proposals
for tall buildings in historic environments. It is important to note that the authors
interested in this subject, such as architects, preservationists, and urban designers,
come from different backgrounds and thus provide a wide range of perspectives on
the subject.
2.2: Select Design Guideline Examples
The titles in this subject category provide a range of examples of design guidelines
in use in several countries. An attempt was made to select guidelines with a diverse
geographic spread, in recognition of the variation among local cultures and conservation
approaches that influence each set of design guidelines; however, as guidelines
are typically distributed and published only at the local level, the search for
examples was limited by what was more widely available online.
Guidelines are typically developed to help apply general conservation policies
to specific projects, and they differ from policy documents in that they directly
influence the built form. They may be legislative or advisory in nature. Most of the
guidelines included in this bibliography have been developed or commissioned by
local government agencies to guide their design review agencies’ evaluations of
proposals for new constructions in historic environments or the wider urban environment.
In addition, these guidelines clarify the approval criteria to developers
and architects, with the intention of encouraging new building proposals that are
respectful of the values and specific character of the historic environment, as well
as building consensus among all parties.
The degree of control over the design solution varies greatly among the different
design guidelines. Guidelines can be prescriptive, with strict standards of compliance,
or performance-based, which allows for a greater degree of interpretation
by both the designer and the evaluator. While some favor the use of specific architectural
styles, there is generally great variation in the criteria that will determine
if a new building is compatible with its context. For example, some design guidelines
limit their recommendations to proportions and scale, while others recommend
specific building materials and colors. This variation is linked not only to the
local culture but also to the scale of the geographic influence. For instance, guidelines
that target a specific neighborhood tend to be more restrictive than those
aimed at a larger region.
Chapter 3: Design Approaches and Philosophies
These texts generally attempt to address the question of how best to design in the
historic environment by providing different theoretical principles, approaches, or
methodologies; however, those texts prepared by conservation professionals often
phrase the question differently by asking how change in the historic environment
can be best accommodated. The authors in this subject category come from a variety
of professions, including architecture critics, architects, preservationists, and
urban planners. Several publications have been developed by government agencies
Contemporary Architecture in the Historic Environment: An Annotated Bibliography - Getty Conservation Institute - 2015