Integrated Built Heritage Assessment: Development of MAPEH

Abstract

This paper presents an integrated methodology for the assessment of inhabited built heritage, referred to as metodologia de avaliação de património edificado habitado (MAPEH), which emerges from the need to solve gaps resulting from the existence of fragmented studies that do not take into consideration the complex interaction of the different aspects involved in the interventions on built heritage. In particular, it incorporates a multidisciplinary analysis that combines three dimensions: patrimonial, technical, and social, which are associated with criteria such as identification of characteristics and values; assessment of safety and housing conditions; and recognition of residents’ profile, expectations, and basic needs. The paper also presents the results of the application of MAPEH to a case study: the inhabited old residential buildings of Porto, Portugal, underlining the interaction and importance of the three dimensions and the need for flexible and proportional criteria in the application of building codes and legislation, offering new input for establishing better-oriented intervention procedures on built heritage.