This PhD thesis investigates the assessment of values in adaptive re-use projects and their current reflection in legislation, focussing on two Belgian regions – Flanders and Wallonia.

Research Questions:

What kind of values can be identified in adaptive re-use projects? How does their assessment change during the development and execution process? How can a consideration of values in architectural theory contribute to the value assessment in adaptive re-use?

Throughout the centuries, buildings have been constructed, destroyed, reconstructed, changed or extended to adapt to new utilizations or new architectural trends. Therefore, adaptive re-use of buildings can be considered a building principle as old as architecture itself. Transformations of society and its environment have been influencing the handling of architectural evidence of the past ever since. The establishment of the ‚preservation of historical monuments‘ as a recognized approach in dealing with cultural heritage dates back to the 19th century. The two opposing approaches that are still discussed today are the principle of ‘restoration’ (Viollet-le-Duc ) and ‘conserving as found’ (John Ruskin).

The notion of values and their assessment as an evaluation instrument regarding the handling of protected monuments is an ongoing discussion. In 1994, the importance of values had officially been captured in the Nara Document on Authenticity, which states ‘conservation of cultural heritage in all its forms and historical periods is rooted in the values attributed to the heritage’. However, the definition of a value system and its implementation into legislation remains a challenge to historians, architects and policymakers alike. Furthermore, the constant societal, cultural, political, economic and environmental changes demand a continuous revision and adaptation of the value systems in use.

The interdisciplinary nature of architectural conservation, involving architects, historians, conservators, lawyers, archaeologists and others - whom all have difficulties in finding a common language – complicates the development of a set of guidelines. Re-thinking the assessment of existing, past and future values in the theory of conservation as well as in the theory of architecture and their practical implementation will be valuable for cooperative communication.

The differences between the Belgian regions of Flanders and Wallonia are not only manifested in another language and culture but also the varying urban development (Flanders: small scale agriculture economy; Wallonia: heavy mining and steel industrialization). The example of Belgium allows to compare two different approaches of legislation and policies regarding the re-use of existing buildings that originated from the same basis.