RMB 2.1 - Re-Use Theory: An Introduction

Recommended Prerequisites

N/A

Teaching Methods

Written exam. On request, the student can make an appointment immediately after the exam period to get feedback
on the scores, positive and negative aspects of their exam.

Learning Outcomes

Situate and explain the meaning of Re-Use of buildings and their interiors as part of a long-term history and the 21st
century heritage paradigm. Understand the extended notion of heritage. Be familiar with framework conventions of
UNESCO and European institutions and a relevant set of other charters and texts (ICOMOS, ICOM). Understand the
relations between good heritage practices and sustainable development, including the sustainable development
goals.
Understand heritage significance as a sum of heritage values. Master an updated vocabulary and scientific toolbox, 

understand the recent paradigm of heritage studies, and situate this in a long-term heritage history. Understand
how the heritage paradigm has evolved from focusing on monuments to a broader field, where re-use, participatory
approaches and management processes are important.
Apply the tools for sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

The emergence of different heritage policy frames on the global level is studied in depth, focusing on the relevant
UNESCO conventions, recommendations and programs, as they frame, inspire and structure heritage discourse,
policy and practice in the last century. This is linked to other relevant frames on the global level, in particular the
sustainable development goals (Agenda 2030). The 1972 World Heritage Convention, the 2003 Convention and other
texts, will be discussed, both as policy texts and via para-ethnographic studies of the institutions and networks.
Furthermore, the consequences of the Burra Charter, of participatory methods, and the importance of values and
significance assessment are discussed. A discussion of European policy texts, in particular the Framework
Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for society, is combined with a discussion of literature from other
continents. Special attention is devoted to concepts like re-use and transformation.

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Exam: 100.0%

Bibliography

Wong, L., Adaptive Reuse. Extending the life of buildings. Birkhaüser, 2017