Presentation

Historic buildings and cultural landmarks face serious threats from climate change, pollution, and changing weather patterns. Until now, most restoration methods have not met environmental or social needs. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CHARM project trains researchers to develop sustainable ways to conserve heritage architecture. It involves universities, conservation groups, small and medium-sized enterprises, material producers, and NGOs from 10 countries. The project collects data, uses AI, models degradation, and designs low-impact, circular-economy solutions. CHARM also focuses on social well-being, ensuring that conservation methods are affordable and respectful of cultural values and heritage preservation.

Impacts & Results

The doctoral network CHARM (Conservation of Heritage Architecture, buildings and sites by Resilient Methods:  hydro-climate factors) aims to train 13 doctoral candidates in response to unfulfilled recruitment needs in research and innovation sectors on cultural heritage conservation and restoration. The Research partnership is constituted of 12 beneficiaries and 11 associated partners. CHARM puts together researchers from universities and research organisms (12 academic beneficiaries), 1 national and 2 local organizations in charge of Cultural Heritage conservation, 2 Small and Midsize Enterprise, 2 industrial producer of building materials, and 2 Non-Governmental Organization, from 9 European and 1 South American countries.

CHARM develops new sustainable conservation and restoration solutions, adapted to the current and future climate conditions, designed in a circular economy philosophy, having a low environmental footprint and high handprint. CHARM also responds to socio-economical requirements of wellbeing and proposes conservation/restoration solutions economically acceptable and respecting the cultural value of buildings.

CHARM proposes a holistic approach including: i) site observation and data collection, ii) data preparation to be used by AI, models, etc, iii) methods for understanding and modelling past and future degradation of architectural heritage, iv) sustainable conservation solutions to several observed problems, v) assessment of the impact of architectural conservation on the environment and of the environment (past, present and future) on architectural heritage, vi) bidirectional  interactions with society proposing risk management plans but also taking into account the society wills and needs.

CHARM develops a durable training program consisting of academic courses, summer schools, online seminars, restoration work-camps, international conferences (organisation and participation), moocs. These activities will continue after the end of project.