The Importance of Historic Building Preservation

History plays a central role in providing knowledge about culture, civilizations, beliefs, and religions. Historical buildings are often quite extraordinary and cement cultural heritage value. The importance of the structural maintenance of historic buildings is to value history over progress. They represent the past of a particular region and inform people about past construction and structural usage.



By their nature, historic buildings are constructed with archaic materials, and often with configurations not common in modern architecture. For many cities like Philadelphia, there are architectural or historical preservation districts and any change or alteration to a building must be reviewed by the Architectural Review Board. Review boards are out to protect the physical character of a building considering its historical past. 

BUSTAMANTE ENGINEERS will work to preserve the historical character, while improving safety, performance and overall durability for its occupants. It all comes down to balancing the preservation of a building versus today's building codes and amenities and sometimes, obtaining approvals can be an arduous task. It is important to have structural engineering experts well-versed and experienced in the analysis and design of permitted improvements to these special systems.

By focusing on the specific physical characteristics and requirements of historic buildings, it is possible to provide reports, drawings, and specifications that give detailed guidance to designers, contractors, and owners on the aspects of work specific to such buildings. In addition to ordinary structural design and construction-phase administration, there are distinct but closely related services specific to historic preservation engineering:

•  Investigation - This includes on-site visual observation of the building’s existing structural condition and type, recommendations for destructive probing or non-destructive testing as appropriate, reports on findings including photographs and drawings as appropriate, and historic document research as required by unique conditions.

•  Existing Condition Analysis - includes structural analysis of the building as designed, as modified, or as damaged (whichever is appropriate) to check for life-safety problems, code-compliance, and expected longevity.

•  Feasibility Analysis - includes code review and schematic structural analysis of the building for proposed alterations and repairs.

•  Context Review - includes a description of the major structural and enclosure systems of the building, comparison of the building to similar buildings of its era, and a review of the known strengths and weaknesses of the identified type.

•  Design - includes analysis and design of new and altered building structure, analysis and design of repairs to historic materials, creation of drawings and specifications, and creation of sequencing and logistics recommendations for work that may be unfamiliar to contractors or where sequencing is crucial to structural stability during the work.



•  Construction Administration - includes reviewing submittals by contractors, reviewing unexpected conditions found during the work, coordination with the contractor and owner on phasing and logistics, and reviewing the effect of the work on historic materials to remain.

Historic buildings should be well-maintained, protected, and modernized for future generations because they have cultural significance and economic value. Structural engineering aspects and building codes govern the preservation and maintenance of these buildings. 

BUSTAMANTE ENGINEERS have years of experience in the analyses and design of upgrades for historic renovation projects that celebrate the historic appeal of these grand old buildings. We support you from the first phone call through the rehabilitation and also offer on-site monitoring services if necessary. If you have concerns with your historic building or are looking to make improvements, please click to contact us and let’s discuss how we may be of value to you.