Declaration on the issue of supporting measures aimed at energy savings in historical buildings

The Czech Chamber of Architects, the National Heritage Institute, and the State Environmental Fund have agreed on this joint statement regarding the issue of supporting measures aimed at energy savings in historic buildings:

Architecture is important for society. This holds true for contemporary creation as well as for architectural heritage. Monuments preserve evidence of our history, of the knowledge and skills of builders, and of the way of life of the society of which we are heirs. Historic buildings are part of the ingrained image of our towns and villages, our cultural landscape. They are built from materials different from those used in contemporary buildings. They have different forms. This is precisely what makes them valuable. Their cultural value lies not only in the richness of preserved forms but also in what we can learn from them about the past. The Czech Republic recognized all these values by acceding to the Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe and, at the same time, committed to protecting monuments, architectural ensembles, and sites on its territory.

If we were to resign from protecting the specific appearance of cultural monuments and buildings in heritage reserves and zones, we risk destroying just that quality which is significant for society.

Architectural heritage is threatened by decay and insensitive renovations. It is also threatened by the mechanistic application of the demand to adapt historical architecture to the technical standards of contemporary construction production. This danger is also current in the case of reducing the energy demands of buildings. The interest of society in energy savings is undeniable. Measures aimed at such savings are necessary. In this context, we emphasize that disproportionate means can lead to damage to architectural heritage.

We agree that reducing the energy demands of buildings and the interest in protecting architectural heritage can at least in some cases be reconciled. However, this requires that conditions for the specific area of architectural heritage be "tailored". Modifications that are intrinsically conflicting should not be supported, while measures that can achieve energy savings without jeopardizing cultural values should be encouraged. In the area of architectural heritage, it is also necessary to consider small steps, individual proposals, and primarily the restoration of preserved historical structures and elements, including window frames.

Architectural heritage means not only cultural monuments and buildings in heritage reserves and zones but all buildings that meet the quality criteria. Heritage protection in the Czech Republic is selective. Only a fraction of architecturally valuable historical buildings, preserved settlements, and landscapes are protected by heritage laws. We therefore also remind of the responsibility for a sensitive approach to unprotected components of architectural heritage.

We consider awareness to be very important. It is undesirable for owners to be motivated to prepare measures that would damage architectural heritage and which could subsequently not be permitted for heritage-protected buildings. Timeliness and completeness of notifications about what is unacceptable in the area of care for architectural heritage can prevent unnecessary conflicts. Timely information on how to proceed in the case of heritage-protected buildings can help achieve good solutions.
The Czech Chamber of Architects, the National Heritage Institute, and the State Environmental Fund declare that they wish to cooperate in the interest of protecting the environment, preserving architectural heritage, and promoting quality energy-efficient new architecture. The result of this cooperation should be the clarification of the conditions of subsidy programs and methodological assistance to owners and designers.

Ing. Arch. Dalibor Borák
Chairman of the Czech Chamber of Architects

Ing. Arch. Naďa Goryczková
General Director of the National Heritage Institute

Ing. Arch. Petr Štěpánek, Ph.D.
Director of the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic