Italian architect Dr. Fabrizio Aimar takes helm of Center for Heritage Conservation as new director
Dr. Fabrizio Aimar has joined Texas A&M University as the new director of Center for Heritage Conservation (CHC), taking over for Andrew J. Billingsley who has served as the center director since 2021.
Housed within the Department of Architecture in the School of Architecture, the prestigious CHC Research Center was founded by Professor Emeritus David Woodcock in 1977 as a professional center for interdisciplinary research and service projects covering all aspects of built and natural heritage.
Aimar is an architect and will also serve on the faculty as an assistant professor of practice in the architecture department. He is a recognized international expert in historic preservation, who says he believes that “preservation, maintenance, and enhancement require continuous contributions of various disciplines. Concepts such as place-based heritage, people-centered approaches, and reconnecting the tangible to the intangible are gaining increasing prominence in international debates and resilient approaches that aim for integrated asset management.” He is also a co-author of the “Disruptive Technologies, The integration of advanced technology in architecture teaching and radical projects for the future city.” As the director of the CHC, he will hold the David Woodcock Endowed Professor of Architecture.
“Dr. Aimar brings to A&M a wealth of knowledge and an international vision for preservation tools and techniques that will provide an integrated vision of cultural heritage that challenges conventional understandings of preservation,” said Dr. Gregory Luhan, head of the architecture department.“He will expand upon the more traditional concept of preservation towards a broader understanding of the asset, including considerations at various scales, interdisciplinary collaboration, and embracing contemporary technological innovations.”
Luhan states Aimar’s appointment is critical in the CHC’s history as it plans its 25th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium, which will showcase a broader vision of preservation technology, practice, and engagement, and examine the state of the art in cultural heritage conservation.
The 25th Annual Historic Preservation Symposium
The two-day event, hosted by the Department of Architecture and Center for Heritage Conservation, will occur on Friday, March 1st, and Saturday, March 2nd, 2024, at The Preston Geren Auditorium, Langford B Building on the Texas A&M University-Main Campus in College Station.
“The 2024 symposium will be a significant reflection and inflection point that reaffirms the department’s commitment to research and enhancing cultural heritage that benefits the State of Texas,” said Luhan. “We look to the future with confidence, aware that our dedicated efforts are in line with UNESCO’s call to protect and preserve the cultural and natural heritage of the world.”
The event’s theme will be “Cultural Heritage in the Age of Resilience,” which will explore four main topics:
- Authenticity and permanence in an ever-changing world
- Data, analytics, and assessments for integrated management
- Cultural heritage and disaster risk reduction – mitigation and adaptation
- Using the past to advance the future
Professionals, scholars, and public leaders will discuss preservation, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, climate change mitigation, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, among other issues. The symposium expects to draw a national and international audience, including internationally renowned keynote speakers whose names remain confidential by the organizers.
For further information, please visit the Texas A&M Center for Heritage Conservation website or its Facebook page.
