In high demand today, the specialized profession of heritage architect remains relatively unknown. Much like a physician assessing a patient, the heritage architect evaluates and analyzes the condition of a building. They observe, read, measure, and interpret the symptoms presented by the structure. Based on this assessment, the architect intervenes to document, conserve, and protect elements of significant heritage value while ensuring the building’s long-term viability.

A skilled heritage architect knows how to interpret and prioritize the multiple layers and transformations of an existing building. A thorough understanding of the condition of its components guides decisions related to preservation, restoration, or, in some cases, demolition. Once the building’s “condition” has been identified, the architect establishes an appropriate course of action. In urgent situations, priority interventions may be required to secure and safeguard the structure. Preservation also involves a wide range of ongoing “care” measures aimed at maintenance, quality improvement, longevity, and enhancement of heritage value.

Visionary by nature, heritage architects have long applied the principles of sustainable development through reuse, restoration, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. This approach emphasizes local materials and skilled local craftsmanship. Whenever possible, existing materials in good condition are reused.

From modern heritage to the oldest structures, heritage architects work on a broad spectrum of elements: objects, furnishings, finishes, colors, materials, windows, doors, roofs, floors, as well as urban and rural historic sites and landscapes. This field requires great versatility, whether working on masonry churches and monasteries or wooden barns and ancestral homes in rural settings.

The profession continues to evolve alongside its environment. Research, new materials, innovative practices, and advanced technologies are reshaping the field. Tools such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), laser scanning, and drone surveys now allow for highly detailed documentation and the creation of three-dimensional virtual models. It is up to the heritage architect to assess the relevance of these tools and integrate them thoughtfully into a practice rooted in tradition.

Above all, heritage architecture is a collaborative discipline. Each diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary team, bringing together structural, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineers, as well as decontamination experts, archivists, historians, archaeologists, land surveyors, biologists, restorers, and a wide range of craftspeople—stone carvers, masons, carpenters, metalworkers, plasterers, and sculptors, among many others.