ABSTRACT

The discipline of conservation is not able to leave out of consideration some needs that are become fundamental in the contemporary society. Among these, environmental and economic sustainability are basic necessities, however the actions to “make sustainable” a cultural property often conflict with the “orthodox” rules of the conservation discipline. Furthermore, in restoration activities are employed chemical products that could have harmful effects both on workers and on environment and that also could produce negative effects in the long time (e.g. interactions with atmosphere and pollutants). The discipline of the restoration has taken the postulate of "case by case", according to which every action, even if similar, should be modeled on the case of the specific subject, producing very different judgments and solutions. However, such relativism can produce a real anarchy of principles and a difficulty in finding a real solution that meets the new current needs. The paper aims to reflect on the possibility of interaction between “preserve” and “sustainable acting”, analysing methodological aspects of conservation techniques and proposing a metadesign approach. This approach permits to predict the environmental impacts and the risks for workers at the origin of the restoration process. The paper aims to reflect on the possibility of interaction between “preserve” and “sustainable acting”, analysing methodological aspects of conservation techniques and proposing a metadesign approach. This approach permits to predict the environmental impacts and the risks for workers at the origin of the restoration process.

Key-words: orthodox conservation theories, green conservation, traditional knowledge, metadesign, lifecycle.