INDOOR ENVIRONMENT ENGINEERING FOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION: REPORT FROM A WORKSHOP AT THE CLIMA2000 CONFERENCE

Livio de Santoli

Dept. Fisca Tecnica, Italy
Member of REHVA - Representatives of European Heating and Ventilating Associations

ABSTRACT

The conservation of cultural heritage needs expertise in Indoor Environment Engineering (IEE) to assist conservators and curators in monitoring and conditioning the indoor environment to minimise the damaging effects by poor environmental conditions. The conservation of works of art requires clean air and suitable and stable environmental conditions. The main aim of the workshop in Clima2000-Napoli 2001 was to discuss and identify the needs for further development in research, practice and manufacturing and to establish a REHVA Working Group to carry out guidelines for Indoor Environment Engineering for cultural heritage conservation, in connection with existing ISIAQ WG21 "HVAC in Museums".

The main aims of the Workshop have been the following:

• to define the role that experts in air conditioning can play in cultural heritage conservation
• to discuss the needs for further research and development in the field of IAQ and HVAC
• to establish a REHVA Working Group (in connection with existing ISIAQ WG21 "IAQ in museums") to carry out guidelines for indoor environment engineering in cultural heritage conservation.

trying to provide answers to the following questions, representing different sections of a tentative Guidelines:

• Hygro-thermal Environment
• Air Quality
• HVAC systems and components
• Showcase's microclimate

Livio de Santoli
Dept. Fisca Tecnica
via Eudossiana 18
00184 Rome
Italy
E-mail: livio.desantoli@uniroma1.it