An AHP-Based Methodology for the Evaluation and Choice of Integrated Interventions on Historic Buildings

Abstract

Historic buildings are at the center of cultural and economic interests, due to issues related to their conservation and protection as well as their use and technical-performance efficiency. They are often considered within the accepted meaning of ‘assets-resource’. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the research and development of methodologies to appropriately intervene on this type of heritage assets. This contribution defines a methodology to select interventions capable of combining protection requirements with performance upgrading, as part of integrated seismic improvement and energy-environmental retrofit strategies. The aim is to develop a tool that not only supports Public Administrations in the planning/designing of appropriate interventions but also private investors in a partnership perspective. Given the need to use a multidisciplinary and multi-criteria approach, the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method has been used; it allows for the comparison of various intervention alternatives on the basis of certain evaluation criteria, aimed at obtaining a preference index. This approach allows us to support the decision-maker in making the most appropriate choice, according to a rationally structured procedure.