Authenticity- and Sustainability-Based Failure Prevention in the Post-Conservation Life of Reused Historic Houses as Tourist Accommodations: Award-Winning Projects from Isfahan City

Abstract

This study underscores the crucial role of architectural education and oversight in managing reused historic houses as tourist accommodations in a sustainable manner. It employs a unique methodology to establish authenticity and sustainability principles in conservation and tourism development, specifically in the reused accommodation business, and to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of current practices in Iran. Focusing on two reused houses in Isfahan City, which were honored in the conservation category of the Memar Awards, the most prestigious Iranian architecture award, this study assesses and contrasts their post-conservation life under the influence of architect and non-architect managers. Data were collected through on-site observations, documentation reviews, and questionnaires and then evaluated using a mixed-methods approach that complies with the criteria set by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). This study’s findings both emphasize the significance of management’s impact on preserving and enhancing conservation outcomes and identify the primary factors contributing to the unsustainability and failure of this project in Iran. As a result, a model has been developed for a successful project of this type to preserve the values of cultural heritage buildings and their surroundings, if effectively implemented. This model applies to similar cases in different contexts, making this study’s findings highly relevant and valuable.