Strategies for Careful Dismantling and Material Reuse for Historic Buildings

A two-day workshop on 'Strategies for careful dismantling and material reuse for historic buildings', led by Mahavir Acharya, Managing Director at Artisans in Architecture (AINA) was held on 30th and 31st October 2023. This workshop was conducted as a part of the conservation-led design for the CEPT Conservation Site School at Kalidas Jethabhai House, Dharmaj.

The workshop was divided into four sessions that included on-site discussions and presentations on the aim of the Site School initiative, considerations before and during the careful dismantling of timber structures, the importance of material reuse and techniques for reusing construction debris. The sessions were attended by carpenters, lime masons and contractors from Gandhi Construction Company, architects from BandukSmith studio, a representative from the KJH family and the Conservation Site School team. Contractors from Dharmaj were also invited to participate in building local capacities. The workshop concluded with a presentation of the proposed conceptual design to the community by BandukSmith Studio to engage them in the conservation process.