A abordagem científica no ensino, pesquisa e prática da conservação e restauração de arquitetura no Brasil: a institucionalização e as contribuições da UFBA

Abstract

The scientific knowledge that integrates the architectural praxis is even more important for conservation and restoration of buildings with cultural values, as it can be decisive for the success of interventions that aim the longevity of monuments. Thus, this thesis intends to set a panoramic and critical view of the historical process of development and adoption of scientific approaches in the field of conservation and restoration of architecture in Brazil, since the establishment of IPHAN to the present day. Through documentary research, which elucidated the circulation of knowledge between researchers and institutions, we demonstrate that this approaches were gradually adopted and occurred because of the institutionalization of teaching and scientific researching for the preservation of monuments in Brazilian Universities and that UFBA played a fundamental, decisive and pioneering role in this process, establishing itself as a Brazilian center of education and research within this field. When analyzing a roll of important scientific procedures developed in Brazil for conservation and restoration of monuments, we observed that most of these are related to investigations carried out by UFBA's Preservation and Restoration Technology Center, which, in turn, led to the development of similar researches in other parts of the country. Although many restoration works carried out in Brazil through IPHAN use technology and apply scientifically validated procedures to restrain the effects of degradation, many other interventions ignore the state of the art and the large investments that were made by the State itself in teaching and knowledge production focused on the built heritage. Taking the Church and Convent of São Francisco, in Salvador, as the object of a case study that sought to reveal the character of several intervention proposals in the monument since its inscription in the legal protection bureau, we realize that the projects and the executed works do not necessarily follow the scientific progress of the techniques for characterization and treatment of pathologies. When proposals are limited to general and imprecise recommendations, even though the knowledge produced by Universities is available, it is evident the lack of commitment between the executive branch and the academic staff; this commitment was once the basis for the first investments in education and research on heritage. Throughout this work, therefore, we sought to point out the contributions of professionals involved in the process of scientific development for conservation and restoration of architecture in Brazil, highlight the role of the University as a foundation for the production of specific knowledge and contribute to disseminate the importance of technical-scientific knowledge as a crucial step in conservation and restoration activities.