Documenting the intangible aspects of built heritage: the compared results of international field experiences in Mexico and Bahrain

The paper presents the opportunities of documenting intangible aspects associated with built heritage. Since the first century B.C. Vitruvius, in his De Architectura, stated that a current problem for built heritage conservation consists in the growing erosion of maintenance and repair capabilities. Analyzing the connection between the recovery of the intangible dimensions of built heritage and its maintenance, this contribution stresses the reasons to preserve intangible knowledge and skills associated with built heritage. Displaying practical international case studies, it is underlined the key role played by traditional knowledge and skills in terms of innovation and community resilience making intangible conservation relevant for local economies. These considerations are supported by the direct experience of the main author in three international documentation and conservation projects: the Casa Cristo in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Shaikh Isa bin Ali house and the Siyadi majlis in Muharraq, Bahrain. In these three sites - different for location, period of constructions, building materials, architectural typology, as well as cultural and social-economic context – it is shown the relevance of documenting intangible variables to ensure the preservation of cultural diversity and local identity. Through the proposed case studies, it is explained how the documentation of intangible cultural heritage can support its safeguard, allowing the transfer of knowledge, skills, and meanings. Final remarks focus on the relevance of these issues in the definition of informed management actions for the sustainable stewardship of these sites.