The Bait as-Sail Rehabilitation and Restoration Project, Salalah, Oman

Changing Built Heritage Policy and Practice The Bait as-Sail Rehabilitation and Restoration Project, Salalah, Oman

The ArCHIAM Centre is an interdisciplinary forum currently based at the University of Liverpool which brings together a wide range of researchers interested in the study of the architecture and cultural heritage of India, Arabia and the Maghreb.

Cutting across traditional disciplinary boundaries, the Centre provides an exciting opportunity for the study of both historical and contemporary phenomenon with an aim of developing theoretical positions but also through practice-based research.

ArCHIAM welcomes possibilities of establishing connections across the wider academic and professional communities through doctoral research programmes, collaborations and networking opportunities.

Prof Soumyen Bandyopadhyay, Director CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF

ARCHITECTURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF INDIA, ARABIA AND THE MAGHREB

RESEARCH AND DESIGN TEAM PROF SOUMYEN BANDYOPADHYAY Principal Investigator

DR GIAMILA QUATTRONE Project Coordinator

DR MARTIN S. GOFFRILLER Research Fellow

CLAUDIA BRIGUGLIO DÉSIRÉE CAMPOLO Research Assistants

DR HAITHAM AL-’ABRI Honorary Fellow

Design by: Konstantina Georgiadou All rights reserved. No part of this brochure may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of copyright holder.

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Introduction

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Documentation

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Design

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Construction

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Contents

The Design Project The rehabilitation of Bait as-Sail, a prominent traditional merchant house in Salalah, Oman, is a pilot project to test through implementation and monitoring of concepts and designs proposed in the Heritage Management and Development Plan (HMP) for Salalah, commissioned to ArCHIAM by Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman.

indoor environmental conditions of Bait as-Sail temperature and humidity levels - was conducted at the University of Liverpool, by Prof Steve Sharples’ research group. The findings of this study informed ArCHIAM’s design concepts and solutions in response to issues of natural lighting, ventilation and evapotranspiration in the building.

During work for the HMP, the Ghassani Family, owners of the house, tasked ArCHIAM with the “Development of Appropriate Adaptive Reuse and Restoration Approaches for Salalah” aimed to convert Bait As-Sail into a cultural centre. This new public infrastructure is deemed to act as a catalyst for local economic, cultural and tourism development, hence benefit the client as much as the city at large.

A series of drawings was produced including: • detailed plans, sections and elevations of the building, illustrating all new build, revitalization and reuse actions undertaken; • illustrative technical details and key specifications of materials and methods.

The first private-led initiative of adaptive reuse of a heritage site in Oman, the project allowed ArCHIAM to test the applicability of restoration, rebuilding and reuse concepts developed by the team and internationally.

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detailed

environmental

modelling

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ArCHIAM was also in charge of monitoring and recording the implementation of work undertaken by an independent contractor through all the stages of the construction.

the

1 Introduction

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2 Documentation

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Drawn and Photographic Documentation The documentation of the heritage building started in October 2015, as part of the Heritage Management and Development Plan for Salalah.

An extensive drawn, photographic and ethnographic documentation campaign provided a thorough understanding of the context in which the building is located.

Additionally, the ArCHIAM team in consultation with the building’s owners - the Ghassani Family, extensively researched the history of the building, which later informed the design propositions.

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Design Drawings The design brief was developed in consultation with the client’s needs and aimed to put forward ArCHIAM’s vision of integrated heritage preservation and development, in accordance with international heritage policy, standards and best practice.

Throughout the process ArCHIAM produced a comprehensive series of design 2D and 3D drawings, as well as visualisations, in order to illustrate the various stages of the design development both to the clients and the contractor.

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Technical Drawings Upon finalisation of the design ArCHIAM produced a complete set of technical drawings which were submitted to the contractor with the aim of aiding the construction and ensuring the quality of the delivery.

Drawings included detailed plans, sections and elevations as well as key 3D details and materials and building products’ specifications.

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Construction The construction process, which is still underway, saw regular communication with the local contractor Musallam Mahad Almashani with the purpose of identifying sources of materials, products and suppliers.

This process has demonstrated to be a learning experience of great benefit to both parties. ArCHIAM has gained an understanding of the limitations of the local building materials market and desired levels of workmanship. The Centre has also had the opportunity to develop, adopt and implement innovative methodologies, techniques, technologies, and cross-disciplinary approaches to built heritage rehabilitation, never practiced before in the country.

The contractor has developed and enhanced his professional practice, which was formerly focused on public restoration projects on monumental buildings. It is expected that the contractor will be able to transfer and apply knowledge and skills acquired as part of this adaptive reuse endeavour to future projects.

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CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF INDIA, ARABIA AND THE MAGHREB www.archiam-centre.com

Prof. Soumyen Bandyopadhyay soumyenb@liverpool.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0) 7 588 579 084

Leverhulme Building, Abercromby Square University of Liverpool, L69 7ZN