Architect as a chief of the historic buildings

The Architecte as a chief of the historic buildings is, in France, an expert specialized in the restoration of a building, a together monumental or in the development of a site, classified for its historical value , archaeological, landscape Esthétique and/or . There are fifty-three architects as a chief in France (of which approximately 40% are old architects of the buildings of France). They are sometimes named by the Sigle ACMH. Their original statute makes of them at the same time government officials and professionals liberal.

History

The French service of the historic buildings sees the day in 1830 with the nomination of an general inspector, Ludovic Vitet, which succeeds the writer and historian Prosper Mérimée; in 1837, the Commission of the historic buildings is created.

The commission takes, in 1840, the decision to entrust the most important the work management to “ of the Architecte S having made architecture of the Moyen-âge a very special study ”. Those are co-opted by their Masters, after having proven reliable as collaborator of agency then as factory inspectors.

Eugene-Emmanuel Purple-the-Duke, in spite of his influence, had claimed without success the creation of a teaching of medieval architecture: it will be created only in 1887 by Anatole de Baudot, with the Palais of Trocadéro to Paris, followed in 1893 of the first recruitment competition of the architects as a chief of the historic buildings (ACMH).

Following the separation of the Church and the State, intervened in 1905, and the suppression of the ministry for the Worships, the body of the architects diocesans, responsible for work on the Cathedral S, is attached to that of the historic buildings.

In 1907, a decree organizes the body architects as a chief of the historic buildings: those are seen allotting a geographical district, and are a time assisted by ordinary architects who ensure the maintenance of the monuments and the follow-up of the working premises. Starting from 1946, the strict maintenance of the historic buildings and their accesses, is entrusted to the architects of the buildings of France whose body has just been created. In 1991, the put in extinction of the body of the architects of the civil buildings and national palates results in affecting, with the body architects as a chief, the buildings of the State classified under the historic buildings.

The missions of the architects as a chief adapted to the progressive extension of the concept of inheritance and historic building to new categories of Immeuble S (urban inheritance, industrial, maritime, Jardin S), at buildings which belong to increasingly recent times and employ standard materials again (constructions in Fer, out of cement or Reinforced concrete, Verre…).

Statute and missions

The architects as a chief of the historic buildings are recruited by a contest of State (A+ category). They have a statute of government official but liberal exercise within their own agency, and are remunerated in the form of vacations and of fees according to a grid established according to the complexity of the project and the value of the works.

The architects as a chief are in charge of the missions defined by the decree 80-911 of the November 20th 1980, replaced, starting from January 1st 2008, by of the September 28th 2007: they assist in their the minister in charge for the Culture in the achievement of its mission of protection, conservation and development of the architectural heritage.

Opinion, council and assistance

For this reason, they fulfill a mission of opinion, council and assistance near the services of the ministry for the Culture for the classified buildings and registered voters, and in particular:

Opinion on the buildings likely to be proposed for a protection under book VI of the Code of the inheritance (resulting from the December 31st 1913, partially repealed); for this reason, they take part in the regional commissions of the inheritance and of the sites and, if need be is felt, at the “Commission higher of the historic buildings” - CSMH - sitting than Paris).

Monitoring of the medical condition of the buildings jointly protected with the architects from the buildings from France.

Opinion on the proposals for a work emitted by the owners of classified buildings, and checking of the conformity of work to the authorized projects.

Participation in the annual programming of the work completed or financed by the State under the historic buildings.

Control of work

Independently of their function of adviser near the minister in charge for the Culture, the statute of the architects as a chief of the historic buildings envisages the existence of an obligatory recourse to their Maîtrise of work for work of restoration relating to a classified building (decree of September 28th, 2007), as well for the development of the projects or the estimates as for the direction of the completion of the work.

This exclusiveness in the control of work applies consequently:

that the services of the ministry in charge of the Culture ensure the control of work work, i.e. the load of the general organization of the operation,

or that an financial aid is brought to the owners under book VI of the Code of the inheritance.

The missions of the architect as a chief are carried out within the framework of the geographical district which is entrusted to him by decree of the minister. This rule can undergo two exceptions however:

on the one hand, the owners of classified historic buildings have the possibility of appealing, after agreement of the minister, with the architect as a chief of their choice;

in addition, the architects as a chief can see themselves entrusting by the minister, on mission special, the responsibility for monuments of national interest called “except district” (for examples: the Palate of Louvre, the national hotel of the Invalids and the Church of the Valley-of-Grace to Paris, cathedrals of Amiens, Paris, Chartres, Rouen, of Rheims…, the Castle of Vincennes and the national field of Versailles or Fontainebleau, etc).

Control of work

Preliminary studies

The aim of the studies is to highlight, in the light of the historical and architectural characteristics of the building, and of its medical condition, the interventions necessary to its conservation, its consolidation and its development.

On a proposal from the architect as a chief, the framework and the contents of the studies are stopped by mutual agreement between the service of the historic buildings (regional Conservation of the historic buildings placed within the “Regional management of the cultural Affairs” - DRAC) and the owner, and are concretized by a contract signed with the architect as a chief.

The studies generally approach the monument in its globality, but they can be also limited to an intervention circumscribed with a work (specific consolidation, restoration of a cover or a stained glass…). In general, they comprise initially the following approaches: statement (measurements on the site and setting with the Net by a whole of plans, cuts and frontages, drawing in prospect for the building), description and historical and archaeological analyzes of architecture, examination of the medical condition (analyzes disorders and pathology of the monument, diagnosis). According to the complexity of the studies, the architect as a chief can be caused to associate external technical skills which it must know to interpret and coordinate: documentalist (searchs for files), historian of art (historical studies), archeologist (surveys, analyzes), office (X) of studies, specialized laboratories (pathologies of materials: Pierre, wood, Metal, Stained glass, Coated S, murals, etc) assisted “Research laboratory of the historic buildings” of Champs-sur-Marne (LRMH) depend on the ministry for the Culture.

After the analyzes necessary, the solutions suggested must take into account multiple factors, raising as much of the technical searchs of implementation and confortation (traditional or contemporary) that choices of restoration whose doctrines and deontology are registered in the “Charte of Venice”. In rise the principles from intervention, the detailed program of work, the estimate of the expenditure necessary and cutting or phasage by functional and financially acceptable sections.

The completed study is then subjected to the opinion of the service of the historic buildings: inspection, general inspection (another architect as a chief and/or historian) which can propose to the minister in charge Culture, via the regional management of the cultural Affairs, the approval of the project possibly amended or supplemented. If this last raises more delicate questions from the technical and deontologic point of view, or when the value of the works exceeds a certain threshold, the project is subjected to the opinion of the higher Commission of the historic buildings (1st section, 2nd sub-section).

After their approval, the studies lead to the multiannual programming of work.

The detailed project of execution

In the second phase of his mission, the architect as a chief works out the detailed project of execution which constitutes the tender documents of the companies. According to the importance of work and the financial possibilities of the speakers, the operations can be articulated in one or more sections.

Completion of the work

After designation of the companies by the usual procedure of Invitation to tender, the third phase is obviously devoted to the building site, whose architect as a chief ensures the direction, whereas in parallel the expenditure is controlled by an inspector of the historic buildings, for later payment of the companies.

The building site is, by nature, the most delicate operation, because it must ensure the best possible adaptation of the forecasts of the project with the reality of the monument, in all its details. It is then, between and the architect trade associations as a chief, a collaboration necessary which passes by an essential relation of comprehension and confidence, only guarantor of a successful operation. During work, fortuitous discoveries can consolidate, or on the contrary to more or less deeply cancel the program envisaged; it is then with the architect as a chief, being based on the capacities of the various trade associations, to define the adaptations necessary to preserve in all the details the characters of the monument, while endeavouring to control the completion periods, the costs, and to respect the regulation framework of the Code des Marches Publics.

Lastly, to the completion of the building site, the architect as a chief gives the documentary file of the works carried out, summary in which are consigned the detail of the work, the unforeseen ones and discovered which have occurred in the course of building site, and modifications that those possibly could induce.

Duties and loads

In all the cases, the architect as a chief of the historic buildings has an obligation of service on the whole of the monuments of his district.

Person in charge of the monument that one entrusts to him and that it has the role of preserving and of transmitting, the project superintendent must acquire a prospective vision, and endeavor of it to include/understand the characters, the logic of them which governed its design, his relationship with his environment, his geometry, the scheduling of his materials, his architectural writing, his originality.

A complete knowledge of the territory which surrounds the monument, of the geographical factors , climatic, geological, histories, cultural, which are at the origin of the differences and the resemblances between buildings, is essential. A frequent presence of the architect as a chief in his district, the knowledge of the soils which compose it, of the renewed visits, the relations followed with those which on the spot hold specific and high level competences (craftsmen, companies, institutions, academics, researchers…) strongly contribute to it.

Formation and recruitment

The contest is irregularly open according to the needs for renewal related to the departures. It extends on nearly one year but its preparation can last several years. The majority of the candidates follow the courses of the École of Chaillot, instituted by Anatole de Baudot (see higher) and exempted with the Palais of Chaillot, in Paris. The courses last two years after selection on contest.

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