Heritage Building Preservation in the Process of Sustainable Urban Development: The Case of Brasov Medieval City, Romania

This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of the literature on the definition and development of the concepts of heritage and sustainability. The harmful effects of various pollutants on the materials widely used in the construction of monuments/buildings, which are part of the national and international cultural heritage, are also highlighted. In addition, the paper draws attention to modern techniques for investigating the composition and diagnosis of the alteration of buildings materials with the focus on stone, limestone, and mortars/concrete. The present research also emphasizes that in the case of heritage buildings, different skills are needed not only related to heritage conservation and rehabilitation, but also skills related to heritage planning processes, and to sustainable constructions. For exemplification, the manuscript proposes specific conservation principles based on the case of Brasov city, located in the heart of Romania and being par excellence a medieval town with representative buildings for that period.