Critical and technical aspects for safeguarding, enhancing and the recovery of local architectural heritage: an emblematic example of rural buildings between Ossola (IT) and Ticino (CH)

Public interest in the preservation of Val d'Ossola and Ticino rural buildings is now universally accepted. As a result, a common research program has been started up in order to promote, support, and lead actions for the recovery and preservation of this heritage. This paper firstly outlines the main preservation requisites, within the current performance and functional requisites; since these requirements are often in contradiction. The method proposed considers how they could be harmonized, in order to obtain an useful frame-work to plan every intervention according to the building’s particular nature. The ongoing research will seek to achieve two main outcomes: a) to promote a wider sensibility through the reappropriation of culture for the conservation and recovery of local traditional houses; b) to draft handbooks, designed as open documents, which must converge in binding rules and regulations for local governments as a mandatory administrative tool. During the research, outcomes will be applied to recovery interventions on some public buildings (pilot restoration yards), in order to test the method and main results.