Abstract

The increasing international acceptance of the term ›building research‹ dates back to 1924. The basic approach of understanding historical buildings through building surveys and precise observations is older. To this day, the core of the method has remained working directly on the object in question: the building itself is the main source, regardless of the period and epoch. The graphic representation of the inventory and the scientific results on building history, building techniques and reconstruction play a key role. This small subject has proven itself in many fields, from university research to the preservation of historical monuments, but is currently facing great challenges. The rapid development of new technologies and innovative partner subjects demands a review of methods, including questions of future publication types and languages. New fields of activity are opening up: architecture after 1945 and the increasing destruction caused by war. The educational situation at the universities is becoming more and more uncertain.

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