Assessing the Potential of Infrared Thermography for Heritage Conservation in India – Case studies of the Former British Residency in Hyderabad and the Shivappa Nayaka Palace in Shivamogga, India.

Abstract

My dissertation pertains to the past, present, and future of Heritage Preservation in India. India, one of the oldest world civilizations - has a diverse built heritage – one that is constantly vying for attention against fast-paced development and limited resources. Many buildings are still in use, particularly a few colonial-era buildings, which were built as a sign of English opulence in India, a purpose they did not serve in post-independent India. They were re-used to meet the growing need for public infrastructure in the country and today are very difficult and expensive to maintain and restore. This project addresses the problem of preservation in the Indian context and how do we preserve buildings in a sustainable way. Preservation in India has come a long way since its colonial beginnings to foreign collaborations in the current day. However, preliminary research shows that the use of technology in the preservation workflow is still in the nascent phases. This dissertation explores the under-examined aspect of technology in the preservation workflow. Previous studies suggest Infrared thermography (IRT), a non-destructive method can be an economical solution to identify potential problems in buildings. This project determines the potential of such a tool in the Indian preservation scenario with the example of the using it on the Former British Residency in Hyderabad and the Shivappa Nayaka Palace in Shivamogga to aid their restoration, results of which will indicate the potential of the use of IRT for heritage conservation in India.