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AN EXPERIMENT ON A SYSTEM FOR SELECTING THE METHOD OF ARCHITECTURAL RECORDING 
Can §. BINAN 
a Prof Assoc.Dr.Architect, YTU, Architecture Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey - binancb@tnn.net 
KEY WORDS: Architecture, Cultural Heritage, Measurement, Restoration, Architectural Heritage Conservation, 
ABSTRACT: 
Process of architectural conservation and restoration requires scientific approaches which shows parallelism to the field of medicine 
in regards of basic principles, used methods and purpose. In practicing medicine, which aims at recovering man from chronic or 
acute diseases, the information and tests required for diagnosis and treatment should be sensitive enough to determine the real cause 
beneath the health complaints during the health checks. Tests required for correct diagnosis are processed from the most simple to 
the most sophisticated stages by the Medicine doctors. And, usually, during this process most of the diseases are diagnosed. For a 
disease of which symptoms are very clear, one does not choose a very expensive and complex tests and analyis or methods and tools 
to diagnose it so that the budget to be spared for the treatment which is the final target is not exaggerated. 
This is both important in regards of individual budgets and national sources of countries. Therefore, the system of preventive 
medicine is established to diagnose and recover patients with relatively lower budgets in advance. From the point of view of the 
conservation economy, the cost of restoration process gains importance. Here, the structure (the patient) must afford it. It is true that 
architectural restoration is an expensive process, but today the variety of architectural heritage that needs to be protected is ever 
increasing and it is not limited to a mere monumental architecture which in turn requires reduction of the costs. 
The process of architectural conservation and restoration 
requires scientific approaches being in parallel to the field of 
Medicine in respect to basic approaches, methods used and 
targets. The sensitivity of the knowledge and analyses that are 
required for diagnosis and treatment in the application of 
medical occupation which aims to treat the health and to have it 
at a fit condition to work and extend the life of a person who has 
a continuous disease or a sudden illness, should be sufficient 
enough to determine the illness that was suspected in the 
preliminary controls. The diagnostic examinations are 
implemented by the physicians in a process starting from the 
simplest to the most developed. For an illness having very 
obvious symptoms, generally, very expensive and complex 
tests, examinations and methods are avoided. Thus the budget 
that should be reserved for the treatment, which is the final 
purpose, will not increase dearly. This is important both for the 
personal budgets and also resources of the country. For that 
reason, the system of protective medicine has been formed and 
now it is possible to diagnose and treat the illnesses quite early 
and with relatively low budgets. 
In this context, it is possible to see and apply the existence of 
parallel approaches in the field of architectural preservation. 
The sentence given in article 4 of the Venise Charter “The 
basic attitude in the preservation of monuments is to ensure the 
stability and sustainability of the preservation” nearly coincides 
with the concept of protective medicine. 
When we consider the situation in respect to the preservation 
economy, the cost of the restoration process becomes important 
here. The patient/the building should be able to pay it back. It is 
true that architectural restoration is an expensive action but 
since the versatility of the architectural treasures that must be 
preserved has increased greatly and it is not only limited to 
monumental architecture, these costs should be decreased. 
Hie studies of architectural survey shows parallels with the 
actions carried on for analyses and diagnose in the process of 
medical approach. Here the historical and structural identity 
(bodily status) of the building (of the patient) are determined 
and the existing situation is documented (examinations and 
medical display) with measurements and the process it has 
passed through since its first construction (his illnesses) and 
wear and tear (the visible symptoms of the illness) are clarified 
in these studies and the necessary techniques and methods 
(drugs or operations) for the restoration (the treatment) are 
decided. 
At this point the selection of the survey method that will be 
used becomes important. Sensitivity is important but as it is the 
fact for the field of medicine, really important issue is to 
determine the sensitivity that will serve the purpose. 
Therefore the determination of the method depends on the status 
of the building that will be preserved and what kinds of benefits 
will be derived from the resulting product. 
For the exemplification of this method, 5 buildings have been 
selected and the method used and suggested for the 
determination techniques and method used in these buildings 
have been exemplified. 
In the first example the survey method that was selected for a 
Fountain of Azapkapi Saliha Sultan , dated 1780 with a limited 
budget and for which façade cleaning, roof repair and 
restoration intervention in respect to limited elements will be 
made and the reasons for selection shall be defined. Drawing 
01 
In the second example, Tophane fountain dated 1732 with a 
limited budget and for which façade cleaning, roof repair and 
restoration intervention in respect to limited elements will be 
made and the reasons for selection shall be defined. Drawing 
02 
In the third example, survey method selected for a serial of 
Galata Port buildings dated 1890 having great dimensions but 
no structural problems, built in a modular structure and with a 
pre-determined budget and the reasons for selection have been