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FIXUS: the success of heritage management lies in the accessibility of services

FIXUS Mobilis helps the owners and managers who are constantly facing general or specific problems of preventive maintenance of cultural heritage sites. Mobile teams arrive at selected sites, inspect the monuments, conduct research, provide professional advice and ensure the prevention of further damage through maintenance work. Finally, the owners get a detailed report on the condition of the building, along with a calendar of regular work and recommendations on how to maintain the health of the particular cultural heritage building.
 
The project FIXUS, which is completing its second year, now holds useful skills of public consulting and workshops as well as experience of participating in the heritage-related events. After receiving more than a hundred applications from cultural heritage managers, the selection committee has already approved 78 objects as participants of the project. More than 50 sites have been already visited, mobile teams did maintenance work at most of them.
 
Three teams, each consisting of three professionals, continuously visit objects scattered all over Lithuania. The list of buildings receiving FIXUS Mobilis services is varied: it includes heritage monuments such as residential houses and apartment buildings, manor houses, palaces, churches and other religious buildings, water mills. Whatever the object, big or small, wooden or masonry, the damage is often similar: time, climate and lack of maintenance affect the roof while clogged and broken rainwater drainage systems become the cause of excess moisture and decay in the building.
 
Three mobile teams will drive the vans converted into mobile workshops, inspect the objects and work in each of them until the services are provided to the owners of 200 facilities. The consultations which started in September continue; FIXUS Mobilis invites anyone interested in preventive maintenance of buildings to participate in its public events. By the end of the  project, 30 consultations and 3 workshops are planned to be organized. The participants of the consultations have the opportunity to enrich their knowledge not only about the prevention of structural damage, but also to learn more about the project, its qualified teams and the maintenance work carried out at the facilities. The consultations also cover such relevant topics as the grants available for bigger-scale conservation work, revitalisation and the legal regulation of the management of the properties inscribed on  The Register of Cultural Property.
 
FIXUS developed the preventive care model based on the best examples of “Monumentenwacht” in the Netherlands and “Pro Monumenta” in Slovakia. Now that this model is being implemented in practice, the strongest and most relevant state- specific aspects are emerging.
 
  • The project reaches out remote regions and brings action to local heritage communities through inclusive local heritage officers;
  • Owners and managers of heritage sites interact live with professionals and find answers to their concerns about a particular building and its maintenance.
  • Project services are available to people who lack funding for research, consulting and management work at no cost.
  • A detailed report on the condition of the heritage site paves the way for further measures to aid the heritage site.
 
FIXUS specialists carry out essential maintenance work and assist managers to develop a habit of taking care of their valuable property before they are faced with critical building damage. Professionals of preventive care provide free advice to owners on how to maintain their cultural heritage monument. Moreover, they add recommendations and the maintenance work schedule along with the report.

About FIXUS Mobilis
 
There are more than 20 thousand objects in The Register of Cultural Property. The FIXUS Mobilis project, implemented by two budgetary institutions - the Cultural Heritage Center and the Cultural Infrastructure Center, provides preventive maintenance services to the managers of heritage buildings. Project partners: Department of Cultural Heritage in Lithuania, “Riksantikvaren” and “KA” in Norway. FIXUS is funded by the grant of the Culture Program 2014-2021 of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.
 
Content and photos by Fixus Mobilis.
More information: www.fixusmobilis.lt



 

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