@PSP – Issue 3, September 2021
Listed property renovation: A blessing or a curse?

The urban location of our properties in large cities means that a considerable number of them are under historic preservation.

Such protected buildings have an identity-forming character, and with their preservation we can conserve an intangible value for society. However, it is no secret that the renovation of listed properties is not always easy.


Christoph Sättler, Asset Manager at PSP Swiss Property, explains how such a renovation takes place and what challenges one is confronted with.


Interview und text by: Agathe Bolli

We are currently renovating several listed buildings in Bern; the three houses on Bärenplatz and the former Hotel Metropole on Waisenhausplatz. Both conversion projects should be completed by mid-2022 at the latest. Can you walk me through the process?

Whenever you renovate a building, you analyse the location and the market as well as the building and consider what you want to preserve for a suitable concept of utilisation. For a building worthy of protection, the heritage agency is involved from the very beginning, and the process works a little differently in every city. For Bärenplatz, we agreed to commission a historian to carry out the building history analysis.

Building application plan of Bärenplatz 11 from 1915

The entire history of the property was researched, including the context of the urban development, and documented in a 132-page dossier. They also carried out on-site assessment: what is worth protecting, from which time period does it date? The process also includes a so-called stratigraphic analysis.
 

For me as a laywoman: What is a stratigraphic analysis?

In simple terms: They probe into the walls, ceilings and floors and scratch out the paintings layer by layer to see what is hidden behind them. In one of the Bärenplatz houses, it was discovered that the walls originally had an intense colour scheme: yellow, green, blue. This corroborated the building-historical references to the "Bernese Modernism" of the 1920s/30s of the last century. In the neighbouring house, on the other hand, which was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20th century, the Heimatstil was predominant. In the third building, where essential building components of the 17th century are present, the stratigraphic analysis behind a plaster wall produced something that surprised us all.

 

 
The stratigraphic analysis on the façade at Bärenplatz 27 reveals a decorative painting from the year 1922-23
Worthy of protection or not? Wall painting with family tree from the 17th century

And what happens after this analysis?

First of all, considerable effort is required on the part of the architects to record every room down to the smallest detail, including all its materials. Everything that might be worth preserving is marked on-site and drawn in green on the plan - which is why this plan is officially called a “green plan”. It is also important to mention that Bern’s Old Town is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. As a result, the local office for monument preservation has an increased obligation to closely monitor and document the structural changes to the building.

All this must cause intense discussions. Is there a certain margin of tolerance?

Often, different constructions and styles from different times overlap in the buildings - at the end of the day, one has to agree with the heritage agency which period is now decisive and where one wants to “go back”, so to speak. As a rule, the period to be represented is the one from which the most can be preserved. After all, much has been destroyed in the course of time. In principle, the idea is to preserve and not to replicate. But in some cases, it is necessary to do so in order to complete the picture. For example, it may be necessary to reconstruct some historical windows with special glass.

However, there is indeed room for compromise if the effort is no longer appropriate. This may lead to simplification in the reproduction of a building component or even omission in case of too many defective components.
 

And once everything has been clarified, will the office for monument preservation also check whether everything is being adhered to during construction?

The discussion does not end at all after the building permit has been issued and the construction has begun but continues as the construction progresses. There are always surprises - perhaps the statics do not behave as expected and reinforcements have to be installed, or a wall collapses that was worthy of protection, or something unexpected comes to light. Then we have to reassess. Here in Bern we have a meeting with the office for monument protection every fortnight, which I usually attend as well.

Wooden floors worthy of preservation are removed, sanded and reinstalled in the house

In return, we also expect the representatives of the heritage agency to recognise our needs and understand how the areas are to be used in the future. Ultimately, we are not staging an open-air museum like Ballenberg. It should be possible to live and work in our properties in a contemporary way. For the catering area on the ground floor, we have been given more freedom to improve operational processes. Today’s office users also have certain requirements. This means that ventilation, cooling, cabling etc. also have to be brought in somehow. “High-tech in the farmhouse”, so to speak. In the end, the users should feel comfortable and we have to be able to operate the building in a cost-efficient way - otherwise the construction effort is not sustainable. It is a matter of “give and take”.

Speaking of economics - in the mind of the building industry, heritage preservation often seems to be equated with costs and effort - what about the costs of renovation and maintenance?

Yes, of course the renovation of a listed building is expensive. The additional costs due to the preservation of historical monuments can vary greatly depending on the degree of protection. As a rule, you have to reckon with up to 10% additional construction costs including fees. The additional time required should also not be underestimated. Certain additional cost may be covered by the historical monuments preservation authorities under certain circumstances.

On the other hand, the protection of historical monuments also saves us from additional costs by preserving building materials. The old buildings often do not meet the building guidelines, for example with regard to noise protection, thermal insulation or the number of windows. The office for monument preservation supports us here in submitting applications for exceptions.

In this case, the concerns of historic preservation were aligned with our ecological and economic goals: The carpenter wanted to install a new roof structure in the Metropole, we decided to preserve as much existing material as possible.

When renovating the properties, we also want to address the future maintenance. Often, the historical monuments preservation authorities show understanding, for example, in the choice of flooring material, or that we want to paint the window frames instead of oiling them.
 

How do you personally feel about heritage preservation? Do you always look forward to projects with listed properties?

I find the renovation of sites or buildings with a history fundamentally exciting. They often lead to a high-quality and lively new use, as long as the existing is respected and the new is allowed. What is important here is mutually respectful communication and cooperation. When working together, I would often like to see more freedom in planning instead of adherence to a comprehensive set of rules.

In the end, this interplay creates unique properties with a special charm that stand out from the ordinary. In any case, I’m looking forward to seeing the results in our Bern properties!
 

Me, too. Many thanks for sharing your exciting insights.

Christoph Sättler
Christoph Sättler
Member of the Management Board
Christoph Sättler has been a member of PSP Swiss Property’s Asset Management since 2007. As Asset Manager, he represents the owner’s interest in dealing with external and internal partners. His portfolio comprises 37 properties and 4 development sites with a value of approximately CHF 2.2 billion.
Agathe Bolli
Agathe Bolli
Sustainability & Communications Manager
Agathe Bolli is Sustainability & Communications Manager at PSP Swiss Property and is responsible for communications and coordination of projects in relation to sustainability. She will be discussing with various colleagues about the challenges and opportunities in the real estate sector as well as the contribution of PSP Swiss Property.