On 1st Nov. 2007, Prof. Arthur CHEN, Director of Centre for World Heritage Studies, College of Design, University of Minnesota (UoM), gave us a presentation on the Pilot Study of the Inventory of Historical Buildings in Baku.

Suffered from the previous Soviet Urban Plan and the urban expansion from the latest oil boom, Icheri Sheher has been inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2003. Recently, Prof. CHEN was entrusted by UNESCO WHC as an expert to conduct a survey on historic buildings conservation in Baku. The presentation intends to introduce the fieldwork and studio work of survey. The pilot study model entails the following tasks in practice:
• Provide training sessions on the inventory process to the students of University of Minnesota (UoM) and Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (AzUAC).
• Design the survey methodology for the inventory of historic buildings and develop a testing model of a digital database
• Define levels of information needed in the digital database for heritage classifications.
• Translate all survey materials, instructions and survey forms into Azeri.
• Lead the fieldwork and constantly revise the model of digital database on site.
• Designate “zones” in the survey sequence and coordinate survey information and activities among fieldwork and studio-work groups.
• Define the fields of database inputs and digital graphics for the studio work
• Discuss the survey fieldwork with local organizations of Icheri Sheher and hold a workshop with AzUAC for the stakeholders.
• Exhibit and present to the public the survey results, review the database and archival information
• Transfer the revised digital database to AzUAC
• Review the final inputs and revise the testing model

On behalf of UoM, Prof. CHEN intended to build cooperation with WHITR-AP (Shanghai), and developed joint efforts to improve the implementation of World Heritage Conservation.