Herit4ages PROJECT: Transforming Cultural Heritage in Tartu

The Herit4ages project aims to develop data-driven, user-centered retrofit solutions to ensure that cultural heritage is resilient, energy efficient and inclusive. The Institute for Baltic Studies (IBS) office in Tartu is one of the pilot cases where these solutions are being tested in a real heritage building.

International Collaboration: Spain and Estonia

Recently, we had the pleasure at TESELA to visit the IBS office. During the visit, experts Gaspar Carrasco-Huertas, PhD, and Ismael Azuaga-Arjona analyzed in detail the interior of the building’s walls, providing their expertise to select the best materials and rehabilitation strategies. They were accompanied by Merit Tatar, director of the IBS Herit4ages project, and consultant Tõnis Eelma.

Technological Innovation for Heritage

The office also has an advanced Heritage Monitoring System, developed by the Fundación Santa María la Real del Patrimonio Histórico. This system includes 35 sensors that measure variables such as temperature, relative humidity, luminosity, CO2 levels, pollutant particles, formaldehyde (HCHO), ozone (O3), and occupancy data. It also incorporates magnetic contacts for windows and a weather station on the roof.

Over the next two years, the data collected with these sensors will be analyzed using an adapted algorithm, which will make it possible to evaluate the building’s conservation conditions and measure the impact of the implemented solutions. These results will be integrated into the Herit4ages digital ecosystem, developed by the IDP Group, thus contributing to a broader and digitized vision of heritage conservation.

A Sustainable Future for European Cultural Heritage

We are proud to be part of this initiative that is not only improving cultural heritage management in Tartu, but also laying the groundwork for a more sustainable and efficient future for cultural heritage across Europe. ✨