Investigating Perception Variances among Project Participants Concerning the Challenges of Renovating Historic Buildings

The common goal of historic building renovation and restoration projects is to accommodate current needs while preserving the cultural and aesthetic heritage of buildings. However, the challenges encountered when renovating historic buildings are different from new construction projects. To provide better insights, the authors conducted a survey of industry practitioners to identify the frequency and severity of common challenges. Comparison of results by the respondents' functional role shows a significant difference in assessing the severity of challenges, but no difference in assessing the frequency. Notably, construction team members tend to perceive the challenges as more frequent and severe than design professionals do. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in the risk management research domain as well as the historic renovation construction domain. Also, this study allows industry practitioners to better understand this type of construction project and manage plans by considering differences in their roles.