About
Short Bio
I am Dr. Ana Pereira Roders, currently a Professor of Heritage and Values and the UNESCO Chair on Heritage and the Reshaping of Urban Conservation for Sustainability at TUDelft in the Netherlands. I graduated as an architect from University Lusíada in Portugal in 2002 and earned my PhD in Building Technology at TU/e in 2007. My academic journey has taken me to universities in the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, the UK, and Mozambique.
I am passionate about promoting international cooperation and knowledge exchange, and I actively participate in various networks, organize key events, and manage groups on LinkedIn and Facebook with around 10,000 members. I co-edited the Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development (Emerald) until 2019, and my innovative, interdisciplinary contributions to science are shared through hundreds of publications and events.
In 2015, I had the opportunity to give a TEDx Talk in Hamburg, Germany, where I discussed how cities can become resource-efficient. I am also a member of the governing board at the International Center on Space Technology for Natural and Cultural Heritage in China and serve on the scientific board of the JPI Cultural Heritage. As an award-winning researcher and partner in projects like H@V, CLIC, and HERILAND, I regularly assess research proposals and outcomes for funding institutions, academic publishers, and universities.
Mission
Lisbon, the city of my upbringing, is in a constant state of transformation, which has sparked my curiosity about the future of buildings - whether they are conserved, renovated, demolished, or even vandalized. My research has revealed that the values we assign to these structures, particularly when listing them as heritage, significantly influence their lifespan. For many years, architectural and urban practices have primarily conserved heritage-designated areas, such as listed buildings, conservation areas and archaeological sites, while other urban spaces could be freely demolished and redeveloped, often disregarding the resources and knowledge lost in the process.
I believe that cities can only achieve sustainable development when prioritising resource conservation, which requires a fundamental shift in mindset. As natural resources become increasingly scarce due to urbanisation, the demolition and waste of these resources in architectural practices should be prohibited. Urban conservation can take various forms, influenced by factors such as condition, scarcity, and significance.
Since I began drafting my PhD program in 2003, my mission has been to enhance the monitoring and conservation of urban resources globally. I demonstrated that resources possess diverse values that justify their conservation, even when society overlooks them. Additionally, I highlighted that policies and projects often fail to protect these resources, despite being listed as heritage. The construction industry has the knowledge and skills to decarbonise and conserve all types of buildings, regardless of their nature and context. Only the attitude is missing! By treating all buildings equally and maximising their resources and diversity, we can help cities improve their resource efficiency and achieve sustainable development.
As a researcher, educator, architect, and citizen, my goal is to assist cities in enhancing their resource efficiency, as I believe everyone has a role in this vital process.
Academic Institutions
