The missions of the ABF

At the beginning of the 20th century, local architects were responsible for overseeing the construction sites of major state-owned monuments, which were under the control of the chief architects of historic monuments. After the fires and bombings of 1939 and 1940, these ordinary architects of historical monuments were asked to ensure that the reconstruction work did not hinder the development of the monuments: the servitude of the surroundings was born. The Corps des architectes des Bâtiments de France (ABF) was born in 1946. Since 1993, it has been part of the State Urban Planners' Corps within the State Architects and Urban Planners' Corps (AUE), heritage section, in order to make respect for heritage and spatial planning consistent.

With technicians, engineers and officers of administrative bodies, their departments carry out their missions with a departmental representation in relation to the prefecture departments. The Departmental Units of Architecture and Heritage (UDAP) have been attached to the DRAC since June 2010.

AFB Missions

Built heritage: historical monuments, remarkable contemporary architecture

In their department, the ABF are curators of historical monuments belonging to the State and assigned to the Ministry of Culture. They control the maintenance and major repair work and ensure that any intervention respects the heritage elements.

In state-owned cathedrals, ABFs are also uniquely responsible for safety for fire and panic hazards.

With the curators of historical monuments, they participate in the conservation and preservation of all historical monuments in their department, ensuring the health watch and contributing to the scientific and technical control, during work on historic monuments.

The ABF and its collaborators also have the mission of identifying the heritage value of remarkable works, in connection with the Regional Conservation of Historic Monuments and the Architecture Department. This identification and evaluation of the heritage building contribute to the protection of new historical monuments or to the labelling of remarkable contemporary architecture or remarkable gardens.

On unprotected heritage, as part of the actions carried out by the Heritage Foundation, ABFs may be required to propose or validate work files that can be eligible for tax relief measures, or grants.

Heritage spaces

The ABFs fall into three broad categories of heritage spaces, starting with the approaches, that is, the areas located less than 500 m from the historic monuments or the parcels included in a demarcated perimeter of the approaches (PDA). Notable heritage sites represent another important group with spaces formerly referred to as ZPPAUP or AVAP. Finally, the third category includes listed or classified sites.

In these areas, the ABFs issue opinions on projects: application for building permits, development or demolition, preliminary declarations of work. If they are not subject to one of these procedures provided for in the Urban Planning Code, the works are subject to special authorization, provided for by the Heritage Code.

This mission of enhancing heritage spaces and supporting their evolution is more effective thanks to the advice of project developers (individuals, architects, etc.), well before the filing of an application for authorization or, Sometimes, when in town hall with the services instructors.

For remarkable heritage sites (SPR), it is necessary to consult beforehand the regulations of the Protection and Development Plan (PSMV) or the Architecture and Heritage Development Plan (PVAP).

In the classified sites, the ABFs are required to study the projects with the inspectors of the sites, then to present their opinions, if necessary, before the departmental commission of nature, landscapes and sites (CDNPS).

On some recurring topics, it is recommended to read the downloadable recommendation sheets.

Architectural, heritage and urban quality 

The ABF’s mission is also to promote the architectural and landscape quality of buildings, in particular by ensuring that sustainable development issues are considered. They encourage architectural creation and contribute to the quality of development projects, in urban or rural areas, as well as to city policy (renovation and requalification of large projects). This mission is often carried out in conjunction with CAUE, consulting in architecture, urban planning and environment.

They thus work in liaison with the project owners and the project owners, in the elaboration and realization of their architectural projects. At the level of municipalities or their intercommunal groupings, they participate in the development of planning documents by helping to identify heritage, landscape, urban or architectural issues, to promote the qualitative and sustainable development of territories.

On new construction projects or interventions on an existing building, the search for quality leads them to participate in architectural competition juries, to give advice in advance of the programming of projects, to promote know-how, andbe old or new.

Landscapes

In collaboration with the other decentralized services of the State, the ABFs ensure the application of the regulations concerning the spatial characteristics of the environment: natural spaces or urban complexes, parks and gardens, large landscape, public spaces, regional nature parks…

In this context, they participate in the monitoring and control of classified or registered sites (see the Heritage Spaces), in the implementation of regulations on outdoor advertising and signs.

They conduct environmental impact assessments and regularly advise infrastructure and network stakeholders. They participate with national and regional parks in the development of charters to ensure their preservation and development. From the simple sign to the wind turbine projects, from the small to the large landscape, the ABF and the UDAP seek the integration of the projects whatever their scale, and reserve an important part to the upstream work: participation in advertising regulations, Photovoltaic or wind energy think tanks…

Aids and procedures

You own a historic monument

You have a project concerning a well-labelled ACR "outstanding contemporary architecture"

You are considering a project in a heritage space Historic Site, Remarkable Heritage Site, Listed Site, Classified Site…:

• request for information on the situation: consultation of the Heritage Atlas
• request an appointment for a prior consultation
• appeal against the ABF’s opinion
• knowledge of technical recommendations, recommendations, etc.

You are responsible or elected locally

Your interlocutors 

See the UDAP page in your department