The firm was established in 1982 with special focus on cultural heritage preservation and integrated development planning of historic towns and urban areas in Denmark and abroad.
In Denmark the work includes project consultancy to The National Cultural Heritage Agency being the responsible agency for restoration and preservation of listed buildings according to The Building Preservation Act and historic sites protected under The Protection of Nature Act.
The office has provided technical assistance on heritage preservation to a number of international organisations, including NORAD, SIDA, UNESCO, UNCHS-Habitat, The World Bank and ICOMOS.
Sustainable cultural tourism has become an issue of special concern due to the growing importance of international tourism. Raadvad Architects have provided assistance to the formulation of the International Charter on Cultural Tourism with Guidelines of managing tourism at places of heritage significance, adopted by ICOMOS in 1999.
Assessment and management of heritage values in the environment have been essential components of the projects carried out by Raadvad Architects as a point of departure for preservation and improvement of the urban environment to ensure a sustainable development and to enhance the quality of the built environment for the benefit of local inhabitants.
The preservation of authentic heritage values in the environment has become a major concern to the office in any project dealing with the restoration and preservation of historic heritage. This approach relates especially to the conditions stipulated in The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and further specified in the Operational Guidelines of the Convention.
During the years of practice Raadvad Architects have been engaged in consultancy work related to individual monuments and sites of which 15 are included on the World Heritage List.