Bermuda's architectural heritage could be preserved from further ruin if the Government, through the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, lends its support.

Television advertising campaigns that explain the characteristics of Bermudian architecture would help the public in general and landlords in particular to be more aware of the treasures that lie around the Island.

Mr. Henry Ming, an architect and chairman of the Bermuda National Trust's historical buildings committee, made these suggestions this week after The Royal Gazette published a story about the demolition of a 120-year-old Court Street building.

The building was owned by the Hamilton Cooperative Association. The HCA faced a dilemma. They knew the building -- that was situated across from Mrs. Lois Browne Evans' law offices -- was old and historically significant.

It was constructed around 1875 but they could not transform it to meet 21th Century needs. Consequently they decided to knock it down and build a five-storey office block instead.

Mr. Ming said that there were many other landlords in a similar position and they needed help with the restoration of these properties, but this is expensive.

"We do not need new legislation,'' Mr. Ming said. "There are sufficient laws enacted that provide a degree of protection.

"I think the focus needs to be on policies. I may be totally wrong here but I think we need to start with the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs.

"They could push the industries, in particular the banks, to set aside funding. But the Ministry (Community and Cultural Affairs) could go a stage further by working with the National Trust and publish all their concerns in a series of documents.'' Contained in these documents he said, would be information related to Bermuda's architectural heritage and other issues.

And the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs could help to fund and publish these documents.

"They could go a stage further and have a series of sponsored programmes on television and have professional architects discuss Bermudian architecture in a simple common sense manner.'' He said this information could also be taken into the schools.

Community and Cultural Affairs Minister the Hon. Yvette Swan said she agreed in principle with such ideas because she was in favour of any action that would preserve Bermuda's architectural heritage.

She said she agreed that if this information was spread as wide as possible, it would improve the public's awareness of its own national treasures.

"I think these are neat ideas,'' the Minister said. "I see nothing wrong with doing some research on buildings and getting the facts about them.

"But if we are to record them on video tape, this costs money and immediately the project becomes expensive.

"I am all for the educational aspects of such a project. It is something that I can look into.'' Dr. Swan said there are many valuable and historical buildings in the north of Hamilton which all need to be explored and documented.

Meanwhile, Bermuda National Trust director Ms Amanda Outerbridge said her organisation already did a lot of work to protect historical properties.

She said that every year National Trust presented awards to people who have done "sensitive historic restorations on old properties that they own.'' And this helps to reinforce the idea of preservation and inform others that it can be done.

Ms Outerbridge said that the National Trust assisted people to restore their historic properties.

"In November a book on Bermuda's architectural heritage, the first of a series of seven will be released,'' she added. "It will focus on the buildings in Devonshire. It looks at specific houses and it has a lot of information on what Bermudian architectural features are.

"This will show that there is a heritage and a history attached to these architectural features. And we hope to continue this as we produce more books in this series.'' Ms Outerbridge said that teams of volunteers were already going out all over the island identifying these historical buildings.