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Furniture Design in Historic Residences: Balancing Modernity and Cultural Heritage Respect (Case Study: Old Town of Hebron).
No full textThis study explores the aspects of interior design in traditional homes, focusing on the challenge of balancing contemporary needs with original architectural layouts while adapting to current lifestyle demands. By examining selected residential models, the study evaluates existing spatial configurations, addresses the needs of modern occupants, and proposes interior furniture designs that align with sustainability principles and the conservation of cultural and heritage assets, all while maintaining architectural integrity. The central research question investigates the feasibility of harmonizing furniture design to meet 21st-century living standards without compromising heritage preservation values. The study employs a descriptive and analytical methodology, emphasizing documentation and design within a practical research framework. The findings reveal that integrating historical preservation with contemporary needs is achievable through furniture design that respects and enhances architectural authenticity. The case studies demonstrate that modern functional requirements can be fulfilled without undermining historical identity. The analysis highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing authenticity with modern functionality, particularly in material selection, ergonomics, and technological integration. Furthermore, the study uncovers differing user perspectives—some residents favor minimal intervention to preserve historical character, while others welcome broader modifications for comfort and usability. The results underscore the importance of careful maintenance and restoration practices for original furniture and architectural elements and emphasize the need for furniture designs that promote both material and cultural sustainability. Ultimately, the study aims to meet the aspirations of Hebron’s Old City residents for improved living conditions while inspiring younger generations to embrace heritage homes as vital components of a sustainable future grounded in tangible cultural identit
The scan-to-BIM process for the enhancement of architectural heritage. The church of San Giovannello in Gerace.
No full textThe study we present is related to a scan-to-BIM process carried out on the Romanesque-Byzantine church of San Giovannello, located in the historic center of Gerace (Reggio Calabria, Italy). The work is part of a broader research project, called GENESIS (acronym for Seismic risk management for the tourist enhancement of the historic centers of Southern Italy), promoted by various research groups from numerous Italian universities and aimed at managing seismic risk for the tourist enhancement of the historic centers of Southern Italy. The scan to BIM process constitutes the central phase of a flow of actions that begins with the study of historical sources, proceeds with the analysis of the current conditions of the buildings and concludes with a series of design proposals aimed both at mitigating the consequences of any actions seismic, and the implementation of innovative systems for remote and in-person use (VR, AR). The proposed valorization strategy embraces different fields: it develops starting from the historical knowledge of the building, rests on the solid scientific foundations of the instrumental survey, and it exploits the information coordination potential offered by BIM-based methodology and tools. Finally, the communicative aspect involves both the morphology, identifying the underlying geometric structure, and the iconological and iconographic aspects
Potential of Rehabilitating Benghazi Historical Buildings - Challenges and Strategies
No full textPreservation of the urban context and heritage buildings is crucial for conserving the cultural identity of a city and preserving its architectural heritage, which forms its urban character and memory. In Benghazi, numerous buildings of historical, heritage, and architectural value define its identity and require preservation, revitalization, and protection by conserving all their distinguished architectural and urban elements and utilizing these elements to their full potential. Heritage preservation also necessitates maintaining the overall character, which means preserving these buildings within their neighboring urban contexts. Today, historical and heritage buildings form a significant part of Benghazi's memory and urban fabric. However, the current state of this heritage has suffered from neglect and destruction. Among the important landmarks in Benghazi that still hold potential for rehabilitation and utilization and play important roles in the mental image of the city are the Qeshla Building (Al-Baraka Palace), Al-Manar Palace, and Benghazi Municipality Building. The Qeshla Building is a prominent historical landmark in the city and is known for its grandeur. Al-Manar Palace, with its architectural significance dating back to the Italian period, also holds high sentimental value among the city's residents. The Benghazi Municipality Building from the Ottoman period is a historical landmark in the main square of the old city.
This study focuses on the challenges faced by heritage buildings in historical cities by documenting the components of these architectural and urban landmarks. Furthermore, a general framework was developed for the systematic rehabilitation of these buildings by studying their current situation, conducting field surveys, identifying their potential, and establishing strategies that govern their revitalization. This study concludes that protecting Benghazi's architectural heritage is essential, as these landmarks shape the urban identity of the city and constitute a significant part of its cultural and social heritage. This emphasizes the importance of developing plans that help preserve and rehabilitate these buildings and reuse them with adaptive functions to achieve cultural, economic, and social benefits for the community
The Market Competitiveness and Risk Analysis in the Construction Industry in Oman
No full textThis paper explores the challenges facing the construction industry in Oman. Factors such as delays, cost overruns, and quality issues introduce uncertainty and risk into investments. Through a sampling of 30 construction companies, this study assesses the current market prospects, including size, demand, and supplier efficiency. The analysis aims to identify market performance gaps, enabling projects to strategically position themselves and develop competencies to outperform competitors sustainably. Emphasizing the importance of risk management and meeting market expectations, this research offers insights into enhancing competitiveness and mitigating potential pitfalls in the construction sector of Oman
Gated but Connected? Evaluating Accessibility, Permeability and Connectivity in Italian City 1, Erbil
No full textUrban planning plays a vital role in ensuring inclusive, sustainable, and livable cities. This study evaluates three critical indicators of sustainable urban form—accessibility, permeability, and connectivity—using Italian City 1 in Erbil, Iraq, as a case study. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was applied, combining infrastructure assessments with resident and visitor surveys. Two indices were developed: the Infrastructure Accessibility Index (IAI), based on field audits of sidewalks, bikeways, crosswalks, and public transport stops; and the Opportunity Accessibility Index (OAI), based on user-reported access to essential services. Both indices were tested using descriptive and inferential analyses to examine accessibility levels across subgroups. Findings indicate that Italian City 1 demonstrates satisfactory accessibility to local services but uneven infrastructure quality, particularly for crosswalks and public transport. Sidewalks performed better, while permeability was hindered by gated typology and limited pedestrian-only routes. Connectivity was relatively strong internally but car-dominated externally. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in accessibility perceptions between younger and older participants. Although Italian City 1 demonstrates moderate walkability and service proximity, deficiencies in inclusive infrastructure and multimodal transport reduce sustainability and equity. Enhancing sidewalks, crosswalks, and disability access, alongside developing multimodal connectivity, are critical for future planning
Residential Comfort and Energy Efficiency in a Csb Mediterranean Climate: An Adaptive Comfort Study
No full textIndoor thermal comfort safeguards occupant health and wellbeing and is a driver of energy consumption in buildings and greenhouse gas emissions. This paper assesses the indoor thermal conditions in a naturally ventilated middle-class residence in the Mediterranean climate of Cape Town. Data logged in two separate rooms was imputed into Ladybug, a building environmental design software, to execute a full-year adaptive comfort simulation for each room. It was found that indoor thermal comfort can be maintained by passive, psychological and behaviourial adaptive measures only without the need for artificial space conditioning.The upper indoor adaptive comfort limit for Cape Town was found to be 29°C. Indoor temperatures rarely exceeded this upper limit. Therefore, overheating is not a problem in the naturally ventilated residence. The lower adaptive comfort limit for Cape Town was found to be 19°C. In both rooms, a significant number of hours had temperatures below this threshold. The northwest-facing room was found to be excessively cold for 45% of the year. The southeast-facing room was found to be excessively cold for 75% of the year.At 55 percent, the hours of the year for which the logged indoor operative temperatures are within the bounds of comfort in the northwest-orientated room were found to be more than double those in southeast-orientated at 25 percent. Orientation has a significant impact on thermal comfort. In a sensitivity analysis, the above results proved to be robust for other cities in Csb Mediterranean regions in the southern and northern hemispheres. The above results signify that in Cape Town and similar Mediterranean climates, policies should drive practice to use orientation, indoor heat preservation and passive heating to improve comfort, safeguard health and save energy for both new and existing housing stock. Further research in Cape Town and other Csb climates is needed using larger sample sizes to generate more evidence, increase generalisability, and advance Energy Modelling for Policy Support (EMoPS)
The City as a Multicultural Project: The Case of the City of Lviv (Ukraine)
No full textThere are few monocultural cities, especially in areas that have always been in the crosshairs of global geopolitical change. New political realities have sometimes completely changed the ethnic composition of the city, but the memory of the former inhabitants remains alive in the planning, architecture of buildings, and monuments.
The city of Lviv, located in western Ukraine, is one of those cities whose ethnic composition was very diverse: the city was inhabited by Ukrainians, Poles, Jews, Italians, Armenians, and other nationalities. However, the ethnic composition of Lviv was changing. The most dramatic changes were associated with the events of World War II in 1939-1945. However, immediately after gaining independence in 1991, Lviv’s community chose to restore the representation of multiculturalism and demonstrate its rich past. In this regard, over the past 30 years, many urban planning, architectural, and design projects have been implemented in Lviv aimed at restoring and visualizing the historical memory of not only Poles and Jews, but also representatives of other nationalities, such as Armenians and Italians. Today, the identity of Lviv is enriched by a new ethnic group - the Crimean Tatars, who arrived in the city after the occupation of Crimea in 2014. Today, Lviv’s architectural space has regained its multicultural dimension
Carbon Balance in the Production of Biomass in Degraded Pasture Areas for the Concession of Incentive to Biofuels in Brazil
No full textUsing sugarcane biomass for the production of biofuels is an effective approach to address the issue of climate change. Increasing carbon sequestration in the soil requires changes in land use. The choice of degraded pasture areas located in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, for assessing the results of emissions of direct change in land use (d-LUC) was due to the rapid expansion of biorefineries over the last decade. For data collection: i) areas of degraded pasture located in the state of Mato Grosso (MT) were selected to measure the results of d-LUC emissions at various levels of pasture quality; ii) rural properties registered in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) that have grown sugarcane in 2020 were considered. According to Guarenghi et al. (2023), d-LUC and the effect on the carbon footprint of ethanol were quantified. We adopted these values and calculated the environmental gain for a fuel ethanol enterprise, located in the municipality of Nova Olímpia (MT), whose reduction in the score represents a gain of 19% due solely to the contribution of d-LUC in degraded areas. The resultant reduction in CO2 emissions boosted the value of decarbonization credits (CBIO), provided by the National Policy on Biofuels, by stimulating demand for cleaner energy solutions. The use of degraded pastureland for biomass cultivation can bring significant mitigation benefits, particularly when combined with Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) options and natural revegetation. This highlights that cultivation in degraded areas can not only help mitigate climate change; it can also bring economic benefits to producers, including the increase in the value of CBIO. The purpose of this study is to foster the use of degraded pasture areas to produce biofuels derived from sugarcane in Brazil, while evaluating the economic benefit of strengthening Decarbonization Credits (CBIO), due to the significant mitigation reduction benefits associated with options for Carbon Dioxide Removal (RDC) and natural revegetation
Reuse Strategies of Urban Areas and Built Heritage: Case Study of Karbala Old City
No full textPreserving urban heritage and identity is a pressing issue in cities undergoing rapid development. The city center of Karbala, home to one of the holiest shrines for Shia Muslims, faces significant pressure from its annual influx of over 20 million pilgrims. This necessitates development initiatives focused on creating vast open areas around the shrines, which involve demolishing approximately half of the old city. This research critically assesses potential problems stemming from this approach and explores alternative solutions. Through analyzing the traditional urban fabric, including its distinctive characteristics, existing open spaces, land use, and pilgrimage movement patterns, and drawing insights from similar practices, it uncovers possibilities within the current city center and strategies to address the demands of increasing visitor numbers without compromising the invaluable historic urban fabric. The research advocates for the pivotal role of "Reuse" in preserving the historic urban fabric, complemented by its rehabilitation and restoration. By utilizing the existing urban fabric, the city can reduce the necessity for extensive demolition and redevelopment, thus safeguarding its distinctive urban character and identity. Additionally, it underscores the essentiality of prioritizing adaptability and flexibility, particularly in light of the significant transformations experienced during the annual event
Mutual Adaptation in Adaptive Reuse Practice: The Case of Borgo Monteruga And The Apulian Olive Cultural Landscape
No full textThis contribution presents the case study of the adaptation of Borgo Monteruga, a strategic and synergistic adaptive reuse project that follows a mutual adaptation approach for both an architectural asset and a cultural and productive landscape.
Current environmental and energy challenges the economic and social balance of Mediterranean landscapes. This phenomenon is evident in Salento territory, where the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium has devastated the traditional olive crop, obliterating the iconic olive-growing landscape and leading to the abandonment of vast tracts of land. Within this context, the dismissed 1930s farm village of Borgo Monteruga is part of a cultural landscape in danger. Consequently, the reuse of Borgo Monteruga offers an opportunity to develop a pilot strategy to revitalize both the village and its surrounding landscape.
The project has two objectives. First, reconstructing the Apulian cultural landscape involves replanting the olive trees. This effort addresses contemporary challenges such as climate change and sustainable energy production by integrating an agrivoltaic system as an economic driver to support the adaptive reuse process. Second, the recovery of Borgo Monteruga serves as a model for the rehabilitation of other early 20th-century rural settlements within a regional network.
The research project employs a research-by-design method through the single case study methodological approach. The design project itself is the tool to both understand the phenomenon of abandonment of this historic 1920 farm village.
The “research by design” approach aims to develop a site-specific project that exemplifies best practices. The project aspires to redefine Mediterranean-built heritage as an inseparable part of its cultural landscape. Thus, cross-scale adaptation should be conceived as a mutual process, integrating architecture and landscape, function and production, agricultural tradition, and contemporary challenges