1 research outputs found
Making mountain huts future-proof – consistency analysis to improve adaptation and resilience of the mountain hut network
No full textMountain huts form a continuous network throughout the alps. Originally built as a support for
scientific exploration, it continues to serve as a vital resource for mountain visitors, maintaining
much of their original form. Over time, the motives driving people to visit huts diversified, encompassing
sport activity, tourism and scientific research. This trend has led to an increasing
number of people visiting the mountains. Concurrently, aggravating environmental changes in
the Alps, with average temperatures increasing almost twice as fast as the rest of the northern
hemisphere, increase frequency of natural hazards, such as landslides or avalanches. These
developments raise the risk for mountain visitors while threatening these delicate ecosystems
and their built environment. Mainly built before 1980s, mountain huts need to adapt to these dynamic
social and environmental changes. The characteristics of huts and their surroundings are
different from urban settings, requiring a specific renovation framework that considers all these
peculiarities. This article explores the state of the art of this architectural typology, investigating
a cluster of 749 mountain huts owned by the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), studying their management
methods and the most recent approaches on alpine huts renovation. This study aims to
analyse the unique architectural typology of mountain huts with an interdisciplinary approach,
considering the feasibility of technical aspects while accounting for environmental, economic,
and social parameters. This will be the baseline to establish measurable criteria to aggregate
existing alpine infrastructure and to finally create a comprehensive guideline for functional sustainable
renovation and ultimately to increase the climate adaptation and resilience of the alpine
built environment
