1,720,998 research outputs found
Documenting the intangible aspects of built heritage: the compared results of international field experiences in Mexico and Bahrain
No full textThe paper presents the opportunities of documenting intangible aspects associated with built heritage. Since the first century B.C. Vitruvius, in his De Architectura, stated that a current problem for built heritage conservation consists in the growing erosion of maintenance and repair capabilities.
Analyzing the connection between the recovery of the intangible dimensions of built heritage and its maintenance, this contribution stresses the reasons to preserve intangible knowledge and skills associated with built heritage.
Displaying practical international case studies, it is underlined the key role played by traditional knowledge and skills in terms of innovation and community resilience making intangible conservation relevant for local economies.
These considerations are supported by the direct experience of the main author in three international documentation and conservation projects: the Casa Cristo in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Shaikh Isa bin Ali house and the Siyadi majlis in Muharraq, Bahrain.
In these three sites - different for location, period of constructions, building materials, architectural typology, as well as cultural and social-economic context – it is shown the relevance of documenting intangible variables to ensure the preservation of cultural diversity and local identity. Through the proposed case studies, it is explained how the documentation of intangible cultural heritage can support its safeguard, allowing the transfer of knowledge, skills, and meanings. Final remarks focus on the relevance of these issues in the definition of informed management actions for the sustainable stewardship of these sites
The role of Intangible for Built Heritage Conservation
No full textStarting from the analysis of the affirmation of the importance of the intangible values in the Cultural Heritage debate, this contribution clarifies the potential role of intangible aspects in supporting and orienting built heritage conservation workflows.
Focusing on the Cultural Built Heritage, intangible aspects are intended as knowledge, skills, and know-how associated with building construction phases, assembly of materials, building techniques employed, adaptive systems to local weather conditions, spatial design, decorative elements with different functions (pedagogic, symbolic, functional, structural, environmental, etc.), building orientation and localization.
Conscious of the elusive nature of the intangible, this contribution prepares the ground to set up strategies for the documentation of intangible aspects associated with built heritage. These issues are faced by considering how intangible aspects affect built heritage conservation from a technical as well as social and economic point of view
The role of Intangible for Built Heritage Conservation
No full textStarting from the analysis of the affirmation of the importance of the intangible values in the Cultural Heritage debate, this contribution clarifies the potential role of intangible aspects in supporting and orienting built heritage conservation workflows.
Focusing on the Cultural Built Heritage, intangible aspects are intended as knowledge, skills, and know-how associated with building construction phases, assembly of materials, building techniques employed, adaptive systems to local weather conditions, spatial design, decorative elements with different functions (pedagogic, symbolic, functional, structural, environmental, etc.), building orientation and localization.
Conscious of the elusive nature of the intangible, this contribution prepares the ground to set up strategies for the documentation of intangible aspects associated with built heritage. These issues are faced by considering how intangible aspects affect built heritage conservation from a technical as well as social and economic point of view
3D modelling in Architecture: from tangible to virtual model
No full textModels as useful tools within architecture practice have been used for centuries. While information about
their use before Hellenistic civilization is limited, we have evidence to suggest that ancient Greek society
used models in their architectural practice. This trend continued until the Renaissance. After this period this
trend began to decline as a result of the influential theories presented by Galileo Galilei, who demonstrated
how models cannot provide a reliable structural assessment.
Current practice is once again embracing the use of 3D modeling, even if not in the tangible form rather in
the virtual and digital form. Tangible and virtual 3D models used by architects have changed in type, scope
and function. They play different roles within the design processes and in the project management in both
new and existing architecture.
The paper presents an overview of the ethical and practical dimension of models along history and their
roles in architectural practice. The analysis of the historical transformations, in particular of the legacy of
Leon Battista Alberti theories and thoughts, inspires some reflections on the current applications of 3D virtual
models and on their role in the design as well in the construction phase.
To gain awareness of the current uses of the virtual 3D models and their further possible developments, an
overview of the transformation of the tangible models within the design processes along history will be
provided
Toward a holistic heritage conservation
No full textMany scholars have already underlined the importance and the complexity of the different components of the historic urban landscape. The UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape – adopted at the General Conference on November 2011 – went beyond the notion of ‘historic centre’ and extended its application to the broader urban context and the geographical setting. Presenting the case of Caserma “Cascino” in Cagliari, the paper outlines a methodology for heritage conservation in urban contexts. The project offers a holistic approach to the conservation process. Through two main phases, it describes the employed innovative features in terms of strategies and technologies adopted for each one. The first phase focused on the understanding of the existing building complex, consisted of: a.) the historical analysis of the building, its urban context and the connection with the geographic landscape, in order to understand the cultural and social significance of the site, and b.) the documentation project to define geometry, structure, color and spatial configuration of the building, in order to determine the character defining elements and the current condition of the structure. The second phase focused on the conservation of the site, including condition repair, structural reinforcement and consolidation, and adaptive-reuse. Knowledge gained from the previous phase, in combination with issues of authenticity and reversibility, laid the groundwork for the development of the appropriate intervention strategies
The conservation of the living religious heritage site of Bagan
No full textThe paper analyses the living religious site of Bagan as an outstanding example of the richness of
intangible aspects associated with the tangible dimensions of built heritage that need to be preserved.
The built heritage of Bagan is fully integrated within its historical, cultural and socio-economic context.
The presence and variety of historical monuments in Bagan and the limited availability of recorded
archives make even more evident the need for specific conservation actions.
This contribution stresses the relevance of the ‘living’ features of built heritage as an important condition for the mobilization of local traditional expertise for conservation activities.
The case of Bagan is particularly representative since the lack of, and gaps in, such information and documentation represent a serious challenge to the preservation of built heritage.
Furthermore, the vulnerability to natural disasters provides additional challenges to effective
conservation strategies.
Moreover, the incidence of important macro-level threats that jeopardize the preservation of built
heritage, like the impact of globalization and its challenges in terms of sustainability of the social and economic development of the site. Such threats are increasingly affecting Bagan which is facing different challenges, such as its increasing globalization.
Therefore, this contribution provides a solid body of analysis and evidence useful for conservation
purposes in Bagan.
With a specific focus on religious Buddhist architecture, factors shaping the construction and the
conservation of Bagan built heritage - such as availability of building materials, traditional skills, construction solutions, social issues, religious aspects, but also climate conditions, natural hazards, and human pressures - are considered.
Additionally, the proposed case study, outside of the Euro-American tradition (Crouch & Johnson, 2001), identifies different local perspectives in living, using, building and maintaining historic Bagan architecture
La città come opera d'arte. Il ruolo della progettazione tra memoria storica e innovazione
No full textLandscape design and sustainable development: from smart City to the smart Land
No full textThe paper aims at discussing the issues of the integration between planning, landscape and sustainability. These themes are nowadays very much debated internationally.
By now the cities’ progress cannot be considered regardless of the territorial planning and Landscape design, dealing with different aspects such as sustainability, preservation, valorization of local specific features and attractions and the urban and territorial development.
These matters are considered in two recent debates: on one hand the Proposals concerning the desirability of a standard-setting Instrument on historic urban landscapes, General Conference, 36th Session, Paris 2011 and on the other hand the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) and the following updates from the United Nation Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 - also known as the Rio Summit - the last of which is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development held in 2012 - commonly called Rio+20. These statements are only an exemplification of a major debate that has originated the trend of including in the planning practices different themes. It should include technological solutions, social aspects, use of the new Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) to preserve and promote the local specific features and attractions as drivers for the growth and the territorial competitiveness.
Following the previous considerations it is necessary to move from the concept of ‘smart City’ to extend the point of view in a territorial scale, disregarding political boundaries, considering elements of identity as well as historical, geomorphological and territorial features. The latters have characterized the territory and its development and these are potential elements for the definition of compact, connected and competitive areas: the ‘smart Lands’.
Subsequently to this initial stage of knowledge, a planning phase should follow as well as a communication strategy in the last stage. All these steps have to exploit the potentialities of the communication and information tools available, after having established a proper oversight interdisciplinary team. This working group should be able to supervise the integration among agriculture, food, cultural landscape planning, environmental preservation, sustainable regeneration and local development in order to guarantee an enduring growth. The suggestions outlined would allow a development both in the social and economic sphere that should not run out in the short period, in opposition with the unscrupulous logic that has dried out the territory, the landscape, the cultural heritage and has led to a loss of identity of the places, justified by a misleading economic profit
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