1,720,997 research outputs found
Post- Pandemic digital space integration in Lezha
No full textThis article aims to evaluate the potential for digital space integration in the Lezha
region by taking into account Albanian urban planning practice and some Western experiences in the problematic context of the post-pandemic period as well. The digital hybridization of space is a key component of European spatial planning and is one possible way to deal with the criticalities raised by the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic has deeply changed the
European approach to spatial planning, highlighting the necessity to rethink mobility systems, public spaces and the relationship between space and health. The paper proposes to adopt a context-based and small-scale approach to maximize the positive effects of the digitalization of some spaces related to agritourism, mobility and environmental conservation. This approach would allow a regional way to the digitalization of space connected with the local culture and in dialogue with the informal capacities of the territory
Exploring the environmental and social sustainability of Natural Cities: Challenges and Opportunities of Unfinished Buildings Development
No full textAs the consequences of climate change become increasingly apparent, it is imperative to enhance the efficiency and control of the construction sector to adapt and mitigate the crisis. This essay examines the complex relationship between informal settlements and sustainable urban development. It emphasises the significance of adopting a human-centred approach to comprehend and tackle the challenges encountered by these settlements. Furthermore, it acknowledges the interconnectivity of urban informality, human nature, and architecture, underscoring the need to observe. The concept of Natural Cities, which evolved from informal settlements, challenges the traditional divide between society and nature by highlighting their interdependence and coexistence within urban spaces. Sustainable cities embrace this interdependence by following the principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship, striving to strike a balance between the needs of people and the requirements of the natural world.
The article addresses the challenges of abandoned or stalled construction projects in Natural Cities, which can be overcome with the right guidelines and boosts, by presenting a theoretical analysis and suggesting several development approaches for unfinished buildings in these settlements. These practices are based on the principles of "build nothing, less, cleaver, and efficiently" by the World Green Building Council. The article evaluates the approaches in terms of costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and their alignment with the UN's sustainable development goals. Public investments and services can be encouraged in these structures to incentivise sustainable development, ultimately benefiting the residents of informal settlements who are most affected by these challenges. Empowering and including the residents in the planning and decision-making processes is crucial for success.
A human-centred approach that recognises the interconnectedness of urban informality, human nature, and architecture is pivotal in realising sustainable urban development in informal settlements. By considering the symbiotic relationship between urban and natural elements and involving the community in decision-making processes, we can foster inclusive and resilient natural cities that harmonise with their surroundings and enhance the well-being of their residents
Digital territorial assets: vocational drivers’ representation for Finiq Municipality's challenge of change
No full textThis research paper provides a base for the development of an integrated strategy to identify and represent the existing territorial systems and ongoing trends in the municipality of Finiq, located in southern Albania. The study explores the features of the territorial ecosystem, to propose an integrated innovative development process through the digitization of the assets. The analysis moves from three main driver topics - “Landscape”, “Tradition” and “Tourism”, showing that the Municipality of Finiq has an underestimated intrinsic value of attractiveness, characterized by its inland natural areas and rich cultural heritage. Starting from these conditions, the innovation of the territorial system through the involvement of the communities of the Municipality of Finiq is one of the main development and enhancement drivers. Based on a holistic approach to setting up and representing land, cultural, environmental, artistic, agroalimentary, and local gastronomic assets, this research paper aims to propose the improvement of the attractiveness of the Finiq Municipality's, according to advanced international methodological standards, and the resulting territorial and social impact (Rossi, 2022). It is proposed to implement innovation in the gainful process in the Finiq Municipality by the digitalization of assets through the international BIM standard (Bianchini et al., 2021), creating three-dimensional information models at different levels: individual assets, infrastructures, historical sites (Maietti et al., 2021), and relevant buildings. The three-dimensional model can be implemented in a unified data-sharing environment, allowing for the creation of a digital ecosystem (Banfi et al., 2022) through which different stakeholders and communities can cooperate in processes and exchange information. The ecosystem will create a Digital Twin of the assets (Wu et al., 2021) integrated into a territorial map. A digital model through which, the actors involved, with the support of enabling technologies, will be able to add information to the BIM model in real time, creating a cognitive three-dimensional decision-support model (EcoAlbania, 2021) to re-orient the current shrinking, isolation, and identity trends
Overlapping Layers: a representation and learning landscape code for Dropull
No full textThis research paper provides a base for drawing up the development of a general strategy and “acupunctural” experiences to identify and record liminal landscape potentialities of the Municipality of Dropull, located in the South-eastern cross border area between Albania and Greece.
According to this key objective, the study looks at the liminal characteristics and potentials of Sofratikë, one of the four villages of the valley of the Drinos River, allowing to achieve the knowledge and understanding of many positive features related to liminal dimensions of landscape, metaphysical landscapes, and landscape experience.
The analysis moves from two main driver-topics: “Landscape” and “History”; employing these two drivers, a first general strategy is designed, to define acupunctural interventions at a later stage. Acupunctural systems – water, roads, mountains, valley, archaeological area, and Sofratikë village - are those landscape and design strategies aimed at identifying specific sub-areas of intervention in the macro landscape unit.
In fact, they are independent parts of the landscape, which - if interconnected - allow having an overview of the macro landscape unit. Therefore, the acupuncture interventions become actions of modification and sustainable development of the territory, because of levels of the same landscape unit, or rather of the same milieu.
In the order to achieve these aims, the research identifies a specific methodology, focused on Sofratikë landscape’ layers, classifying different stratification layers of the area: archaeological area, historic-settlement, rural and agricultural landscape.
A first approach to analyze Sofratikë's landscape is aimed at mapping and – at a later stage - overlapping the main physical layers, which have been defined and distinguished as the following stratification levels: the mountains, Sofratikë city, the quarry, the agricultural fields, Hadrianopoli.
Starting from this investigation and after an overall photo screening, a first, possible, general strategy has been outlined, focusing on the identification of two main liminal development directions. Within the first direction, the longitudinal liminality has been analysed, connecting Sofratikë historical and rural city with the archaeological area of Hadrianopoli, through the main physical infrastructure - the national road - and natural systems – agriculture landscape and Drinos River. The second direction highlights the transversal liminality developing the connection between the SofratiKë system (just embedded the historic city, Hadrianopoli, natural, rural and infrastructure systems) with other archaeological sites like Antigonea and Melan. Once this framework has been established, the main acupunctural strategy to achieve the revitalization of this site has been investigated. Four principal clusters have been identified as driver-systems to plan the punctual redevelopment strategy and related following acupunctural activities.
These potentials, which characterize the rural and cultural context, are in contrast to real and current area’s conditions, which is mainly abandoned. Therefore, to promote a coherent revitalization of Sofratikë, which could involve the adjacent villages, and to identify appropriate acupunctural actions, it would seem needed improving this first analysis by using the integrated survey approach and procedure.
Indeed, this approach can achieve an analytic knowledge of the city system, thorough documentation and data collection ( using different devices and methodologies according to the purposes of the survey). Moreover, this procedure will allow transferring and aggregating the main aspects - “layers”- of the historical, cultural and landscape Heritage using “semantic” models (connecting different information - documentation, plans, historical data, etc. - to survey drawings or models), allowing to increase the landscapes valorisation and the fruition of the whole area. Furthermore, through this methodology, which allows to connect and overlay different levels of data and information, it’s possible to verify the general strategy and, meanwhile, checking and strengthening related acupunctural interventions.
The integrated documentation and survey procedures, using a multidisciplinary approach, allows “reading”, analysing and explaining the main layers characterizing this area. In fact, involving in this process many actors with different and specific skills, it is possible to open new research avenues towards the knowledge, understanding, conservation, safeguard, redevelopment and valorisation of the architectural, urban and environmental heritage of the whole Municipality of Dropul
Planning and design of territorial healthcare facilities in rural areas: opportunities, advantages and recommendations
No full textIn most countries, the majority of healthcare facilities and hospitals are located in urban areas, causing limited access to essential medical services and treatments in rural regions. This situation is further exacerbated by the fact that rural areas are often characterised by isolation, poor infrastructure, and a lack of basic amenities. Often, the primary care system has been underdeveloped and does not provide adequate geographical coverage. This issue has far-reaching consequences on the health and well-being of the rural population and needs to be addressed by developing a comprehensive and sustainable strategy to foster the expansion of healthcare facilities in rural regions, as well as for the underlying challenges related to urban development and infrastructure, which impact on the access to healthcare services, in order to face the future demographic, epidemiologic, economic, and social developments.
Nowadays, the advantages of an extensive and comprehensive primary care system are well-established and the role of primary care in prevention, treatment and management are delineated and endorsed in different strategic national documents.
The opportunity of providing rural areas with territorial healthcare facilities is discussed, with a possible comparison with other practicable solutions (e.g. introduction of mobile health clinics, etc.). Several domains are analysed, starting from the contributing factors to the development of primary care facilities, the design of primary care centres, including healthcare typologies, new construction or renovation, accessibility and recognisability of the facilities, as well as urban regeneration strategies and the implications of the location in rural contexts at the architectural level. This paper addresses Albania and the Municipality of Finiq to exemplify the implementation of the proposed strategy. An illustration of the possible dimensioning and configuration, as well as recommendations for the design of local health services in the Finiq Municipality are proposed as a starting point for the discussion on the potential future scenarios of healthcare services in Albania.
The results of this contribution are potential recommendations for the future planning and design of territorial healthcare facilities in remote areas
Remote Sensing, GIS, and BIM Tools As a Basis for Flood and Deforestation Strategic Actions
No full textThe application of Remote Sensing technology has become increasingly important in addressing environmental and landscape challenges, especially for dynamic elements such as waterways and forests. The critical evaluation of multispectral satellite imagery provides valuable insights into the current status and changes in various environmental parameters, such as vegetation indices to monitor changes in vegetation health, land cover, and classification to monitor changes in land use patterns and soil moisture levels. At the same time, there is a need to integrate these data into a landscape project workflow. The digitalization of landscape context can be possible by creating a unique model capable of collecting all analysis data and using them in the decision-making process. The digitalization and design of the built environment are increasingly oriented towards the methodology of Building Information Modeling (BIM), an approach for a collaborative and dynamic design process.
This study presents an examination of the use of Remote Sensing methodologies as an informative layer inside a digital BIM model for strategic territorial planning of environmental systems in the Finiq Municipality, South Albania. Located on the Greek border, it is a very heterogeneous environment where agriculture, forests, water basins, and rivers are surrounded by various gradient morphology. At the same time, it is a fragile territory due to flood events and soil pollution resulting from settlements and agriculture processes.
Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) represent two proficient methodologies for spatially visualizing flood events and deforestation areas through the years. Starting from RS sensing data analysis about water and vegetation and the comparison to land use data of the actual condition (Agjencia Kombëtare e Planifikimit të Territorit AKPT, 2021), this study aims to create a direct collaboration between analysis and project tool. Through the use of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery maps about different parameters showing the actual
conditions, the paper investigates how a digital model can be built and how it can collect all the data coming from the analysis phase. By a methodological case study, a new workflow for the creation of a Landscape BIM model is shown and different tools are used, each one for a specific objective.
The results of this study provide a valuable contribution to decision-makers and will contribute to addressing the environmental challenges in Finiq within a comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated approach involving all relevant stakeholders. The study demonstrates the potential of the collaboration of Remote Sensing technology, GIS analysis, and BIM models in addressing environmental and landscape problems, focused on flood and deforestation monitoring, and highlights the importance of considering these technologies as valuable tools in the planning
and management of environmental systems
Continuity and Interruption in Architecture /Case of the historic urban landscape of Finiq (ancient Phoeniciae), Albania
No full textThe conventional object-based approach that focuses on singular built heritage assets is currently changing towards a more holistic approach where the setting and context of a heritage site as well as its development play a greater role. This paper explores the complex interrelation between the built environment and its natural and rural setting in Finiq, Albania. It introduces the concept of historic urban landscape in Finiq, taking into consideration the rich heritage legacy of the area mainly represented by the remains of the ancient city of Phoinike located in the hill overlooking the contemporary rural settlement.
The purpose of the paper is to understand the special role that the landscape has had throughout history in the place-making of the settlements of this region, in the shaping of the form of the built settlement and in the development of local spatial typologies. Eventually it seeks to highlight the role that the historic urban landscape approach can play in developing a sense of cohesion and flow between historic and contemporary or between built and natural setting. The analysis of the interrelation between built environment and natural setting is undertaken through the use of the architectural concepts of “continuity” and “interruption”. This interrelation is explored in three scales being land use, spatial development as well as building scale also by taking into consideration two factors being time and space.
Through offering an overview of the historic traces still present and continuing in the territory
and also by highlighting the interrupted relations or traces and their impact in the settlement urban form, the conclusions and findings can help to understand contemporary challenges and develop a series of new interpretations in the Finiq area. The final aim is to contribute to the general discourse in of considering relationships between historic built areas and their setting in a more comprehensive and integrated way
Proactive approaches through environmental and architectural elements towards sustainable solutions for post pandemic city. Case study of Lezha
No full textTowards sustainable solutions for post pandemic city is analyzed the city of Lezha
- as case study, by splitting it into three zones, whose two are on city's side and one on
the beach side, in terms of buildings, theirs foot within terrain's morphology, the roads grid,
etc. Some of identified problems regarding environment and post pandemic consequences
appeared to be: air pollution, humidity, lack of water management, and others, settled
priorities for an environment, climate and health research agenda in the EU by adopting a
holistic and systemic approach in the face of global environmental changes . In relation to
the sustainable form of constructions within a plot, based on the research of the previous
workshop on the Sustainability of the Form, is proposed to intervene with interdisciplinary
approaches to achieving sustainability in terms of from and environmental factors together.
Since it is almost impossible to propose demolitions and other rigid solutions that could
cause many other aspects too, it is crucial to approach with smart solutions. Thus, resulting
the analysis of environmental characteristics of the zones and features together, by linking
them with smart sustainable architecture's solutions. The new areas or those to be built by
having a certain angle of orientation, intervention on building heights and where possible
open corridors for natural ventilation is hypothetical concept. This result as an approach
towards hygienic reasons of cleaning the city from polluted air based on studies of buildings
and natural characteristics of the environment tailors a lot components towards sustainable
solution among settled priorities for an environment. In addition, closing in blocks where it
is possible, to avoid the negative phenomena of un-sustainable form, through the proposals
of new forms will also contribute to the environmental hygienic aspect - as a factor directly
related to the recent pandemic. Actually, the proposal to intervene on the zones by different
approaches referring potentials of natural elements like wind, orientation, ventilation and
insulation conform terrain morphology, environmental characteristics of the zone - based on
blocks and plots - to achieve sustainability through natural elements and existing buildings
considering the last pandemic better management and overall contribution on efficiency.
The pandemics as crisis leads on opportunities in terms of being proactive when thinking
and designing the same way this pandemic exposed the differences and popped up the
inequalities reflected also on architecture, society, environment and economics. The crisis and
natural catastrophes should serve as an alert on design and planning in order to avoid or at
least manage easier the situations like last pandemic
Redefining the Identity of Finiq: A Systemic Approach to Urban Resilience and Sustainable Development
No full textThis paper will discuss the challenges and potential of the Municipality of Finiq, a
region in southern Albania rich in natural, historical, and cultural features; at the same time, however, facing severe degradation and loss of identity. Drawing inspiration from the myth of the Phoeniciae, this study introduces the concept "Re-Invention," which symbolizes the desire of this municipality to reconstruct itself by way of transformation. This would be described as an interrelated population decline, isolation, and a lack of spatial hierarchy that characterizes the Finiq community and its surrounding settlements. Amongst these, the key problems iden- tified are the abandonment of residential structures and poor quality public spaces, which are contributing to an unstructured spatial configuration of this area. In this paper, a methodology for revitalizing these public spaces is presented by re-identifying and amplifying the hidden identity of Finiq Municipality. It includes an approach based on the integration of local tradi- tions, realizing immediate needs of the community in which one lives, so as to create a new sense of place and cohesion. This research delivers a framework for sustainable development that may contrast the continuous decline of recovering at least part of the historical and cul- tural importance of the area by unveiling its hidden identity
Georeferenced database for the architectural heritage: a tool for the study and enhancement of the medieval churches in the municipalities of southern Albania
No full textThe municipality of Finiq, as well as the adjacent ones - Delvinë, Sarandë, Konispol, Dropull - is populated by a large group of sacred buildings dating back to the early Middle Ages. We define the architectonic style of these churches as Byzantine, although actually the component closely related to the architecture of Byzantium is flanked by constructional, spatial and decorative types peculiar to the Epirus territory. The specificities of this built heritage are mainly due to the geographical location of Epirus as a frontier site between the Latin, Serbian and Greek areas of influence, at a time of the diaspora of the Byzantine legacy after the fall of the capital of the Empire to western hands in 1204. Currently, this set of sacred architecture, mostly monasteries and hermitages set in scenically significant locations, are being rediscovered, both from the scholarly and the purely touristic point of view.
What seems to be lacking at the moment is a tool capable of relating the buildings and through this relationship, which can be made explicit through the analysis of constructive, spatial and stylistic features, promote critical knowledge among scholars, also with a view to more controlled and conscious actions of protection, and foster their success in the sphere of valorization and promotion.
Such a tool can be configured through a georeferenced database, capable of storing within it data related to direct source (photographs, two-dimensional processing, models and 3D point clouds) and indirect sources (documents, bibliographic citations in scientific literature, ancient and modern cartographies). Systematizing this mass of information permits the scholar who accesses it not only a more structured knowledge of the object of study, but also an infinitely greater possibility of relating the building studied to other buildings in the area simply by analyzing the relationships that are automatically created within the database.
A relevant example may be the emergence of the Monastery of St. Nicholas in Mesopotam, which presents peculiarities from the points of view of spatial and constructive typology - single hall with narthex, four domes supported by a central column, two apses - and decorative apparatuses both sculptural and pictorial. The study of these features, not yet fully understood historically and culturally, can be facilitated by a comparative tool such as the database under study.
In the future, such a formed relational structure can be the basis for further insights that implement artificial intelligence and machine learning processes in order to automate some steps of the cognitive process. Indeed, we know that, given a quantitatively relevant input data, a classification algorithm can be trained and thus can perform tasks that, if tackled by human operators, would be excessively time-consuming. A classification algorithm could be trained to recognize recurring decorative motifs, spatial proportions that deviate from the trend, structural solutions particularly related to a historical era, etc. This tool, in addition to aiding the construction of more structured knowledge on the specific topic, could be a standard of acquisition-analysis-results applicable to other areas of built heritage
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