Interview Giancarlo Mazzanti

Giancarlo Mazzanti, (Barranquilla, Colombia), is one of the best architects on the current scene. Founder of El Equipo Mazzanti, his architecture promotes the values of development and social equity with projects that generate transformations and positive effects on the community. His work is multidisciplinary, ground-breaking, and multifunctional. He has developed and built educational, residential, urban improvement and social projects of great power and attractiveness, making him a reference architect on a global scale.

Architecture with childhood. Rethinking and reflecting on public spaces seen through the 8-80 lens

Bringing children closer to the issues of culture and civic education in architecture and critical thinking is essential because only by knowing and enhancing their respective heritages is it possible to appreciate the present and build the future of cities with them and for them, where a city is a place of construction of collective knowledge that encompasses the challenges of sustainability and the objectives of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. From SUJ (Jesuit University System) we have a strong commitment to the protection and care of minors and vulnerable people. In recent years, a great effort has been made to move from a culture of protection and care to ensure access to culture to safe environments. The concept of Friendly Cities 8-80is taken up again, based on the premise: If we design the city for an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old, we will have a city that allows coexistence and harmony in a way that fosters equity, stimulates healthy lifestyles, and promotes sustainability for more diverse users. Good public space design including beauty, sustainability, and accessibility are keywords of the new Bauhaus, capable of astonishing, reflecting culture and the values of a community, influencing, or “forcing” people to engage with their daily environment to address the new global challenges of climate change, pollution, and resource scarcity.

Innovative technologies, certification and assessment tools for a sustainable building heritage

E' evidente che buoni risultati nel campo della sostenibilità ambientale si possono ottenere da politiche di efficienza energetica per gli edifici - per lo più realizzati o in itinere - costruiti per oltre il 50% prima della disattesa legge 373/76 che prevedeva, nel periodo del petrolio europeo crisi, vincoli per la progettazione, installazione, esercizio e manutenzione degli impianti termici e requisiti per l'isolamento termico degli edifici per il contenimento dei consumi.Meno chiara è invece la parte di fabbricato oggetto di conservazione (ai sensi del D.Lgs. 42/2004 o previgenti normative in materia) o di immobili vincolati ope legis (art. 12 D.Lgs. 42/2004, asset appartenenti allo Stato, alle regioni, agli enti pubblici territoriali, nonché ad ogni altro ente ed istituto pubblico e soggetti giuridici privati senza scopo di lucro e che siano opera di autore non più in vita e la cui esecuzione risalga a più di settant'anni ), per i quali non sarebbe possibile applicare le limitazioni dei decreti 192/2005 e 311/2006, che esonerano gli edifici "il cui rispetto dei requisiti comporterebbe un'alterazione inaccettabile della loro natura o aspetto, con particolare riferimento ai o caratteristiche artistiche"degli obblighi di efficienza energetica.In questo lavoro si vogliono giustificare e illustrare alcune scelte fatte da istituti di ricerca internazionali in merito alla difficoltà di conciliare le nuove richieste di sostenibilità legate alla necessità di ridurre i consumi (soprattutto da combustibili fossili) con quelle del valore storico degli edifici oggetto di intervento , presentando criteri di valutazione che possano fornire un metodo oggettivo per quantificare la compatibilità tra nuovo ed esistente, criteri che – per avere capacità predittiva e quindi poter guidare le scelte ex ante e non misurarle ex post – utilizzino strumenti di progettazione digitale (BIM , GIS, ecc.).

Perceived Sensations in Architectural Spaces through Immersive Virtual Reality

To design architectural spaces that not only respond to the basic needs of users, but also seek their emotional well-being, it is necessary for the architecture students to have a special sensitivity and be aware of the different sensations that their designs should and can evoke. To achieve this competence without exploring real spaces, Immersive Virtual Reality technology offers an important contribution to the field of architecture. The purpose of this research is to determine if the sensations perceived in virtual architectural spaces by students are similar to the real ones and to determine the characteristics of this technology that allow a better perception of sensations. Six architectural modules were designed to be walked through and experienced at real scale using a Head Mounted Display by 22 students of the first and fifth year of studies of Architecture career in Peru. An ad-hoc questionnaire allowed to know the perceived sensations and the benefits of the tool. The results obtained showed that the perception of sensations of the fifth year students is a little closer to those expressed by a group of seven experts compared to that of the first year students and that the students consider the characteristics of accessibility, real scale of the space and the possibility of going through and looking at the space in all directions are those that have given more realism to the experience and therefore better perception of the space, while the characteristics of natural light and shadows, construction materials and external environment have been less valued in the realism of the experience. It is concluded that the sensory experimentation in architectural spaces modelled realistically in virtual environments allows the perception of sensations very similar to those that the architect seeks to convey initially.

Collective actions for reconfiguration of urban space Biały Bór, Poland

Biały Bór is located in the former German territories that came to Poland after the Second World War. The almost complete replacement of the indigenous German and Jewish populations, initially by Polish and soon Ukrainian communities, was the result of the displacement of state borders by the eviction and relocation of millions of people. To do this, the authorities used certain strategies, which brought different approaches and constraints to local communities and urban spaces. The article considers the differences between the declared principles and the actual actions of the authorities in the context of “small stories” of all actors (national communities), as well as the tactics of indirect resistance of the local community to government pressure. Due to the remoteness of the place from the state center and due to its unanimity, the local community becomes the driving force of the spatial development of the city. And since the city is multicultural, the development of public spaces is influenced by the competitiveness (not confrontation) of two local communities. Therefore, the creation of public spaces is considered in the context of the rights of different groups to the city. This paper argues the conditions under which it is the collective actions of local communities that determine the change in the configuration of urban space.

3D survey and virtual reconstruction of heritage. The case study of the City Council and Lonja of Alcañiz

With current data acquisition techniques, exhaustive documentation of patrimonial goods is generated, which allows obtaining a 3D geometric model, on which data from research from research is generated. As in other fields of architecture, the latest graphic techniques and manipulation of the image, allow a working methodology other than the current one in the patrimonial field. The information systems have been evolving towards technologies developed with open source software, the use of standards, ontologies and the structuring of information and of the 3D model itself under a semantic hierarchy. Interoperability between databases is favored and the maintenance of applications is ensured. The purpose is to support decision-making related to the model and simultaneously, serve multiple purposes such as cataloging, protection, restoration, conservation, maintenance or dissemination, among others. The research carried out for the realization of the survey of the City Council and Lonja of Alcañiz (Teruel), has the aim of expanding the historical knowledge of the buildings and delimiting its possible constructive phases, in order to obtain the geometric reality of the buildings. In this way, provide greater instruments to carry out the drafting work of the set restoration project.

Editorial

Editorial VITRUVIO - International Journal of Architectural Technology and Sustainability, Volume 6, Issue 2 (2021)

Dynamics of Performing Aesthetics in Architecture: A Critical Study

In architecture, Venustas (aesthetics) is always considered an important attribute along with Firmitas (firmness) and Utilitas (usefulness). Pursuing aesthetics/ beauty is one of the architect’s primary roles. However, it is critical to comprehend ‘What is aesthetics?’ and its implications for the built-unbuilt environment and human beings. In a world where everything is changing, are the definitions, concepts, and parameters of aesthetics consistent? Is it subject to change over time? If so, should architectural students and professionals be aware of it and trained in it? This study aims to critically assess and analyse the dynamic aspects of aesthetics from 3300 BCE to present and establish the ‘best fit’ definition of aesthetics in architecture. The methodology used for the study is a mixed-method approach, a comprehensive analysis of relevant literature to investigate the origin of aesthetics and aesthetics in philosophy, environmental psychology and architecture. The aspects, criteria and sub-criteria identified from the analysis. The consensus is taken from expert interviews and a questionnaire survey (n=72). Findings reveal that aesthetics in architecture is dynamic/ ever-changing. It has nine contributing aspects that make aesthetics a performing aesthetics that emphasises the enhanced worth and value for money invested. These nine aspects are spatial organisation, functional efficiency, social, psychological, environmental, maintenance, sustainability, technology, and economics.

Sustainable mobility and beauty of public space

The quality of built environment is linked to the space in-between buildings and considers its formal, environmental and use values, due to specific needs for care and project re-appropriation. Sustainable mobility, a strategic objective of the European Union, cannot ignore the quality of the public space. The New European Bauhaus draw a new strategical attention to the critical role the quality of spaces plays in building a better world. The definition of space for active mobility as environmental islands, sidewalks, pedestrian areas, cycle paths or green ways, must follow morphological, functional and organizational needs. The beauty of the space starts from a new language of the street, through qualifying the places and avoiding a passive crossing for the transport logic, but satisfying a need that goes beyond our material dimension and is inspired by creativity and culture. This qualification is represented here in the case study of an Italian Biciplan as a sector plan able to build inclusive and accessible physical spaces for the community. The lack of attention of technicians in the execution of public works leads to reconsider the importance of these issues also in education and training. The fragmentation of technological knowledge must be recalibrated to provide useful tools without forgetting the quality and the overall beauty of the places when street language improve, also for cultural reason.

Sustainable and traditional technologies in Kutahya historic houses and their contribution to circularity: the case of Lajos Kossuth house

<p>It is important to preserve historic buildings in their original conditions, not only to protect building integrity but also to sustain Traditional Knowledge Systems. As stated by ICCROM, those Traditional Knowledge Systems play an important role in the conservation and management of heritage. Among them, building service systems including heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting, drainage, and their architectural construction technology help sustain heritage buildings and extend their life cycle with a minimum level of energy demand. Passive survivability means also contribute to comfort conditions, opening new scenarios for the designing of contemporary buildings. Hence, in this research, first, traditional Kutahya houses were examined in terms of their construction, technology, and architecture. Then, among them, Lajos Kossuth House, dated the 18^th century, has been chosen as an exemplary to investigate its traditional building service systems in more detail from the point of circularity in construction, their contribution to circular economy, Cradle to Cradle (C2C) strategies, and design for adaptability principles (DfA). It is observed that they are mostly in a well-preserved condition in terms of both function and character-defining features. However, after 1982, during its refurbishment work to be used as a museum, some of its original details, especially the ones related to waste and clean water were destroyed. To be able to sustain and protect the rest of the original service systems and related architectural construction details in this case study building, they should first be documented, well defined and their recognition should be increased to serve as a model for the maintenance of similar building systems. In addition, it might be possible to transfer the knowledge of those passive survivability means and circular construction principles to contemporary buildings.</p>