On Contemporary Architectural Design and the Rehabilitation of Built Heritage

A special issue of Designs (ISSN 2411-9660). This special issue belongs to the section "Civil Engineering Design".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2021) | Viewed by 33995

Special Issue Editor

1. Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Beira Interior, Calçada Fonte do Lameiro, 6200-001 Covilhã, Portugal
2. Lab2PT-Landscapes, Heritage and Territory Laboratory, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: architectural and urban rehabilitation; built environment; architectural history; architectural theory; architectural heritage; Cistercian architecture; monastic buildings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Built heritage is a major cultural asset. It refers to all aspects of man-made environments such as houses, places of worship, commercial and office buildings, monuments and other places of historical significance. Built heritage helps to define a sense of place and identity for communities. It is not only about monuments of exceptional value, but it also includes modest vernacular buildings and popular architectures that represent other equally important historical, social, and cultural values. According to the Davos Declaration (2018), the building culture encompasses existing buildings, monuments, and other elements of cultural heritage, as well as the design and construction of contemporary buildings, infrastructures, public spaces, and landscapes. The actual technical requirements are not always compatible with older buildings. Regular maintenance of these buildings may include preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction, refurbishment, adaptation, and interpretation of existing buildings and their environment.

This Special Issue will gather a wide range of perspectives and discussions on practical and theoretical aspects of contemporary architectural design and the rehabilitation of built heritage. The architectural, constructive, and technical possibilities that can be used in the rehabilitation of built heritage should also be approached.

The geographical scope of this Special Issue is global, comprising urban and rural contexts. We welcome both original research studies and literature reviews based on case studies as well as theoretical and methodological approaches regarding contemporary architectural design and the rehabilitation of built heritage. Submissions are encouraged on, but not limited to, the areas mentioned keywords listed.

Prof. Dr. Ana M. T. Martins
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Designs is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Adaptive re-use
  • Architectural design
  • Architectural history
  • Architectural theory
  • Architectural rehabilitation
  • Built environment
  • Built heritage
  • Building culture
  • Building performance
  • Building rehabilitation
  • Construction engineering
  • Contemporary architectural design
  • Cultural heritage
  • Industrial buildings
  • Monastic buildings
  • Popular architecture
  • Vernacular architecture
  • Urban rehabilitation

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 7591 KiB  
Article
Le Corbusier’s Urban Planning as a Cultural Legacy. An Approach to the Case of Chandigarh
by Juan-Andrés Rodríguez-Lora, Ana Rosado and Daniel Navas-Carrillo
Designs 2021, 5(3), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs5030044 - 21 Jul 2021
Viewed by 9136
Abstract
The uniqueness and importance of Le Corbusier’s work were ratified by the recognition and inclusion of 17 of his projects as heritage legacy on UNESCO’s (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List in 2016. Despite the disciplinary diversity of [...] Read more.
The uniqueness and importance of Le Corbusier’s work were ratified by the recognition and inclusion of 17 of his projects as heritage legacy on UNESCO’s (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List in 2016. Despite the disciplinary diversity of his entire career, it is his architectural work that enjoys the greatest levels of dissemination and recognition. Consequently, it is assumed that Le Corbusier’s architectural work is more protected than its urban plans. This article aims to advance the recognition of the latter. To this end, it proposes a cartographic and documentary review of his projects, a specialized bibliographic review, as well as a review of national and international databases on his built work. Of 88 built works, at least 51 have some kind of heritage protection. In any case, less attention is paid to the urban dimension of his work. The city of Chandigarh presents a series of particularities, apart from being the only Corbusierian city built, which could raise the need for its safeguarding and recognition as a cultural legacy. 20th-century urban planning, and Chandigarh in particular, require the application of criteria complementary to those usually applied in heritage protection in object-based approaches. Full article
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19 pages, 12093 KiB  
Article
Multi-Layered Documentation of Heritage Villages: The Case of Tinbak, Qatar
by M. Salim Ferwati, Mariam Al-Hammadi, Khalida Lifam Marthya, Sherine El-Menshawy and Haya Aidh Althbah
Designs 2021, 5(3), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs5030038 - 29 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2729
Abstract
Heritage settlements have long histories that consist of multiple layers of urban layouts, building forms, and culture. Looking at the first layer that formed the initiation stage of the growth becomes a difficult task because of the disguise of other successive layers. This [...] Read more.
Heritage settlements have long histories that consist of multiple layers of urban layouts, building forms, and culture. Looking at the first layer that formed the initiation stage of the growth becomes a difficult task because of the disguise of other successive layers. This article studies the abandoned village of Tinbak in Qatar that exemplifies a settlement at its initial stage of development. The method of examining a societal normative image of culturally suitable domiciliary development adds to the understanding of a heritage settlement layout. However, the village lacks literature sources and urban and architectural documentation. So, this article presents the first documentation of the tangible characteristics of both urban morphology and architectural typology. Site visits, oral documentation, photographic records and a 3D Faro scanner with a 130 m range were utilized to record and document the physical environment. Full article
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17 pages, 8133 KiB  
Article
Place-Making of Transit Towns in Qatar: The Case of Qatar National Museum-Souq Waqif Corridor
by Khalida Marthya, Raffaello Furlan, Labeeb Ellath, Maha Esmat and Rashid Al-Matwi
Designs 2021, 5(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs5010018 - 09 Mar 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4819
Abstract
Over the last two decades, Doha, the capital city of Qatar, has undergone rapid urbanization. The city has capitalized large-scale urban and infrastructural projects resulting in a loss of historical areas of heritage value to people. Recent construction of the Doha Metro is [...] Read more.
Over the last two decades, Doha, the capital city of Qatar, has undergone rapid urbanization. The city has capitalized large-scale urban and infrastructural projects resulting in a loss of historical areas of heritage value to people. Recent construction of the Doha Metro is opening avenues for place-making of transit towns through a framework envisioned by the need to shape compact, livable and sustainable neighborhoods and to mitigate the effects of urbanization on valuable historical heritage sites. Due to its historic significance, the Qatar National Museum (QNM)-Souq Waqif corridor is the case study selected for exploring and defining a framework for a contextualized place-making transit-oriented development (TOD) model. The research design is structured by reviewing the literature about TODs and the need for place-making model in Qatar, followed by collecting visual data from municipal authorities, through site visits, and site observations. The data are then analyzed to propose a novel masterplan, rooted in key urban design components of place-making. The insights will contribute to proposals for context-driven design strategies to enhance livability of the site and to extend its application to other potential transit hubs in metropolitan Doha and in the Middle East. Full article
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18 pages, 4670 KiB  
Article
Colonial Architecture in Panama City. Analysis of the Heritage Value of Its Monastic Buildings
by Antonio Cubero Hernández and Silvia Arroyo Duarte
Designs 2020, 4(4), 57; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs4040057 - 21 Dec 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4365
Abstract
The Historic District of Panama City was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 for representing an exceptional example of 17th century colonial urban planning in the Americas. This article focuses on the specific analysis of the deteriorated monastic typology, highlighting its [...] Read more.
The Historic District of Panama City was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 for representing an exceptional example of 17th century colonial urban planning in the Americas. This article focuses on the specific analysis of the deteriorated monastic typology, highlighting its historical role as an articulating piece of the original urban layout designed in 1673 after the transfer from Panamá Viejo to the current location and which continues today. Our methodology consisted of reviewing the different stages of each of these buildings, extracting common events, and identifying the examples of the greatest value loss, with the aim of enhancing and highlighting their historical footprint. This study includes approaches from urbanism, architectural history, and heritage preservation that allows us to discuss possible tools, either for protection or adaptative reuse, to avoid the deterioration of such important historical heritage. Full article
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19 pages, 21938 KiB  
Article
Old Buildings’ Façades: Fieldwork and Discussion of Thermal Retrofitting Strategies in a Mediterranean Climate
by Diana Corrêa, Inês Flores-Colen, José Dinis Silvestre, Marco Pedroso and Rita Andrade Santos
Designs 2020, 4(4), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs4040045 - 28 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3037
Abstract
This work is within the scope of thermal retrofitting, applied to old buildings’ façades (built between 1700 and 1960) located in Mediterranean climates, such as Portugal. The aim is to increase the sustainability of existing buildings, by reducing their energy consumption needs, for [...] Read more.
This work is within the scope of thermal retrofitting, applied to old buildings’ façades (built between 1700 and 1960) located in Mediterranean climates, such as Portugal. The aim is to increase the sustainability of existing buildings, by reducing their energy consumption needs, for heating and cooling, and the corresponding gaseous emissions, while increasing their users’ comfort. Firstly, an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of several thermal insulation solutions for façades was carried out, supported in current literature. Then, a survey of real retrofitting scenarios and interviews with experts was completed, to allow the selection of the most adequate thermal insulation techniques. Finally, as a result of this study, the discussion of retrofitting strategies was carried out to support the designer’s decision process, based on a flowchart with complementary tables, discussing the best thermal retrofitting technique to be implemented on old buildings’ façades, case-by-case. Full article
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13 pages, 10211 KiB  
Article
Architecture and Steel. Reflection and Analysis on the Use of Steel Structures (in Sight) as a Concept in the History of Architecture
by Inês D. D. Campos and Luís F. A. Bernardo
Designs 2020, 4(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs4030030 - 05 Aug 2020
Viewed by 5399
Abstract
This is the first of two companion articles which aim to address the research on Architecture and Steel. In this article, some architectural projects are analyzed to show the potentiality to conjugate architectural conception and steel structures, as well as to show the [...] Read more.
This is the first of two companion articles which aim to address the research on Architecture and Steel. In this article, some architectural projects are analyzed to show the potentiality to conjugate architectural conception and steel structures, as well as to show the contribution and influence from architectural history. This article also aims to contribute to the reflection of the knowledge and legacy left to us by several architects throughout the history of architecture in using aesthetic, visual and structurally safe profiled steel structures in architectural conception. The presented analysis and reflection are based on the characteristics and influences of the Industrial Revolution and, mainly, the Modern Movement, where the first housing projects came up with this constructive system, combined with the “simplistic” ways of living in architecture, highlighting the relationship with the place, cultural, spatial and typological references, the structural systems and associated materiality. In view of the diversity of alternatives allowed by the use of steel “Skeletons”, modular and standardized, combined with a huge variety of existing materials and constructive complexity, well combined and interconnected, it is possible to obtain a final product whose characteristics seduce by their beauty and elegance. Moreover, the practical and functional comfort which allows the safeguarding of the architectural integration of such product, with the necessary serenity in space and nature, in full environmental integration, is also emphasized. Full article
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12 pages, 5047 KiB  
Article
Architecture and Steel Prototype in Steel Structure with Equal Angles Steel Profiles, in Greek cross Shape, Applied in an Architectural Project
by Inês D. D. Campos and Luís F. A. Bernardo
Designs 2020, 4(3), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/designs4030024 - 28 Jul 2020
Viewed by 2848
Abstract
This is the second of two companion articles which aim to address the research on architecture and steel. In the first article, some architectural projects were analyzed to show the potentiality to conjugate architectural conception and steel structures (in sight), as well as [...] Read more.
This is the second of two companion articles which aim to address the research on architecture and steel. In the first article, some architectural projects were analyzed to show the potentiality to conjugate architectural conception and steel structures (in sight), as well as to show the contribution and influence from architectural history. As a result of the previous work, this second article discusses the development of an innovative prototype in steel structure, which constitutes a modular system applied for a single-family housing. In this prototype, steel is part of the design concept, not only as a structural element, but also as an aesthetic element. The needs of contemporary “living” are reinterpreted, considering all the changes and cultural influences due to globalization, compared with the living in Portuguese popular architecture, with its simplistic character and minimal spaces, and referring to a place. The proposed modular system, which is applied repeatedly, shows a huge potential for reorganizing, in a short period of time, urban areas with housing shortages in cases of emergency, while respecting population needs and providing construction quality. This Prototype Model, which combines the architectural concept with the lightweight character of steel structures, aims to provide an “other” way of “living”. It transmits “harmony” both in the experience of the interior space and in its relationship with the outer space, respecting the cultural references. In this study, the prototype is applied to popular Portuguese schist architecture, combining the basic structuring idea and the way how the project develops for the application of the conceptual and constructive process, thus relating two periods of architecture. Full article
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