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Renovation of Buildings and Revitalization of Urban and Rural Areas towards Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 December 2024 | Viewed by 331

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Civil Engineering, University of Zielona Góra, Poland
Interests: building diagnostics; durability and life cycle of buildings; service life prediction; predictive maintenance; renovation needs; degradation of buildings; assessment of the technical condition; rehabilitation of buildings; building materials in historical buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Civil Engineering, University of Zielona Góra, ul. Licealna 9, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
Interests: revitalization of historic railway bridges; BIM in the construction process

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to publish your research findings and scientific discoveries on building renovation and urban and rural revitalization. Very often, we are passionate about modern investments, but we pay too little attention to existing buildings, their maintenance, and the aesthetics of the surrounding urban and rural spaces. New construction projects serve to meet the needs of society, while the renovation of buildings and the revitalization of degraded areas adjust the living conditions of residents to meet the requirements of modern civilization. It is necessary to undertake research and scientific studies that take into account spatial, cultural, social, technical, and organizational problems in order to thoroughly identify the urban and rural revitalization problems.

The aim of this research is to solve the problems related to building renovation and the revitalization of degraded urban and rural areas. Sustainability is often defined as "restore, renew, replenish" mindset, and in line with this thought, we encourage research on adapting people's living conditions to meet the requirements of modern civilization. The Special Issue provides a forum for architects, engineers, as well as scientists and practitioners to expand their knowledge, exchange experiences, present the latest developments, and learn about trends in the development and application of sustainable development in architectural, construction, and infrastructure engineering.

Manuscripts containing current research findings and scientific discoveries on the following research topics are encouraged:

  • Building renovation in sustainable building development;
  • The revitalization of urban and rural areas;
  • The adaptation of historic buildings for modern use;
  • Damage diagnostics as a basis for renovation investments;
  • Renovation problems in building objects;
  • The renovation of historic buildings;
  • Material, construction, and execution issues in repairs and renovations.

Prof. Dr. Beata Nowogońska
Dr. Artur Juszczyk
Guest Editors

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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

  • renovation of buildings
  • revitalization of degraded areas
  • repair investments
  • adaptations
  • modernization
  • diagnostics
  • maintenance of facilities
  • technical condition

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 6696 KiB  
Article
Pre-Planning and Post-Evaluation Approaches to Sustainable Vernacular Architectural Practice: A Research-by-Design Study to Building Renovation in Shangri-La’s Shanpian House, China
by Nan Yang, Jinliu Chen, Liang Ban, Pengcheng Li and Haoqi Wang
Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9568; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219568 (registering DOI) - 3 Nov 2024
Viewed by 227
Abstract
The renovation and revitalization of vernacular architecture are pivotal in sustainable rural development. In regions like Shangri-La, traditional structures not only safeguard cultural heritage but also provide a foundation for enhancing local communities’ living conditions. However, these villages face growing challenges, including infrastructure [...] Read more.
The renovation and revitalization of vernacular architecture are pivotal in sustainable rural development. In regions like Shangri-La, traditional structures not only safeguard cultural heritage but also provide a foundation for enhancing local communities’ living conditions. However, these villages face growing challenges, including infrastructure decay, cultural erosion, and inadequate adaptation to modern living standards. Addressing these issues requires innovative research approaches that combine heritage preservation with the integration of contemporary functionality. This study employs a research-by-design approach, focusing on the Shanpian House as a case study, to explore how pre-planning and post-evaluation methods can revitalize traditional vernacular architecture. The pre-planning phase utilizes field surveys and archival research to assess spatial, cultural, and environmental conditions, framing a design strategy informed by field theory. In doing so, it evaluates how traditional architectural elements can be preserved while introducing modern construction techniques that meet current living standards. The post-evaluation phase, conducted through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, assesses user satisfaction, focusing on the impact of architectural esthetics, structural stability, and material choices. Key findings from an OLS regression highlight the strong positive correlation between architectural style, structural choices, and cultural relevance with resident satisfaction. The research emphasizes that design elements such as structural details, materials, and infrastructure upgrades are critical in shaping perceptions of both functionality and cultural identity. Interestingly, the model reveals that improving architectural esthetics, alongside modern indoor features such as network connectivity, has a significant impact on enhancing overall resident satisfaction (significance level: 0.181). This study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable building renovation by demonstrating how traditional architecture can be thoughtfully adapted for contemporary use and also proposes a paradigm shift in the renovation of historic buildings, advocating for a balance between preservation and modernization. The application of sustainable materials, digital modeling, and innovative construction techniques further ensures that these traditional structures meet the demands of modern civilization while maintaining their cultural integrity. Full article
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