The architectural heritage of the 20th century reflects a transformative period in design and building techniques, as exemplified by structures like the Palazzo del Lavoro, which embody the transition between traditional methods and modernist experimentation. This paper aims to analyze the building in order to understand how its structural innovations, material choices, and formal composition interact with its urban context and reflect broader cultural and historical shifts. The study combines documentary research, morphological analysis, and urban contextual assessment to provide a critical reading of the building's architectural and structural features. The analysis highlights the Palazzo's innovative structural system, the integration of reinforced concrete with lightweight canopies, and its compositional strategies that balance functionality and aesthetics. Furthermore, the study addresses the building's current state as a fragile piece of heritage, facing challenges related to preservation and adaptive reuse. By examining its technical and cultural significance, this research demonstrates how the Palazzo del Lavoro stands as a testament to engineering and architectural innovation and also offers insights into the evolving identity of post-war Turin and the broader discourse on modern heritage.
One of the reasons for the disappearance of architectural heritage, which constitutes the collective memory of societies, is the gradual loss of functionality over time. Historical buildings that lack function and are closed off to users are inevitably condemned to deteriorate and fall into ruin, ultimately disappearing along with all traces of the past. The adaptive reuse of buildings with historical value is a comprehensive process aimed at preserving their significance while adapting them for contemporary use and transmitting them to future generations. Choosing the most appropriate function from among the alternatives proposed for the reuse of historical buildings requires considering multiple factors. In adaptive reuse, which is regarded as a conservation approach, architectural characteristics, social and cultural values, environmental factors, and user opinions should all be considered when assigning new functions to historical structures. Although these factors are generally considered in adaptive reuse projects, user opinions often remain in the background. Therefore, adopting a participatory approach that integrates user perspectives into the reuse process would be a more accurate and effective strategy. In this study, the aim is to determine local user opinions and preferences within the adaptive reuse process of historical buildings, with a specific focus on the Protestant Boys' School located in Erzurum. As a method, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was administered to 100 local users. Based on the survey results, a new social and cultural function is proposed for the Protestant Boys' School, which considers the desires and preferences of the local community.
This article addresses the need for computer-aided design systems in Architectural Engineering (AE) design for building construction, an essential aspect of every building's design that is currently underserved by existing software solutions. First, we analyse the various challenges facing the development of better tools and propose that a fundamental problem of representation lies behind most of them. Next, we suggest a desideratum for representing building constructions digitally in our tools, and we argue that a formal ontology is best suited for the task. Numerous systems have been proposed for developing ontologies, many of which rely on a domain-independent upper ontology. This common upper layer supports the creation of more specific ontologies in an interoperable and mutually supportive way. The BFO upper ontology and the corresponding methodology are briefly introduced, followed by a review of many existing ontologies relevant to AE. Lastly, we introduce a prototype proto-ontology for describing building constructions and their related phenomena: the building construction ontology. We present the most important terms and modules of BCON and then demonstrate its use through a small case study of a relatively simple construction detail. Finally, we highlight the many possible applications of such a representational system.
The separation of engineering and architectural perspectives in the 20th century led to the delegation of different aspects of building design to specialized professionals. Consequently, structural, architectural, and heritage preservation tasks were handled independently, creating diverse prioritization orders in the evaluation of the buildings. One of the greatest victims of this approach are heritage buildings, as less constructive collaborations can result in lasting damages, leading to the loss of certain values.In heritage preservation projects the structural model is typically less regarded as a value, often leading to a reconstruction without consideration of the original state. This significantly impacts the timber roofs, which are one of the most vulnerable building structures and their deformations can affect the entire building, underscoring the critical importance of preserving the original structural model and raising awareness of its significance as a heritage value.This research examines roof structure damages, their categorization from a structural perspective, and possible restoration options considering heritage preservation criteria. Through the examples presented, it becomes evident that the roof structures can only be understood as parts of a complex system. It also becomes apparent that due to this complexity, categorizing structural damages in heritage buildings does not help in making schematic solutions.For every heritage building a thorough investigation and understanding of the historical structural model, the examination of building structures and their interconnections, and the preparation of a reconstruction plan are essential. This process must acknowledge that both the building and its structural model require a unique approach.
Under the influence of the consumer culture that dominates the relationship between cultural heritage and tourism, competing cities have begun to resemble each other and their identities have been damaged. It is thought that the Safranbolu Historical Bazaar is an example of the process described due to its constant marketing by the tourism industry and the danger of its unique culture being commodified and collapsing. In this study, it is aimed to first examine and reveal the threats to the sustainability of cultural heritage through the relations established by the space with the concepts of production-consumption and tourism, and then to create a framework that will ensure the sustainable development of the transformation that the space undergoes throughout the production process in historical cities. Based on this, the study aims to contribute to the development of alternative conservation approaches for the Historical Bazaar by producing information that will strengthen and transfer the unique value of the space. The study was designed with qualitative research methods and multiple data collection tools were used together. Observations and in-depth interviews were conducted in order to reveal spatial practices. As a result of the evaluations in the Historical Bazaar, it was seen that the transformation of the city was shaped around a heritage discourse that emphasised consumption, and suggestions were presented to contribute to the sustainability of cultural heritage.
This study explores the application of digital twin technologies in heritage conservation and visitor engagement, focusing on their practical use in preserving and enhancing access to culturally significant sites. Digital twins, which are virtual replicas of physical environments, enable real-time monitoring and simulation, offering innovative tools for conservation management and experiential interpretation. Through a systematic literature review and comparative analysis of four case studies, Pompeii, Notre-Dame, the Colosseum, and Hagia Sophia, this research examines how digital twins are implemented across varying contexts. The findings reveal that digital twins support predictive maintenance, structural monitoring, and restoration planning while also enabling immersive experiences through virtual and augmented reality. These technologies provide remote access, interactive storytelling, and tailored tours, fostering a deeper connection with heritage. In terms of conservation, digital twins support predictive maintenance, structural monitoring, and evidence-based decision-making. The structured comparison highlights how digital twin systems balance preservation needs with modern engagement demands. While challenges such as data accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and technological infrastructure remain, the study concludes that digital twins represent a valuable model for integrating conservation and visitor experience in heritage site management. Future developments in immersive technologies and broader adoption of digital twins could further enhance the management and appreciation of cultural heritage worldwide.
József Kerényi's work at the Bács-Kiskun County Planning Company (BÁCSTERV) between 1964 and 1984 is significant both for the built heritage of the county and its centre, Kecskemét and for the history of Hungarian architecture and urban planning. While several aspects of Kerényi's architectural legacy have been studied, a focus on the urban scale aspects of his oeuvre has been lacking. This study examines his oeuvre from the perspective of urban context and urban character. Additionally, beyond individual buildings, this study incorporates his urban-scale projects into the analysis. The research focuses on Kerényi's interpretation of heritage and his responses to urban character. The study addresses the relationship between historical urban fabric and new developments, the interpretation and evaluation of historical urban fabric, the concept of rehabilitation, and the relationship between architecture and urban planning. The research aims to uncover the planning processes and theoretical approaches that help to understand and contextualise Kerényi's activities in the Great Hungarian Plain. The investigation targets the cityscape and urban structure dilemmas and how city character influenced the answers to these questions. Furthermore, the study seeks to examine how Kerényi's ideas relate to both Hungarian and international trends of the period.
Freedom Monument marks Jum il-Ħelsien, the last day when Malta served as a military base for a foreign nation. It was, for Malta's then-Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, a profoundly significant and moving event. As stated by the sculptor Anton Agius, the realised design was Mintoff's creation rather than his. Its location is L-Għolja tal-Ħelsien, which freely translated means Freedom Hill, a man-made hillock located along the Birgu waterfront, just in front of the Parish Church. This church has strong associations with the main previous occupying power, the Military Hospitaller Order of St John. This article 1. addresses the author's proposal that Golgotha is a suitable metaphor through which to read Freedom Hill, and 2. asks whether an atypical concept sketch among the many submitted by Agius could possibly be Mintoff's own design. With respect to the former, it is argued that Freedom Monument is Mintoff's iconic statement about the history of Malta in visual form and, given that his perception that Malta's road to total freedom from foreign rule was strenuous, Golgotha is a fitting metaphor. With respect to the latter question, although there is a change in medium and style, this concept design sketch does recall an earlier one. It is a fine monumental interpretation of the event quite remote from Mintoff's idea of four figures on an artificial mound. Stylistically, the sketch is a mature artistic expression; it is unlikely to have been drawn by Mintoff and more likely to have been created by Agius.
The replacement of old, fossil fuel-based heating systems is of paramount importance. In households of the European Union, space heating accounts for the largest share of final energy consumption, making the method of heat production critical. Various studies estimate that approximately 120 million buildings in the EU require some form of refurbishment, either passive or active, to comply with the latest energy performance directives. Existing regulations focus primarily on efficiency and aim to reduce heat losses, suggesting the replacement of outdated systems and the upgrading of building envelopes. However, they rarely consider the environmental impact of other life cycle stages except use stage of the newly installed building elements. This situation may escalate to the point where considering the whole life cycle of an improvement or replacement is no longer justified solely by emissions and energy use. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and its localized regulations in Hungary impose criteria that require the renovation of existing buildings, often making compliance achievable only through heating system replacements. Hence, this study investigates the background of heating system changes in a small traditional flat, assessing their benefits in terms of emissions and energy use over the full life cycle.
The essay aims to explore the applications of BIM to design regarding historic buildings, which will become mandatory in Italy from 2025 for public works above €1 million. Despite the advantages in coordinated data management and information sharing among the actors involved in contracts, problems related to the geometric representation and semantic definition of the virtual entities that populate the models have been recognized by the scientific community. Critical issues that have emerged from the study of significant experiences can be traced back to the difficulty of adapting tools designed for the projects of new buildings to the characteristics of the cultural heritage. In particular, the complexity of proposing congruent categorisations and parameterisations seems related to only partial correspondence between historical building components, IFC classes and BIM software categories. These limitations often lead to the identification of contingent solutions and expedients, which solve only the problems of geometric representation. In contrast, the ability to adequately share information stored in databases, interoperable through the IFC format, is conveyed by an appropriate semantic description. Formal representation in the BIM environment effectively refers to standardized industrial production, reproducibility of building elements and, more generally, to the goals of globalisation. Thus, the proposed reflections aim to encourage a conscious use of these tools and to outline implementation perspectives useful to bring the digital environment closer to the concrete reality of historical architecture, unique and irreproducible in origin and transformation, often realized through artisanal processes and anchored to specific contexts in multiple aspects.
Moisture in historic built heritage is one of the main degenerative agents, because it supports or manifests itself through multiple pathologies. Current knowledge allows for the diagnosis and assessment of the problem, but there are deficiencies in the evaluation of corrective systems due to the time it takes for moisture to become significant. In response, this study proposes an experimental methodology that aims to reproduce the accelerated aging of real scale specimens under laboratory conditions. Thereby improving the understanding of the impact of moisture related deterioration on masonry structures. To achive this, eight masonry walls were constructed and subjected to eight cycles of sulfate crystallization. They were saturated with different sulfate concentrations (5% or 10%) and exposed to different drying conditions (outdoor or solar dehydrator) in order to identify the factors favoring sulfate crystallization and the resulting deterioration. The progress of the experiments was monitored using a hygrometer, a thermographic camera and photogrammetry. The results indicate that it is possible to induce efflorescence in real scale specimens. Temperature and moisture monitoring helped identify the solar dehydrator as a more effective drying treatment. While digital photogrammetry was considered inefficient for quantifying volumetric damage, since this technique can present errors greater than 2%, a value exceeding the observed wear. Reason why the weight of material detached at the end of the experiment was recorded and a positive correlation between the increase in sulfate concentration and the use of the dehydrator was observed. Finally, pertinent considerations are made to improve the experimental conditions.
Religious buildings are cultural symbols of societies in urban life. Mosque architecture, one of the religious structures that entered Turkish history and architectural culture with the acceptance of Islam by the Turks, developed over time and reached its peak in terms of architectural formation during the Ottoman period. Although religious buildings are thought to be less affected by social change throughout history, unlike other architectural structures, mosques are seen to be affected by the social and cultural structure that changes over time. Religious buildings, apart from being places of worship in social life, are also meeting points and social sharing areas. This situation shows that it will not be possible for religious buildings to remain indifferent to the changing needs, building materials and living standards over time. The aim of the study is to explain the use of developing and transforming materials and construction techniques in mosques in Türkiye. Within the scope of the study, the reflection of traditional and modern architecture in mosques was discussed and the transformation of buildings in different periods was examined. In this context, examples of traditional and modern mosques built in different periods were discussed with the comparative analysis method. By examining how the classical, iconic elements of mosque architecture were handled in a modern style, their changes in terms of materials and construction techniques were questioned. As a result, it is aimed to be a reference for future studies by looking at the architectural variations of changing religious buildings from past to present.
City image includes people's perceptions of the built and natural environments as well as the emotions and ideas the city arouses in them. In the city image, the preservation of the buildings, especially historical buildings, which carry the past cultures, meaning and structural features of the city to the present day, can be ensured by making these buildings visible and perceptible by the inhabitants. Historical buildings' visibility can facilitate the recognition and appreciation of their historical significance, thereby contributing to the preservation of the city's cultural heritage. This study aims to analyse the visibility of a historical building that holds a significant place in the urban memory and to suggest recommendations for enhancing its visibility. In this context, the viewpoints used to examine the İskenderun Beş Temmuz Primary School Historical Building’s visibility were specified by space syntax visibility graph analysis (VGA). Subsequently, the building's visibility in three different historical periods was determined by the isovists technique, utilizing these viewpoints. Based on the same viewpoints, an observational field study and a survey applied to 47 people were conducted. Consequently, it was identified that the historical building could not be sufficiently seen due to the presence of surrounding service structures, perimeter walls, and high buildings. Furthermore, this study proposed the removal of additional structures that negatively affect historical building's visibility. Additionally, a design approach was developed for new buildings and landscaping to enhance the historical building's visibility, and the efficacy of the proposed design was evaluated through isovists and VGA analyses.
Serving as a cultural center and a border and a university town, Edirne is an important city of Turkey. Edirne also has historical significance as one of the three historical capitals of the Ottoman Empire (the other two are Bursa and Istanbul, respectively). The history of Edirne dates back to the 35th century BCE. This historically prosperous city hosts many monuments from the Ottoman period; however, there are only a few urban and architectural remains from other periods.The creation of the form of the city of Edirne is an example of synoecism, by which a group of small elements in an open pattern of organization, i.e., not subject to a rigid preconceived order, coalesce over time to form a larger entity.The form of Edirne is the result of three distinct types of urban development that are characteristic of three eras in the city's history: Roman/Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern. The Roman/Byzantine form was incorporated into the Ottoman city that, in turn, was converted into a more homogeneous form in the modern era. Both the Roman/Byzantine and Ottoman patterns persist in the modern city. In this article, the city of Edirne is considered as a whole and the morphology of Edirne is shown to be an organic urban development model.
Urban spaces, as the material representatives of past capital accumulation strategies, survive or get replaced on the basis of actors' strategies and partnerships. Periodization allows conceptualising these decisions and subsequent spatial change with respect to evolving local and national settings. The study focuses on expanding such approaches to Türkiye's experience beyond the two primate cities Istanbul and Ankara by the example of a secondary city, Bursa. The study uses maps, plans, official documents and newspapers corresponding to the periods and literature to form the connections between the actors' decisions and the spatial changes. The results highlight that while the previous periods' urban fabric and heritage is being replaced during the neoliberal era in parallel with the national experience, the problems faced as a secondary centre in close proximity to a primate city reduces local agency much more severely, leaving the urban space more vulnerable to exogenous influences.
The environmental, economic, and social sustainability of construction project management was researched through a literature review in this study. This paper aimed to analyze the trends in studies about issues in sustainable project management and to research the importance and components of environmental, economic, and social sustainability and their interrelationships. In the scope of the bibliometric analysis, the articles were analyzed by their publication years, authors, authors' countries, authors' organizations, and keyword occurrences. Then, the problems in ensuring the sustainability of construction project management and suggestions for overcoming these problems were reviewed. In previous studies, high energy and raw material consumption and waste became the main factors that prevented environmental sustainability. A strong relationship was found between economic sustainability and life cycle cost assessment, and effective stakeholder engagement is considered the major contributor to the social sustainability of construction management. Sustainability regulations and policies, managerial capabilities, and organizational learning also have critical significance for achieving sustainable construction. The dimensions of sustainability in construction management are closely related to one another, and each one is crucial to achieving the other aspects of sustainability in construction projects. Therefore, a comprehensive strategy that takes into account social, economic, and environmental sustainability criteria should be adopted in construction project management.
Built Environment Education (BEE) plays an important role in urban sustainability as citizens who are more aware of the surrounding architectural heritage have better opportunities to develop a sense of place and place attachment. Themes and stories make the architectural fabric of a city more legible that is why urban walking tours are such a popular format for BEE initiatives. These experience-based educative events are originally constructed for visitors (mainly tourists) of a city to receive in-situ impressions of the built heritage during their visit. But in recent years, the new phenomenon of proximity tourism appeared, inviting locals to participate in walking tours to discover their own neighbourhood, rendering this tourist-focused activity into a BEE tool for adults.Urban walks have been used in architectural education at the university level for quite some time, and recently organisations focusing on BEE have adapted the format as well, which therefore can reach a wide range of audiences. This research presents the quantitative and geo-referenced analysis of 449 photos taken during the walking tours by participants and a qualitative content analysis of the photos. The results of a questionnaire completed by 119 students upon the end of their walking tour are presented and analysed to determine the effectiveness of this BEE methodology. Results show that the experience-based format of urban walking tours in the context of BEE can contribute to the forming of sense of place for participants, and therefore should be considered as an educational tool.
The concept of user-centered design has recently been accepted in contemporary design teachings and has created new perspectives in the design field. This article aims to evaluate the contemporary mosques built in Türkiye from a user-centered perspective. In this context, first of all, the concept of user-centered design was included and the necessity of a pluralistic environment in decision-making processes was emphasized in order to create an ideal publicity phenomenon. In the context of the conceptual framework created, contemporary mosque examples built in the 21st century were selected and presented to the preference of architect and non-architect participant groups. Decision criteria that are thought to affect the choice of participants are aesthetic value, material and workmanship, dimensions of the building, religious symbols in the building, and the brand value of the building. These factors, which may be effective in the choice of contemporary mosques, were evaluated with the Analytic Hierarchy Process method. Accordingly, it was observed that the main criteria constituting the contemporary mosque preferences of the architect group were aesthetics, the brand value of the building, material, and workmanship criteria. On the other hand, the main criterion constituting the contemporary mosque preferences of the non-architect group was the presence of religious symbols. Accordingly, it was observed that architectural profession ideologies affected and differentiated the reasons for preference. As a result, it was concluded that the ideology of the architectural profession is effective in the construction process of the contemporary built environment.
Throughout history different kinds of composite materials were used for several reasons. Mixing components with different properties the emerging new material can show highly improved material characteristics. This article copes with Advanced Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) as structural material. The trend of the utilization of FRP is continuously increasing not only in transportation or sport industry but also in building industry. Beside the traditionally used base materials new fiber and resin materials are still developing. This paper reviews the brief history of FRP and its often-used base materials. Material properties, advantages and disadvantages, production methods are also discussed.
The increase in the elderly population all over the world has made it necessary for many disciplines, from health to psychology, from economics to humanities, to conduct field-oriented studies. Architecture is one of the disciplines that play an important role in old age in terms of its relationship with the built environment. This study aims to reveal the intellectual structure, research topics, and trends of scientific studies on elderly users in the discipline of architecture. In this study, in which bibliometric analysis of articles for older adults was made in the Web of Science database between 1975 and 2022, the structure of the field and relations were analyzed by creating science maps through performance analysis and VOSviewer software. In the analyzes made, it has been seen that the number of articles on the elderly has increased in recent years. Although it has a wide distribution in terms of subject variety; housing, aging in place, age-friendly environment, and accessibility are the current topics in the field. This study contributes to the literature by presenting the current course of elderly user-oriented studies in architecture from a bibliographic perspective. On the other hand, it is thought to be a guide for new research by revealing the deficiencies in the field.
