Rural Architectural Intensification: A Multidisciplinar Planning Tool

Abstract

When approaching a composite territorial problem that involves different scales and disciplines, it is necessary to establish a precise logical framework. Every planning or design activity is an iterative process applied to a complex system; not linear relations among the entities that compose the system are numerous and it is problematic to spell out them. Authors developed a framework that has a hybrid structure in which different classical tool such as Spatial Decision Support Systems, Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD), and Expert Systems (ES) converge. The method is not completely automatic and there is a continuous interaction between user and system. The main aim of the entire research group who participated to a national research (PRIN 2009) was to define an informed methodology for decision makers, stakeholders and public bureaus who have to (or want to) face the problem of improving and intensifying insediative activities in minor centers located in rural-urban context. In particular authors defined Rural Architectural Intensification (RAI) as a way to improve territorial features throughout a serie of interventions in small settlements and buildings. The explanation of the relations among different disciplines, different scales and different related methodologies is the key point of the paper. After an introduction and the description of RAI, authors introduce the main methodological structure; then each passage is detailed and specified considering the elements involved and the technical operations.