ABSTRACT The city of Iquitos (Peruvian Amazon) is composed of flood-prone urban communities that relate collective and economic activities to the river dynamics. The research objective is to describe architecture types of the Belen neighborhood (one of the most commercially and touristically important areas of Iquitos) during the Amazonian fluvial dynamics in the flood and ebb cycle of the Itaya River. Data were collected through observations, interviews, photographs, and hand-drawings. The riverside neighborhoods of Belen show architectural qualities that are adaptable to river dynamics through three types of systems: fixed, pile, and floating. In addition, these neighborhoods are located along the course of six natural streams or ‘caños’ that redirect rainwater and wastewater into the Itaya River. The research shows that the urban configuration of the upper, middle, and lower zones undergoes adaptation processes in their commercial, cultural, and constructive dimensions due to the influence of the Itaya River. This social-spatial configuration is supported by the positive attitude of the residents of the Belen neighborhood toward the Amazonian river dynamics.

ABSTRACT The comprehensive study of Estonian medieval interior plasters from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, offers new insights into the composition and physical properties of these plasters. Detailed analyses facilitated the identification of binders, aggregates and organic additives used, as well as the probable sources of raw materials. Additionally, the research explores the correlation between the composition, microstructure, and basic properties of the plasters. Fieldwork included visual surveys of the paintings and plasters, providing crucial information on their condition and served as the basis to identify the sampling sites. The samples were examined using advanced microscopic techniques, including polarization optical microscopy in incident and transmitted light, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive analysis. The mineralogical composition was determined also by using X-ray diffraction analysis. The combination of these methods enabled detailed characterization of the plaster composition and their microstructure. Basic properties such as water uptake, porosity, and modulus of elasticity were evaluated using standard gravimetric methods and ultrasound measurements. The study is a contribution to the knowledge of medieval wall painting techniques in the region, and is providing a basis for comparative studies in the European context. Results can be used to create the future conservation strategies for local medieval murals.

ABSTRACT Heritage or Historic BIM (HBIM), a specialised application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the preservation and management of historic buildings, offers transformational opportunities for the heritage conservation sectors. However, this has not been fully explored, with HBIM applications mostly used as mere archival documentation for heritage architecture. As such, this study proposes to investigate the opportunities and challenges in adopting HBIM in preserving and managing heritage buildings. The study adopts a qualitative research strategy comprising literature review and expert interviews to explore the perspective of heritage conservation stakeholders on HBIM. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify the current state of HBIM adoption, its benefits, and its challenges. Findings reveal that while HBIM offers significant opportunities, such as improved archival documentation, visualisation, and maintenance planning, its adoption remains limited due to high costs, lack of expertise, and resistance to new technologies. This study acts as a reference point illuminating the need for increased awareness, training, and investment in HBIM to fully harness its potential, positioning it as a crucial tool for the sustainable management of heritage assets. This study originality is in its primary focus on HBIM, an application that has been under explored unlike BIM.

ABSTRACT Heritage sites in coastal areas face complex water threats due to climate change. This article focuses on the threats posed by Sea Level Rise (SLR) in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, utilizing a two-tiered system of buffer zones inspired by Charlotte Lake, who has extended the UNESCO concept of Buffer Zones. Combining the ideas of buffer zones as an adaptation measure for the protection of built heritage, with Maria Estefania Gioia’s emphasis on water governance as a pivotal component of managing World Heritage Sites, this article proposes a hands-on design intervention. Our proposal is a proactive physical intervention that aims to mitigate the specific risk posed by SLR and other forms of seawater intrusion on heritage buildings, focusing on the Castle of Paphos on the island of Cyprus. Through a design-oriented interpretation of the Buffer zone concept we propose the proactive creation of barriers and water management systems to protect heritage sites from water infiltration and other water-related threats. This article’s findings and conceptual proposals can inform stakeholders of endangered coastal sites in developing adaptation and mitigation solutions to safeguard World Heritage Sites from SLR and possibly other climate change threats.

ABSTRACT Cyprus is a divided island that issues in conservation of religious heritage is directly related with politics and internal displacement. As an impact of the inter-communal conflict and division (1958–1974), Turkish Cypriots started to live in the north of the island and Greek Cypriots began to live in the south. Consequently, religious heritage lost their community. The mosques in the south and the churches in the north were left to their fate. This study discusses future of the religious heritage in the context of frozen conflict. Güzelyurt/Morphou district in Cyprus is selected as the main focus of the research. General focus of the research is primarily on churches in the Northern part of the island rather than mosques in the Southern part. The aim of the study is to identify the current condition of the religious heritage in long-term internal displacement. Moreover, the study aims to propose alternative reuse strategies where it is possible. The method of the study includes observation through site survey, archive research and interviews. Current condition and existing use of the religious heritage buildings were investigated and future use possibilities was discussed. Benefits and detriments of the future use of the religious heritage have been discussed..

ABSTRACT Holding festivals to attract investment, tourism, and attention has become a typical strategy used by city authorities for marketing and rebranding the urban image in recent decades. This strategy has contributed to the development of concepts such as ‘festivalization’ and ‘the eventful city.’ Glasgow’s regeneration in the 1980s is renowned for hosting significant events, serving as a notable example that inspired other cities, such as Stockholm in 1998, to adopt similar strategies. Glasgow became a benchmark for illustrating how culture and events can provide economic benefits. While existing studies primarily examine this urban strategy through economic, human behavior, and geopolitical lenses, comparatively little attention has been given to the impact of place-making projects, particularly in the historic city center, where the efforts in historic environmental renovation and the adaptation of built heritage are essential to the success of festivalization. An analysis of conservation planning in the Merchant City provides insights into the relationship between festivalization and the adaptation of urban-built heritage. The exploration of several place-making projects from the 1980s illustrates that the festivalization strategy is embedded in conservation-related planning. In other words, the intervention methods applied to historic buildings in Merchant City both spatially and strategically underpin festivalization.

ABSTRACT HBIM software (Heritage Building Information Modelling), capable of providing both geometric and semantic data about a building, greatly interests research in the conservation of built cultural heritage due to their ability to represent and capitalise on the information available about heritage assets. However, a clear method for applying this technology to Algerian built heritage is yet to be established. Therefore, the HBIM model of the Palace of the Beys in the Citadel of Algiers was created with the aim of meeting the objectives of heritage management (identification, protection, conservation, research, and cultural mediation), as well as Algerian regulations on project management in the restoration of built heritage. This article aims to propose an HBIM object library and outline a series of steps to follow for their creation. These objects will serve to assist in the restoration of built heritage and will be showcased through a simulation on the columns of the Palace of the Beys in the Citadel of Algiers.

ABSTRACT The use of reinforced concrete (RC) in the field of restoration was accepted with the Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments in 1931 and remained popular through the end of the twentieth century with the further support of the Venice Charter of 1964. The Venice Charter states that in situations where traditional techniques prove inadequate, modern methods can be employed to consolidate monuments. Turkey, having followed European developments closely since the nineteenth century, incorporated RC into its conservation practices and integrated it into national legal frameworks. This study examines a key period in Turkey’s conservation history, encompassing the years leading up to and following the adoption of the Venice Charter. It explores the practical use of RC for the consolidation and reintegration of historic monuments, analysing how the principles of the Venice Charter were interpreted and implemented in the Turkish context. The broader implications of these practices are addressed while questioning the charter’s influence on both conservation techniques and the evolution of restoration approaches in Turkey. It explores the technical and ethical considerations shaping the use of modern materials in conservation, concluding with an overview of the evolution of techniques and approaches in conservation in Turkey.

ABSTRACT Non-invasive imaging methods are a useful tool in informing conservation actions for historical buildings. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) is widely used in geophysics to image the subsurface but has been seldom used for non-invasive imaging of small-scale masonry structures. Here, we propose an adaptation of the method allowing non-damaging investigation of larger-scale stone structures. We report results of an ERT survey of Prebends Bridge in Durham, a heritage masonry structure constructed in 1778. Our assessment is based on data acquired on the paved top surface of the bridge, which is subsequently modelled and inverted with the use of open-source software. Final images of the internal structure of the bridge reveal areas of lower electrical resistivity, that we interpret as representing regions of water saturation. Locations of low resistivity areas are in good agreement with the structural defects and patches of seepage observed externally. These results will help inform remediation work, to preserve this historical structure from further water damage. In future studies, time-lapse imaging may help to highlight water pathways unambiguously (through comparison of dry/wet periods), while additional electrode arrays installed on the sides/base of the structure could be used to better constrain 3D internal structure.

ABSTRACT Older buildings are often vilified for alleged poor energy performance. This discussion has, however, been limited to operational energy, rather than whole-life carbon. This paper compares both embodied and operational carbon emissions of building preservation to new construction. Methodologically, it relies on consequential replacement LCA. Using a representative 1950s school building as a case study, a locally heritage-listed example of Modernist architecture, four retention scenarios are devised. The scenarios represent different approaches towards repair needs, cost implications, time horizons of refurbishment, and conserving the building's architectural-historical value. For the contemporary new build, two scenarios are developed based on a case study school building completed in 2018. They differ by the material of the structural frame (concrete or cross-laminated timber). The concrete-framed alternative corresponds to the present business as usual, whereas the wooden alternative represents a competing lower-carbon technology. The study was conducted in Finland, i.e. a cold continental climate. In such conditions, operational energy consumption is significant for a building's carbon footprint. Nevertheless, the findings show that building preservation results in lower emissions than new construction in most of the scenarios. The climate change mitigation potential of building preservation is significant at the scale of singular buildings and the building stock scale.