Architecture Community Research Articles

Designing the New World: Reconsidering Architectural Education and National Identity in Colonial Australia

ABSTRACT Understandings of architectural education in nineteenth century colonial Australia have generally focused on either formal articles or tertiary institutions. Presented as the official pathways into the profession, this framework has provided a limited viewpoint of the architectural community, concealing the diverse formative experiences of architects. Without a legal mechanism to define who could practice as an architect, the architectural community remained open and porous, with individuals having obtained different levels of education. This professional fluidity created a ready market for architectural education. From the earliest years of European colonisation until the end of the nineteenth century, private and public institutions offered classes in architecture, which provided an alternative pathway into the profession and undermined the apparent dominance of undertaking articles. This process was particularly pronounced in the colony of Victoria, home to Australia’s largest nineteenth century architectural community. This paper argues that examining these alternative avenues for education is critical to understanding the nineteenth century architectural community, the lives of individual architects, as well as the broader aims of colonial society. Ultimately, the localised nature of this education helped promote an Australian design aesthetic and encouraged a divergence from British precedent.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS IN ARCHITECTURE

Lately, architects have begun to favour a more result-oriented way of working based on artificial intelligence (AI) and its use for automation and software applications operation that support work with design data. The research aims to identify and systematise data on computer tools using artificial intelligence algorithms and the prospects for its development in architectural activities. The use of AI algorithms in architectural design is characteristic of all its stages, from the conceptual phase and basic design levels to detailing, development of design documentation, and future implementation, which is why various computer tools are available. The scientific paper describes three groups of AI software products. The first group includes software for architectural activities with AI-based functionality. The second group involves additional plug-ins with AI algorithms, i.e., independently compiled software modules installed and connected to the main programme, expanding its capabilities. The third group comprises online AI platforms, many of which are already available on the Internet and continue to grow in number. These services are usually not associated with professional software but can be used to perform specific architectural design tasks. The reviewed software products suggest that artificial intelligence technologies can transform traditional approaches to architecture and construction, offering architects powerful tools to increase efficiency and creativity. However, it is necessary to note significant doubts in the professional architectural community about whether to implement artificial intelligence fully. It is due to uncertainty about the impact of AI on traditional roles in the architectural industry, displacement from jobs, and the reliability and ethical implications of decision-making based on these particular algorithms. We should also note that the first group of software is the most promising for the future development of the architectural profession, as it provides full-fledged programmes with a comprehensive approach to architectural activities. Keywords: artificial intelligence, software, plugin, architecture.

Functioning and translation of English and Russian architectural terms in academic discourse

The study provides the analysis of architectural terminology in English and Russian in academic discourse. The object of the study is the terminological system of architecture. The subject of the study is the specifics of the use, functioning and translation of English and Russian architectural terminology in academic discourse. The classification and systematization of architectural terms, their hierarchical structure and functional types in academic texts are considered. In addition, the interdisciplinary nature of the architectural sublanguage is emphasized, which intersects with terms from the fields such as engineering, architecture, construction, art and design. The paper also identifies existing difficulties and problems that arise when translating English and Russian-language architectural terms, including differences in the linguistic structure of languages, semantic ambiguity, the need for a high degree of specialization of the translator for the correct interpretation of the term, the use of idiomatic and figurative language to describe some architectural terms, etc. The study uses a comprehensive methodology, in particular, methods of comparative and component analysis, as well as methods of corpus linguistics used to study semantic fields, hierarchical relationships and functional types of terms. The research results emphasize the importance of standardization of architectural terminology, understanding of cultural and historical background, as well as technical knowledge to ensure effective communication in the global architectural community. Analyzing the corpus of texts, including dictionaries, architectural reviews and academic articles, the author explains how specific terms function in academic discourse. This study makes a special contribution to the development of linguistic research in the field of architecture, offering an in-depth analysis of semantic fields and their role in structuring architectural vocabulary. The novelty of the research lies in an integrated approach to the study of the functioning and translation of architectural terms, which allows to identify the difficulties associated with the interdisciplinary character of the terminology. The results of the study will be useful not only for teachers and translators, but also for international experts in the field of architecture.

PROBLEMS OF VISUAL QUALITIES OF THE ARCHITECTURAL ENVIRONMENT IN GREEN STANDARDS

The architectural community, which is closely involved in green standards, is already aware of the need to consider the aesthetic qualities of the architectural environment in rating systems of environmental certification. The study’s relevance is related to the need to find ways to factor the impact of the aesthetic component of architecture on human health in architectural projects. The purpose of the study is to justify the need to include the aesthetic properties of architectural objects under design in rating systems for environmental certification of architecture. Rating systems for environmental certification of buildings are not universal; each has its characteristics. Analysis of the most common systems shows that they do not take into account and do not regulate the appearance of buildings from the point of view of human visual perception. At the same time, the visual and aesthetic qualities of the architectural environment affect human health and well-being, which makes them components of ecology and a matter for consideration. The author’s research focuses on some of the most common and basic standards: LEED, BREEAM, and WELL. We determined that several green standards address the visual impact of architecture as a component of human health and ecology. We also found that during certification, according to the relevant standard, in most cases, the visual impact comes down to providing a view from the window, the level of lighting inside the room, and insolation, among others. At the same time, there is no regulation of the aesthetic impact of a building on a person; there is no methodology for its evaluation. There is an obvious need to consider the aesthetic qualities of architecture. Its quantification and scoring are possible within the framework of the corresponding credits of the environmental certification rating system. For this, we propose an appropriate technique, which consists of conducting a statistical survey of some categories of respondents who answer a series of questions about visual perception and give a generalised assessment of the architectural project. The study substantiates the expediency of introducing criteria for assessing the aesthetic properties of architectural structures into the system of green standards; it analyses the requirements of green standards regarding the aesthetic properties of the architectural environment. The article also develops the principles of forming criteria for assessing the aesthetic properties of architectural structures. It argues that the aesthetic visual qualities of architectural objects affect human health and that we should consider them in the environmental certification systems of architecture. Therefore, the study is forming a unified green standard template, one of the criteria of which will allow for the awarding of points for the visual environmental friendliness of a building undergoing green certification. Keywords: green standards, BREEAM, LEED, visual ecology, visual qualities, aesthetic properties.

ИНТЕРПРЕТАЦИЯ КАК МЕТОД ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ В АРХИТЕКТУРНОМ ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИИ

The architectural community, observing the negative consequences of its technocratic aspirations, reflexively comes to confusion. Architectural work is infected with search, languishes with a thirst for understanding the pressing problems of architecture, its humanistic purpose, the ability to embody and express thoughts and feelings in its inherent language, which only man, the creator and the organic component of the polysyllabic world of architecture is capable of. As a consequence, there is an interested penetration into his ideological, figurative, linguistic mysteries, involving a wide range of anthropological views. Interpretation of signs should be understood as an active process gradually approaching resolution. Various factors can influence this process: for example, contextual conditions, basic knowledge, empirical knowledge or learned practices should be mentioned. Nelson Goodman's approach has proved particularly fruitful for comparative research. Unlike the well-known previous models, Goodman can relate various sign systems to each other, since he works with a single basis, and not with special typologies. The dilemma of interpreting an architectural work without use, apparently, can only be solved by using a higher context of hidden applications that qualify an unused building as a work of architecture. Consequently, hidden contexts of use are found in areas defined by human existence. Interpretations represent only a small part of a large spectrum of the use of signs. The use of signs ranges from invention, discovery and creation through purposeful interpretation processes to everyday use. Understanding manifests itself as a continuous process, in a constant desire to master and penetrate the world, find your way and act. The results of these processes, which are a fleeting excerpt from an ongoing process, can be described as knowledge. This knowledge is now available for further attempts at understanding — provided that it is cultivated and preserved. It also explains how knowledge is lost. If there is no cognitive ability to understand, any written sign systems remain an accumulation of data or information.

Основные направления архитектуры Японии периода Мэйдзи и Тайшо (конец XIX – начало XX вв.)

The article examines the main directions of Japanese architecture during the Meiji and Taisho periods. It was during these periods that the formation of the architectural communities of the empire took place, influencing the architecture of the entire Asia-Pacific region in the 20th and 21st centuries. The prerequisites for the formation of the Japanese giyefu style, based on a combination of Western and traditional architecture, and the invitation of a large number of foreign advisers to the country are shown. The text describes the four most important advisor personalities and their major achievements. The next step is the 4 most important Japanese architects of the Taisho period, they absorbed Western education and completely mastered the craft of an architect, in the European sense. In addition to landmark buildings for Japan, they transmitted to society their vision of architecture, which coincided with the line of the government and the emperor. The last part of the article outlines other directions of Japanese architecture, which developed from the Giyefu style to the Imperial Crown style, or which opposed themselves to Europeanized architecture – the modernists. It concludes by describing the three identified architectural trends with their antecedents and implications within the Asia-Pacific region The article examines the main directions of Japanese architecture during the Meiji and Taisho periods. It was during these periods that the formation of the architectural communities of the empire took place, influencing the architecture of the entire Asia-Pacific region in the 20th and 21st centuries. The prerequisites for the formation of the Japanese giyefu style, based on a combination of Western and traditional architecture, and the invitation of a large number of foreign advisers to the country are shown. The text describes the four most important advisor personalities and their major achievements. The next step is the 4 most important Japanese architects of the Taisho period, they absorbed Western education and completely mastered the craft of an architect, in the European sense. In addition to landmark buildings for Japan, they transmitted to society their vision of architecture, which coincided with the line of the government and the emperor. The last part of the article outlines other directions of Japanese architecture, which developed from the Giyefu style to the Imperial Crown style, or which opposed themselves to Europeanized architecture – the modernists. It concludes by describing the three identified architectural trends with their antecedents and implications within the Asia-Pacific region.

Reimagining space layout design through deep reinforcement learning

Abstract Space layout design is a critical aspect of architectural design, influencing functionality and aesthetics. The inherent combinatorial nature of layout design poses challenges for traditional planning approaches; thus, it demands the exploration of novel methods. This paper presents a novel framework that leverages the potential of deep reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms to optimize space layouts. RL has demonstrated remarkable success in addressing complex decision-making problems, yet its application in the design process remains relatively unexplored. We argue that RL is particularly well-suited for the design process due to its ability to accommodate offline tasks and seamless integration with existing computer-aided design software, effectively acting as a simulator for design exploration. Framing space layout design as an RL problem and employing RL methods allows for the automated exploration of the expansive design space, thereby enhancing the discovery of innovative solutions. This paper also elucidates the synergy between the design process and the RL problem, which opens new avenues for exploring the potential of RL algorithms in design. We aim to foster experimentation and collaboration within the RL and architecture communities. To facilitate our research, we have developed SpaceLayoutGym, an environment specifically designed for space layout design tasks. SpaceLayoutGym serves as a customizable environment that encapsulates the essential elements of the layout design process within an RL framework. To showcase the effectiveness of SpaceLayoutGym and the capabilities of RL as an artificial space layout designer, we employ the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm to train the RL agent in selected design scenarios with both geometrical constraints and topological objectives. The study further extends to contrast the effectiveness of PPO agents with that of genetic algorithms, and also includes a comparative analysis with existing layouts. Our results demonstrate the potential of RL to optimize space layouts, offering a promising direction for the future of artificial intelligence-aided design.

METHODS OF APPLYING THE ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN IN MODERN RESIDENTIAL COMPLEXES

Designing the environment and landscapes related to human life requires, on the one hand, taking into account the values and potential of the environment, and on the other hand, taking into account human needs. Such environmental design must be carried out persistently through interaction and balance with the environment. The purpose of this study was to propose strategies for applying an ecological ap- proach to architectural design in modern residential complexes The research method is descriptive, analytical and applied in nature. Carrying out this research using both field and documentary methods, data collection, analysis and integration were carried out. In order to identify Weaknesses and internal weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats, we used a SWOT analysis model, identifying the most preferred design strategies, as well as integrating the land- scapes of the external and internal environment using the QSPM matrix. The results showed that the most preferred strategy for designing open areas and landscapes, taking into account environmental vision and improving visual quality, is the approach of spatial and visual continuation with the internal atmosphere of residential complexes. At the present stage, the state of the environment is deteriorating in large cities around the world and for several decades architectural communities around the world have been paying special attention to the environmental aspects of design and construction in order to create comfortable and sustainable urban spaces that support a favorable socio-ecological microclimate.

Theoretical formation in the field of critique: a critical reading of Chinese architectural anti-waste campaign in 1955

ABSTRACT This study appraises the ideological criticism that emerged in the Chinese architectural sphere during the anti-waste campaign of 1955, which marks a pivotal moment in the history of modern Chinese architecture. Within this timeframe, architects and architectural scholars such as Chen Gan, Shui Fengman, and Liu Dunzhen, respectively questioned, defended, and criticized Liang Sicheng’s architectural ideas. Their articles were published in prominent Chinese publications including People’s Daily, Wenyi Bao [Art News], Jianzhu Xuebao [Journal of Architecture], and Xin Jianshe [Journal of New Construction]. By delving deep into the conceptual framework and the logical structure of these long-neglected critique articles, this study unveils the intricate debates in Chinese architectural practice and theoretical concepts during the 1950s. The findings highlight that the ideological critique during the anti-waste campaign not only reflects the infiltration of politicized rhetoric into the architectural domain but also assumes a profound significance in terms of the early attempts of Chinese architects to re-evaluate architectural historiography through the lens of Marxist theory. This pivotal event laid the foundation for the gradual formation and consolidation of a series of discursive patterns within the Chinese architectural community, exerting a lasting influence on contemporary architectural discussions and writings in multifarious ways.

An End-to-End Benchmarking Tool for Analyzing the Hardware-Software Implications of Multi-modal DNNs

Abstract-Multi-modal deep neural networks (DNNs) have become increasingly pervasive in many machine learning application domains due to their superior accuracy by fusing various modalities together. However, multi-modal DNNs present many unique characteristics such as multi-stage execution, frequent synchronization and high heterogeneity, which are not well understood in the system and architecture community. In this article, we first present and characterize a set of multi-modal DNN workloads of different sizes from five domains and measure metrics like accuracy to ensure the availability of these applications from the algorithm perspective. We then explore their important hardwaresoftware implications from system and architecture aspects by conducting an in-depth analysis on the unique hardware-software characteristics of multimodal DNNs. We hope that our work can help guide future hardware-software design and optimization for efficient inference of multi-modal DNN applications on both cloud and edge computing platforms.

Architects from Different Fields of Activities in Lithuania and their Specific Mindsets

Abstract The paper focuses on the heterogeneity of the Lithuanian architects’ community across different fields of practice, including building design, building design and other projects, urban design, interior design, and other underrepresented design or non-design activities. It is based on a sociological survey involving 450 practising architects in Lithuania. The study identifies the distinct attitudes of each activity group towards architecture, architectural practice, and professional paths, generalises the profiles of these activity groups, and detects shared similarities or discrepancies among them. Architects involved in building design and those working on building design and other projects tend to share similar attitudes, forming the foundational worldview of the architectural community due to their quantitative prevalence. Interior designers and architects engaged in underrepresented design or non-design activities demonstrate relatively autonomous approaches. The latter group may either stand-alone or cluster with urban designers. The divergences in attitudes may lead to miscommunication within the professional community.

The profile of Lithuanian architects in relation to the professional generations active today

The research focuses on the professional profile of architects by analyzing their identity and creative principles. The aim is to explore the professional community of Lithuanian architects who are currently shaping the built environment, to identify their heterogeneity in terms of professional generations. The problem of the research is shaped by the current controversies in the field of architecture concerning the changing status, activities, and responsibilities of the architect. The relevance of the study lies in several aspects: the lack of in-depth sociological research on the professional community of Lithuanian architects; the attempt to verify and clarify the results of the semi-structured interview study Lithuanian Architects on Architecture, and the reflection on the global architectural situation and the new agenda for architectural design towards a high quality built environment. The study adopted a mixed methods research design. This involved the collection, analysis, and interpretation of both quantitative and qualitative data. This methodology is chosen because the research requires a complex and multifaceted approach to the phenomenon of architecture and the problems of architectural practice. It also allowed a larger group of research participants to be reached (450 respondents). The questionnaire contains 13 questions, each is structured in a multiple-choice format, with one option being an open-ended question. The questions are grouped under several themes: 1) the nature and fields of architectural practice and the concept of architecture; 2) the scope of practice and the allocation of professional time; 3) selfdetermination and professional loyalty; and 4) creative principles. Descriptive statistical methods were used to process the survey data. Content analysis and, to some extent, thematic analysis were used to analyze quantitative data from open-ended questions. The study highlights that the professional generations of architects analyzed follow the general trend of architecture, refuting the hypothesis that the approach of each generation is significantly different. However, it has been observed that the representatives of each generation show a particular attitude in a specific area, which indicates the dynamics of an attitude or predicts a change in the architectural community as a whole. The youngest generation of architects is an indicator of change. It is characterized by seeing a great diversity of aspects in architecture and architectural practice.

The importance of preserving the historical Jingu Gaien Park in the heart of Tokyo

In this commentary, we wish to briefly draw the international architectural community’s attention to an ongoing urban development struggle taking place in a highly historical and popular green zone in the heart of Tokyo, the Meiji Shrine Outer Garden, or Jingu Gaien Park. A proposed 13-year development project by Mitsui Fudosan Group, and with tacit support by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, may threaten the socio-cultural stability and perpetuity of Jingu Gaien Park. In the absence of a sound environmental impact assessment, and enough public participation, not only will an imbalance in the historical and cultural heritage occur, amplified by gentrification, so too might there be a negative impact on natural and environmental aspects of this historic site.

Shared Heritage Africa

Docomomo International is proud to present the results of the international project Shared Heritage Africa: Rediscovering Masterpieces and other selected papers from our call for papers Shared Heritage Africa – Campuses, published in December 2022. The SHA project itself, coordinated by Docomomo Germany, focused on rediscovering post-war modern buildings from the 1950s-1980s in the partner countries Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda. This period of independence from colonial rule, from the United Kingdom (Ghana 1957, Nigeria 1960, and Uganda 1962) and from Belgium (Rwanda 1962), has a great socio-political significance and influence on the educational systems and buildings. The rediscovery of this heritage focuses on exploring the values, challenges, and opportunities through the eyes of their contemporary users. Concentrating on the post-war modern buildings constructed after independence from colonial rule, the project celebrated projects that are situated at the periphery of the architectural discourse and, therefore, seldom documented despite their social, economic, and political significance.This Docomomo journal highlights the importance of the combination of local workshops, including student writing and photography workshops, exhibitions and ‘digital fellowships’ using the internet for dissemination. Exploratory interviews and narratives are used to collect testimonies of contemporary users⎯applied in the SHA project as well as in the other articles. Aspects discussed are, among others, the physical; deterioration (technical, functional, social), the cosmological; through the sense of identity, community, place attachment, maintenance and taking care, ownership and appropriation, and the environmental; considering the quality, and sustainability of spaces, and also conditions of comfort and satisfaction. While the method is in development, preliminary conclusions can already be sketched. The written, visual, and digital documentation of the built cultural heritage of Africa is a prerequisite for sustainable urban and social development. The approach builds upon African and international Docomomo initiatives and identifies students and young professionals as important groups to develop social, cultural, and political awareness and to further advance participatory tools.Most relevant were the partners in and from Africa who helped with their networks in Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda during the excursions and exhibitions: Ola Uduku (University of Liverpool), Taibat Lawanson (University of Lagos) are well-known and respected for their research on education buildings and urban development in Africa. Their commitment to the younger generations and the (built) heritage of Africa and their enthusiasm were instrumental to the achievements of the SHA project. Kuukuwa Manful from Docomomo Accra Chapter in Ghana finished her dissertation within the ERC program ‘African State Architecture’ during the project duration, and Mark Olweny (Uganda Martyrs University) in Kampala, Uganda, greatly supported the visit to Uganda and Rwanda. The photography and writing workshops and exhibitions were strongly supported by the project partners, namely photographer Jean Molitor, who has initiated his own art project ‘bau1haus’, is experienced in setting up exhibitions and shared his knowledge enthusiastically with the SHA-Fellows. Christian Burkhard brought in the competence of Architectuul, an architectural platform that, through its co-workers in various countries, forms an international architecture community. Finally, Anica Dragutinovic (TH OWL) coordinated the contact amongst the SHA-Fellows from the very beginning and during their visits to Europe to the 17th International Docomomo Conference in Valencia in 2022 and to the 19th Docomomo Germany Conference in Frankfurt 2023. Three exhibitions were organized: in Lagos in 2022, in Kampala and in Frankfurt in 2023.We also like to thank the members of the SHA project’s Advisory board: Ana Tostoes (University of Lisbon), Iain Jackson (University of Liverpool), Irene Appeaning Addo (University of Ghana), Kaija Voss (Architectural Historian), and Tino Mager (ICOMOS Germany).Finally, we are grateful to the German Federal Foreign Ministry that supported the project with a grant (AZ99210073) from 2021-2023, and it is with great pleasure that we are launching this issue of the Docomomo journal, published both in print and online via www.docomomojournal.com.

METHODS OF APPLYING THE ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN IN MODERN RESIDENTIAL COMPLEXES

The purpose of this work is the design of the environment and landscapes associated with human life, requires, on the one hand, taking into account the values and potential of the environment, and on the other hand, taking into account human needs. This design of the environment must be persistently pursued through interaction and balance with the environment. The purpose of this study was to propose strategies for applying an ecological approach to architectural design in modern residential complexes. The research method is descriptive-analytical and applied. Performing this study, both field and documentary methods, data were collected, analyzed and integrated. In order to highlight Weakness and internal weakness, as well as external opportunities and threats, we used the SWOT analysis model, identifying the most preferred design strategies, as well as integrating the landscapes of the external and internal environment using the QSPM matrix. The results showed that the most preferred strategy for designing open areas and landscapes with an ecological vision and improving visual quality is the approach of spatial and visual continuation with the internal atmosphere of residential complexes. Today it has become obvious that in large cities of the Earth the natural component of the environment is noticeably reduced and a particularly topical issue, for the past decades, is the appeal of the world architectural community to the environmental aspects of design and construction, contributing to the comfortable, sustainable development of urban space favorable social and environmental logical microclimate of the architectural environment.

On imitation and Style (Transfer). Discussions on the Revivalism Permeating AI Technologies

The surge in the proliferation of AI-generated images within the past three years has significantly disrupted the established norms of architectural production. Whether manifested in text-to-image, image-to-image, or text-to-video systems, the pervasive influence of generative AI has introduced novel considerations into ongoing discussions within global architectural communities. These discussions scrutinize the rightful application or potential misuse of generative AI in academic research and professional contexts, prompting a reevaluation of its legitimacy. [...]

Jerzy Sołtan’s design of a church in communist Poland

In 1957, the Catholic Church in Poland was faced with the opportunity to build new churches for the first time since the end of the Second World War. One of the proposals was put forward by Le Corbusier’s pupil Jerzy Sołtan. His design for a church in Sochaczew, far from the austere and economical modernism promoted in Poland at the time, was favourably received by the architectural community. However, it was criticised and misunderstood by representatives of the Church. At the turn of 1957 and 1958, debates about contemporary churches in Poland emerged, a modest reflection of the debates in Western Europe in the years before and after the Second Vatican Council. The processes shaping sacred architecture in communist Poland until the end of its existence in 1989 were then revealed. The state authorities were hostile to the Catholic Church and actively fought against its building initiatives in the first decades after the introduction of communism in Poland in 1945. However, this case study of the design of the church in Sochaczew reveals that the state authorities did not openly interfere in the shaping of forms of sacred architecture. The Church, who was responsible for choosing the design, was not interested in employing avant-garde architectural language to distinguish itself from constructions promoted by the state.

Architectural CO2 Footprint Tool: Designing Sustainable Computer Systems With an Architectural Carbon Modeling Tool

Given the performance and efficiency optimizations realized by the computer systems and architecture community over the last decades, the dominating source of computing’s carbon footprint is shifting from operational emissions to embodied emissions. These embodied emissions owe to hardware manufacturing and infrastructure-related activities. Despite the rising embodied emissions, there is a distinct lack of architectural modeling tools to quantify and optimize the end-to-end carbon footprint of computing. This work proposes ACT, an architectural carbon footprint modeling framework, to enable carbon characterization and sustainability-driven early design space exploration. Using ACT we demonstrate optimizing hardware for carbon yields distinct solutions compared to optimizing for performance and efficiency. We construct use cases, based on the three tenets of sustainable design—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—to highlight future methods that enable strong performance and efficiency scaling in an environmentally sustainable manner

A SCAN-TO-BIM WORKFLOW PROPOSAL FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE. AUTOMATIC POINT CLOUD SEGMENTATION AND PARAMETRIC-ADAPTIVE MODELLING OF VAULTED SYSTEMS

Abstract. Cultural Heritage has been significantly impacted by advancements in the Information and Communications Technology domains, which have inspired a strong multidisciplinary interest and enabled the development of innovative strategies for the preservation, management, and enhancement of the heritage itself. Notably, the digitisation process, which entails the acquisition of 3D data obtained through cutting-edge LiDAR and photogrammetric scanning techniques, is set up as an advantageous tool for producing an accurate representation of the historical buildings. In addition, point clouds and reliable HBIM models have caught the minds of the architectural community, and are now receiving huge backing from Artificial Intelligence. Such support is provided by procedures that link semantic features to structural and decorative elements. In this scenario, the following research is presented: the aim is to test an automated iterative process within a scan-to-BIM methodology, starting from automatic point cloud segmentation operations with open-source, model-fitting algorithms. This method will prove to be a solid support for the final phase of the 3D parametric/adaptive reconstruction that’s also compatible with BIM Authoring. The study focuses on various masonry vaulted systems. These types of structures are first examined using ideal models, which were perfectly discretised and set up by the user, and then employed as a starting point for validating the parameters of the RANSAC algorithm on point clouds acquired by laser scanners. These latter ones nevertheless have irregular geometries, making comprehension, analysis, and management far more challenging.

Post_production. architectural design and the landscape of de-industrialisation

Industrial facilities have been dispersed across the American and European landscapes since the early Nineteenth century. Also, their activity encouraged the growth of a vast global network of logistical, mining, and agricultural infrastructures. Yet, since the late 1960s, a significant number of productive sectors have been gradually dismantled as a result of technical advancement, obsolescence, and changes in industrial regulations. The repurposing of “brownfields”, as abandoned industrial sites have been dubbed, became a topic of discussion in the architectural community. In the 1980s, this circumstance presented an amazing opportunity to modernise the layout of Western cities. Yet, contemporary critical views on the nature and effects of industrialism, societal transformations, and awareness of the environmental crisis at the turn of the Twentieth century call for refocusing the architectural discussion regarding brownfields. In this essay, case studies are examined and set against the backdrop of an expanding conversation in architecture regarding sustainability.