Management Of Architectural Heritage Research Articles

Knowledge-Driven and Diffusion Model-Based Methods for Generating Historical Building Facades: A Case Study of Traditional Minnan Residences in China

The preservation of historical traditional architectural ensembles faces multifaceted challenges, and the need for facade renovation and updates has become increasingly prominent. In conventional architectural updating and renovation processes, assessing design schemes and the redesigning component are often time-consuming and labor-intensive. The knowledge-driven method utilizes a wide range of knowledge resources, such as historical documents, architectural drawings, and photographs, commonly used to guide and optimize the conservation, restoration, and management of architectural heritage. Recently, the emergence of artificial intelligence-generated content (AIGC) technologies has provided new solutions for creating architectural facades, introducing a new research paradigm to the renovation plans for historic districts with their variety of options and high efficiency. In this study, we propose a workflow combining Grasshopper with Stable Diffusion: starting with Grasshopper to generate concise line drawings, then using the ControlNet and low-rank adaptation (LoRA) models to produce images of traditional Minnan architectural facades, allowing designers to quickly preview and modify the facade designs during the renovation of traditional architectural clusters. Our research results demonstrate Stable Diffusion’s precise understanding and execution ability concerning architectural facade elements, capable of generating regional traditional architectural facades that meet architects’ requirements for style, size, and form based on existing images and prompt descriptions, revealing the immense potential for application in the renovation of traditional architectural groups and historic districts. It should be noted that the correlation between specific architectural images and proprietary term prompts still requires further addition due to the limitations of the database. Although the model generally performs well when trained on traditional Chinese ancient buildings, the accuracy and clarity of more complex decorative parts still need enhancement, necessitating further exploration of solutions for handling facade details in the future.

Il piano di conservazione e gestione per le Scuole Nazionali d’Arte di Cuba. Un contributo al percorso di candidatura alla WHL.


 This paper contributes to the ongoing debate on methods and tools for the preservation and management of architectural heritage, and presents the Conservation Management Plan developed between 2018 and 2020 for the National Schools of Arts of Havana. The authors focus on the GIS based tools created to manage information collected by the different work groups who contributed to the drafting of the Plan. The outcome is an articulated and flexible system which aims to describe the complexity of the schools, as well as to actively involve interested actors in order to share cultural values, operational needs and priorities of intervention. Indeed, the objective of a Conservation Management Plan is to clarify the significance of a place, and define in which ways such significance will be maintained in future transformations. The GIS developed for the National Art Schools enabled to archive, systematize, and analyze data according to the double-scale approach which characterized the entire research (the territorial and the architectural one), thus becoming an essential tool for the implementation of the CMP.

Enhancing heritage building preservation with MCDM and HBIM: A research proposal

Conservation and management of architectural heritage is gaining importance in the context of responsible development and environmental awareness. The integration of Heritage Building Information Management (HBIM) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) is capable of addressing the challenges of heritage preservation decision-making. HBIM, tailored to historic structures, serves as a digital repository of geometric and semantic data of any kind related to these buildings, while MCDM provides a structured framework for decision-making, considering technical and subjective aspects.This research proposal aims to optimize heritage preservation decision-making processes by identifying possible decisions, designing user-oriented workflows, and integrating them into a cohesive framework. This approach seeks to foster collaboration, provide practical guidelines, and contribute to effective informed decision-making by all stakeholders involved in heritage management. Despite limitations, the research proposal has the potential to improve the effective integration of decision-making processes in the management of heritage structures.

Collaborative Mapping as a Tool for Citizen Participation: A Case of Cultural Heritage Management in Rural Areas

The role of citizens in the construction of knowledge is undergoing a clear transformation from a passive position, as mere observers and/or receivers, to an increasingly participatory role. This issue, which is directly related to governance policies as well as to the ICT revolution, can be seen in the field of cultural heritage and particularly architectural heritage management. The present paper aims to generate methodologies to involve citizens as active agents who must be involved in a real way in decision making concerning the protection and enhancement of cultural heritage. The results present the creation of a rural heritage interactive cartographic viewer as a collaborative mapping tool. The conclusions drawn position the citizens of rural, dispersed, or vulnerable areas as informers and builders of knowledge about the cultural and architectural heritage of their environment in terms of citizen science. At the same time, it strengthens the development of innovation strategies in the intervention, management, and communication of the existing dispersed heritage in rural areas.

VREA PROJECT - A DIGITAL CURATOR FOR ARCHITECTURE AND DIGITAL PERSPECTIVES FOR HERITAGE MANAGEMENT AND ENHANCEMENT

Abstract. Thinking about architectural education, one must face the challenges of the ever-changing and digital world and bear in mind the figure of the architect of the future - the curator of digital data. Nowadays the aim is to train specialists who know how to manage the production of digital products and are able to face the challenges of digital change in the field of architecture and architectural heritage management. Virtual Reality Engineering and Game Design for Architecture and Cultural Heritage (VREA) will be a new Master’s degree course designed to generate a new professional figure in charge of the technological evolution and at the same time having critical sensitivity towards the architectural heritage, its conservation, and enhancement. These objectives received funding as part of the call of European Erasmus Mundus Design Measures (ERASMUS-EDU-2021-EMJM-DESIGN) for the development of new, innovative, high-level integrated transnational study programmes at the Master level. VREA project aims to create a basis for a new international joint Master level course to create a new generation of architects and engineers equipped with the cultural and technical knowledge for managing Digital Twins in the field of Cultural Heritage, outlining at the same time the future course of study for architects and engineers. The result of the work is an innovative, international and comprehensive programme, strengthening the competences of all project participants and aimed at educating architects and engineers of the future, prepared for the challenges of the 21st century.

Architectural Heritage Management at Local Level in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Architectural Heritage Management at Local Level in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

State-Subsidised Housing and Architecture in 20th-Century Portugal: A Critical Review Outlining Multidisciplinary Implications

Stable access to affordable quality housing is a core feature of public health principles and practices. In this report, we provide an update on the research project “Mapping Public Housing: A Critical Review of the State-subsidised Residential Architecture in Portugal (1910–1974)” (MdH), developed between 2016 and 2019 at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP) in Portugal. This funded research project (PTDC/CPC-HAT/1688/2014) brought together an international and multidisciplinary team composed of architects, sociologists, historians, an economist, an anthropologist, information scientists and archivists, from different academic levels (senior researchers, postdoctoral, PhD and Master’s degree students), adopting a variety of approaches and operating in a range of different contexts. The aim of the research undertaken was to investigate the reality of social and state-subsidised housing in terms of its architecture, while, at the same time, seeking to broaden our understanding of this phenomenon and of the transition to a democratic regime. Furthermore, this research project was designed to contribute towards the development of common ground for supporting decisions in the environmental, social and economic fields relating to housing management, as well as architectural heritage management and protection. This review is based on the submitted application (2015) and final report (2020).

The influence of interpretation on learning about architectural heritage and on the perception of cultural significance

ABSTRACT Architectural heritage has great potential to motivate visits to some tourism destinations. The literature suggests that interpretation may contribute to expanding knowledge of cultural heritage and positively influence the formation of the cognitive image of this heritage. However, empirical evidence on the influence of interpretation of architectural heritage, both on learning and on image creation, is scarce and limited in scope. This paper aims to extend previous research by analysing the influence of interpretation on learning and on perceptions of the cultural significance of architectural heritage. It focuses on visitors to two buildings, located in the Portuguese town of Aveiro, already considered important tourism attractions. The study is based on a questionnaire survey and on an experimental method involving the creation of brochures about the buildings under analysis. The findings suggest that interpretation may contribute to learning about and recognition of the cultural significance of architectural heritage. The results reveal that visitors who used the brochure created for the study perceived the two buildings to have higher aesthetic value and, in the case of the cathedral, had greater knowledge about the building, compared to those who did not. The paper ends with theoretical and practical contributions to architectural heritage management.

La reutilización hotelera del patrimonio monástico gallego

La recuperación de monumentos mediante la asignación de nuevos usos distintos a los originales es una práctica cada vez más frecuente en la gestión del patrimonio arquitectónico. También es cada vez mayor el número de establecimientos hoteleros localizados en edificios de gran valor histórico y/o artístico. El origen de esta actividad se remonta a principios del siglo XX con el nacimiento de una conciencia sobre la importancia que poseía el patrimonio para la floreciente industria turística. La creación estatal de una red variada de alojamientos dio lugar a un tipo de hotel que se instalaría en edificaciones ruinosas que una vez rehabilitadas recuperarían su utilidad, logrando así armonizar la salvaguarda del patrimonio monumental español con el impulso del turismo. Esta práctica se extendió rápidamente por todo el país, y también por Galicia. Este trabajo viene a completar una parte importante del estudio sobre el impacto del turismo y la gestión cultural en la conservación del patrimonio histórico-artístico gallego: mediante el análisis de cinco monumentos religiosos rehabilitados como establecimientos hoteleros comprobaremos cómo el abandono del inmueble supone el inicio de su inevitable ruina, demostrándose que la opción de un nuevo uso se presenta como la mejor garantía para su supervivencia, entendiendo este acto desde la capacidad del monumento de estar vivo y de participar en la sociedad del momento.
 
 [gl] A recuperación de monumentos mediante a asignación de novos usos distintos aos orixinais é unha práctica cada vez máis frecuente na xestión do patrimonio arquitectónico. Tamén é cada vez maior o número de establecementos hoteleiros localizados en edificios de gran valor histórico e/ou artístico. A orixe desta actividade remóntase a principios do século XX co nacemento dunha conciencia sobre a importancia que posuía o patrimonio para a florecente industria turística. A creación estatal dunha rede variada de aloxamentos deu lugar a un tipo de hotel que se instalaría en edificacións ruinosas que unha vez rehabilitadas recuperarían a súa utilidade, logrando así harmonizar a salvagarda do patrimonio monumental español co pulo do turismo. Esta práctica estendeuse rapidamente por todo o país, e tamén por Galicia. Este traballo ven completar unha parte importante do estudo sobre o impacto do turismo e a xestión cultural na conservación do patrimonio histórico-artístico galego: mediante a análise de cinco monumentos relixiosos rehabilitados como establecementos hostaleiros comprobaremos como o abandono do inmoble supón o inicio da súa inevitable ruína, demostrándose que a opción dun novo uso preséntase como a mellor garantía para a súa supervivencia, entendendo este acto desde a capacidade do monumento de estar vivo e de participar na sociedade do momento.

State and management of architectural heritage in Kolkata

Kolkata has two unique typologies of architecture: firstly the colonial architecture established by the British, and secondly, an indigenous style developed by the native Bengali people mixing European, Persian and Indian styles of architecture developed during late eighteenth to early twentieth century which constitute architectural heritage in Kolkata. However, since 1990s with globalisation and urbanisation, old existing and historic buildings are being demolished for construction of large buildings thus erasing traditional cultural patina, demanding resources and degrading environment. This article briefly demonstrates the architectural heritage and the problems and proposals regarding their safeguard and management through appropriate planning.

New functions of old cities: The case of East Germany's small sized cities

Cultural tourism associates itself with complex issues of dealing with urban memory. As a connotative communication channel, tourism sites and monuments are a perspective through which a city speaks for itself. A number of tourist destinations in the former GDR state faced drastic changes in their tourism management after the national unification of Germany. Which voice does the cultural heritage contain in these cities along its dissonant history and how the local perceptions on the heritage have been altered in the last 25 years are the main subjects of this research. Based on the former studies on the topic of 'heritage and urban identity', this paper explores the relation between architectural heritage management and the dwellers' perceptions on the heritage since the removal of visa controls between GDR and BDR in 1989. Compared to the economic and political studies after the German reunification, socio-cultural issues on local identity and cultural re-adaption process have not been much discussed. Taking three exemplary cities in Thuringia (Eisenach, Gotha and Weimar), the document analysis of the conceptual changes in cultural tourism management and qualitative interviews on both authorities and residents will be done. By providing empirical data on the ongoing German governance, the author attempts to explore the role of cultural heritage in Germany's urban resilience. Furthermore, this research aims to contribute to the contemporary agenda on cultural tourism management in multi-identity societies over international borders.

Construcción de la base gráfica para un sistema de información y gestión del patrimonio arquitectónico: Casa de Hylas

Professional experience and contact with experts reveal a pressing problem in the field of knowledge and management of architectural heritage: the tendency to scatter the information obtained from the different areas –administration, scientific community and professionals of architecture– and disciplines involved –archaeologists, historians, architects, etc.–, causing serious problems of data loss or duplication. That reality has produced lack of efficiency in planning and implementing the various activities of maintenance and intervention in these architectures, as well as wastage of important investigative work. Such circumstances obstruct disclosure and, therefore, knowledge of heritage. As a possible solution to that problem, this article describes an experience that aims to lay the groundwork for building a tool that, based on computer models, is able to contain and manage the information generated about a historical monument, facilitating cross-cutting relationships between different analysis that address the knowledge of the building. In this case, the analysis of the construction and conservation of one of the buildings of the archaeological site of Italica forms the data base of this tool still in gestation, thus establishing the basic knowledge for its management and conservation.

Evolution of the architectural and heritage representation

Since the 16th Century, the construction of monuments and historical sites has undergone a significant change, due to the constant developments in measuring techniques and tools. Old world travellers returned with detailed descriptions on distant cultures, many of them including illustrations and representations of monuments and settings. Since the 19th Century, research on these ancient cultures claimed for detailed and accurate architectural representations, and heritage started being catalogued. The sketches were complemented with topographic surveys and illustrated reports. Discrete and subjective techniques to acquire information led to other massive data acquisition techniques, including space and theme-related. Digital photogrammetry or laser scanning reproduce characteristics far beyond mere geometry or spatial position. Currently, a 3D representation divided into 2D planes is inadequate with the availability of 3D virtual models, including colour and texture information. Geographic information systems (GIS) that link alphanumerical information to graphic representations simplify the analysis and data access for cataloguing architectural heritage. A historical review of all the above-mentioned techniques is made stressing the main advances achieved in architectural heritage management.