Frontiers of Architectural Research最新文献

Archaeological research at the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC), which has been carried out until 2023, aims to complete the chronological data and urbanization process of the ancient Kedah. This study will especially prove that the ongoing urbanization process is aimed at developing the iron smelting industry and trade in ancient Kedah, especially in SBAC. This is because archaeological research at SBAC has proven that with the existence of the ancient Kedah iron smelting workshop at SBAC, river jetties, port management, rituals, and Buddhist monuments began to be erected, all of which can be determined by chronometric dating. The results of the chronometric dating have proven that the ancient Kedah Kingdom existed since the 6th century BC and was oriented towards the trade of iron resources, which allowed the use of the area to grow rapidly. The process of urbanization and land use clearly conforms to Lynch's principle, which emphasizes the principles of 1) paths, 2) edges, 3) districts, 4) nodes, and 5) landmarks in the development process of land use and urbanization in the complex.

The Republic of Korea has the highest suicide rate of older population among OECD countries, and depression is the prevailing factor. While it is well-known that the urban physical environment affects mental health, research on the physical characteristics of spaces remains limited. This study aims to explore relationship-oriented space characteristics that can form social networks and reduce depressive symptoms in older adults. After analyzing the differences in social interaction spaces between high-density and low-density areas for older adults in Seoul, we identified social interaction spaces (parks and traditional markets) that are frequently used based on on-site interview results. Two areas were selected for the questionnaire surveys. The main findings revealed that older adults living in areas with diverse spatial planning and close physical relationships between parks and traditional markets, convenient pedestrian environments, and lower population density of older adults had better social networks and lower depressive symptoms. More significantly, the physical characteristics of parks and traditional markets (convenient accessibility, maximized visibility, connectivity, and territoriality) significantly facilitate social interactions. Those engaging in social interactions within these spaces exhibited significantly better social networks and lower depressive symptoms. These findings underscore the importance of considering relationship-oriented space characteristics in spatial and urban planning.

Tourist preferences are important for the high-quality planning and design of recreation spaces. The famous scenic locale of West Lake in Hangzhou, China, is used as an example in this study. Based on multi-source data (e.g., online comments, and tourist photographs), we used content analysis, kernel density estimation, and image semantic segmentation technology to determine the spatial distribution of tourists' landscape preferences. We analyzed these spatial sight characteristics from the viewpoint, sight distance, and perspectives. The results show that tourists' landscape preferences are mainly concentrated on landscape architecture for recreation. The viewpoints of these preferences are concentrated in the north-south embankment—far beyond that of the east-west embankment. The preferences also show a spatial sequence in terms of sight distance, and the best visual effect is the open platform at the north and south islands of Xiaoyingzhou. From the perspective of vision, the degree of spatial openness in the tourists' landscape preferences is proportional to the distance of vision; the two factors have a convergent relationship. The discussion of the characteristics of tourists’ landscape preference and space sight creation in Xiaoyingzhou provides a reference for the quality improvement of island recreation space.

The urban cemetery is the material carrier of citizens' view of life and death, and it also evolves with time as a special part of the urban form. Since the reform of the housing system in the 1990s, China has entered a period of rapid urbanization, and the urban cemeteries has entered a cycle of shock and accelerated transformation. The cemeteries originally located on the urban fringe were gradually surrounded by new built-up areas as the city sprawled, and then most of them inevitably migrated outward under the pressure of urban population explosion and land shortage. Taking Nanjing as an example, this paper presents the morphological evolution of Nanjing's urban cemetery since the early 20th century, discusses the relationship between the evolution of the cemetery and the urban fringe belt, and analyzes the reasons for its evolution. The different types of morphological evolution of Nanjing cemetery are further summarized, revealing the general law and its Chinese particularity. The article concludes with a discussion of the value and significance of morphological research on urban cemeteries in China.

Historic urban areas are a crucial component of urban heritage, embodying the collective memory of urban development and possessing distinctive urban textures and cultural attributes. However, the growing impact of globalization on the urban environment poses challenges to historic urban areas, including diminishing social recognition, aging infrastructure, loss of vitality, and cultural erosion. To address these challenges, this study proposes a novel approach to revitalizing historic urban areas by employing space syntax methodology. The study focuses on Yushan Historic District in China as a case study and uses spatial models within space syntax to describe, analyze, and interpret its urban morphology. The objective is to enhance urban vitality while preserving the heritage fabric of historic urban areas. Additionally, it aims to contribute to the advancement of space syntax research, specifically in the context of urban renewal and revitalization of historic districts. The findings reveal the spatial factors that contribute to the generation of vitality within the district, identify areas requiring intervention, and provide strategies for revitalizing historic urban areas. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing a space syntax approach in urban revitalization, providing valuable guidance for effectively conserving urban heritage within the context of urban renewal.

This paper examines historical urban fabrics' challenges regarding quality of life and visual disturbances despite their cultural and identity value. Regeneration and social-oriented approaches considering social, economic, and cultural dimensions preserve and enhance these valuable materials. Tactical urbanism, with its people-oriented approach, can address these issues. This study focused on Sarpol in Khomeinishahr County, Isfahan Province of Iran. The city's urban structure divides into two parts: despite its active social structure and valuable spaces, Sarpol is a historic neighborhood with significant deterioration. We followed Corbin and Strauss's version of Grounded Theory in the qualitative research methodology. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were employed to select 21 participants from the Sarpol neighborhood for semi-structured interviews. The analysis involved three stages of coding: open, axial, and selective. The themes included religious participation, identity, sustainable social bonds, indigenous dependence, and low environmental quality. The central issue identified was the crucial role of religious and cultural values as a driving force for tactical urbanism, which emerged as the most critical semantic domain related to the research problem.

Aesthetic evaluations, including beauty and attractiveness, have an important role in our lives. Despite its importance in our every-day life, enough attention has not been devoted to the assessment of place attractiveness in previous studies. We assume that changes in elements of square attractiveness are associated with changes in brain functional connectivity patterns. In this study, we have tried to explore the relationship between elements of square attractiveness and individuals' emotional perception as well as the brain mechanism involved in the process of cognitive development. There has been a focus on using objective measures of physiological rather than using self-reported data of an individual's emotions because people cannot understand their emotions properly and it is needed to compare self-report emotions with physiological processes. Classification of the five main elements of attractiveness was performed using the Delphi technique. Subsequently, twenty-four healthy young adults were exposed to the visual stimuli consists of five elements. A 32-channel EEG system was used to record the brain activities of participants while watching the stimuli. The subjects' feelings about valence and arousal levels of the elements were evaluated using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) technique. The findings showed that “visual openness” is the most important element to increase the square attractiveness of everyday landscape in residential areas. The analysis revealed a significant difference (p = 0.048) in arousal ratings between more attractive (more openness) (M = 4.77) and less attractive (less openness) (M = 4.52). Attractiveness elements of the stimuli have a region-specific association with brain functional connectivity networks. This pattern is mainly found in the functional connections between central parts of the brain.

The study addresses the issue of monotonous and lengthy corridors with a single spatial form commonly found in Chinese elderly facilities. We aim to assess the influence of the built spatial environment on the emotions of the elderly quantitatively. To do this, Virtual Reality (VR) technology was employed to construct a digital twin model featuring three corridor forms: straight, arc, and folded, respectively. Forty participants experienced walking in each corridor form for 144 s, while electroencephalogram (EEG) data and subjective questionnaires were collected to explore the psychological and physiological effects caused by different corridors. The results of the questionnaire indicate that arc corridor yielded the highest satisfaction, followed by straight corridor, and the satisfaction for folded corridor is the lowest. EEG results show that folded corridor has 26.0% higher average power than arc corridor and 6.6% higher than straight corridor. The participants consume less energy and are more satisfied in arc corridor, compared to straight and folded corridors. The results establish a correlation between spatial form and occupant perception, suggesting that moderate spatial variations contribute to a better experience of the elderly. Moreover, this study provides quantitative cross-referencing information to optimize the design methods of public space in elderly facilities.

Walking, as the main mode of soft mobility, has become an integral aspect of urban tourism. The development of pedestrian tourist routes plays a crucial role in enhancing the positive walking experience in urban tourist destinations. This research employs a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with GIS to rank street segments, establishing walking-oriented tourist paths in Shiraz's historic district, Iran. The initial steps involve identifying pivotal criteria through literature reviews and expert surveys. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) establishes criteria and sub-criteria weights using input from 30 experts. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) then prioritizes street segments based on sub-criteria such as traffic safety, image ability and heritage assets, security, land use and activity, accessibility, comfort and convenience, and human scale. Furthermore, a Space Syntax analysis (SSA) is conducted to evaluate the morphology of the street network in the study area and identify streets with potential for pedestrian movement. By integrating these analyses, a prime corridor for a pedestrian tourist route is identified. This study offers planners and policymakers a valuable tool for pre-investment decision-making, aiding the promotion of walkability in tourist-centric areas.

Vertical greening systems (VGS) are promising green infrastructure (GI) techniques for addressing urban resilience issues, like mitigating high temperatures and air pollution. This research aims to develop a conceptual framework to help designers better understand the VGS' effects on buildings and urban areas, focusing on thermal performance and air quality improvement in hot, humid climates. The framework consists of three steps: (1) Identifying climate problems that hinder the improvement of built environment resilience in hot climates; (2) Selecting VGS as a type of GI that can enhance urban resilience; (3) Identifying the common key factors that impact both thermal performance and air quality while developing VGS at the urban and building scales. The results show that the framework can be customized to suit hot climate conditions. However, when applying VGS in built environment with specified climate conditions, the construction of VGS, greenery coverage ratio, plant species, facade orientation, and VGS formation have the most significant influences on their environmental performance. Additionally, the air gap between VGS and the facade has optimal performance in hot, humid climates. The paper concludes with some recommendations for future research and practice on VGSs in hot and humid climates.