Frontiers of Architectural Research最新文献

The urban development of Tirana during the last few years is characterized by significant expansion, population growth and intensive residential construction. The post-socialist city became much denser, more diverse in terms of building types, taller, and relatively lacking in public space. This study is focused on the evaluation of in-between open public spaces, which are specific for different urban settings. The spatial configuration of in-between spaces is analyzed in relation to the level of social interaction and the presence of economic activities. Six neighborhoods, which belong to socialist and post-socialist tower, slab, and courtyard building typologies, are selected as case studies. Research methodology includes Space Syntax analysis, site surveys, and observations aiming to comprehend the socioeconomic performance and spatial organization of the neighborhoods. The overlap of the activity pattern, human behavior mapping, syntactic measurements, and site survey allows understanding the performance of different types of open spaces and to find the in-between space that facilitates the development of social and economic activities.

New methods are need to coordinate the conflicting spatial demands through urban design research and strategies from the perspective of multi-scale urban climate analysis. To integrate wind–thermal environment with urban design, we propose three scale levels, namely the district-superblock, superblock-block, and block-building levels, and divide the urban design elements into voids and solids. Thereafter, we establish a multiscale methodological framework in which the urban design contents are clarified by each scale, and the information transmitted between scales is obtained to ensure consistent value propositions and strategic approaches. The microclimate shaping of the urban open space is transformed into guiding strategies and quantitative indicators of the spatial form of the solid space. Information is transmitted between the scales through the wind–thermal indicators of windward side and the morphological indicators of solid space. Subsequently, the methodology was applied to the project in the core area of Suzhou Science and Technology City, and the findings preliminarily verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the methodology. This research influences urban climate studies and urban design practice in three ways: 1) improving understanding of the correlation between scales; 2) facilitating interaction between the two domains; and 3) providing tools for urban design practices.

While new buildings continue to emerge in the process of urbanization, historical buildings, as valuable legacies carrying national historical memory, play an important role in the urban landscape. Previous studies have shown that color harmony is a crucial factor in coordinating urban landscapes. However, the evaluation of color harmony in historic areas and buildings lacks effective quantitative standards, often overlooking factors such as complementary color harmony and the compatibility of analogous colors. This study aims to build a new method to evaluate the color harmony of historical buildings through street view technology, semantic segmentation algorithms, quantification of color harmony methods based on image property detection and classification, questionnaire verification, and takes Shanghai's historical buildings as an example to explore. Our study categorizes six types of color harmony indexes for Shanghai street-facing historic buildings into three levels, with the top tier serving as a benchmark for excellence and the lowest tier highlighting areas in need of urban environmental improvement. This study uniquely considers color compatibility within hue ranges and expanded relationship types like complementary harmony. This approach, applicable to cities globally, offers practical tools for urban planners and conservators in managing and preserving historic areas and buildings.

This study aims to contribute to the understanding of the evolution of art and construction in the early settlements established by Turkish communities on the far west Asian coast by focusing on two developed examples in Urla Peninsula. Conventional surveying and evaluation techniques of architectural restoration and civil engineering were utilized. Key findings include the understanding of the hierarchy of rural settlements in the studied landscape: old Çesme the most developed village of peninsula in the 16th century. It was positioned along a valley in distance to coast, but in control of harbor that played significant role in commerce between Europe and Asia. Its mosque and tomb, dated to late 14th – early 15th centuries, used to crown it. Cylindrical minaret tower of mosque, domed tomb tower on a cubical base and squinch in the transition zone of mosque are evidences for Central Asian roots. Usage of local lime stone, re-usage of andesite blocks, framing of the stone blocks with bricks, and pendentive in tomb refer to Roman-Byzantine constructions. The study presents the development of Turkish art and construction on the far west Asian coast in the 14th‒15th centuries. Findings will be a guide for related conservation management in similar contexts.

Sustainability, beauty, and power are notions that hit our contemporary perception every day. However, they have been an integral part of architecture and urban planning in various forms since the ages. The paper presents their fundamental descriptions, followed by an assessment of their mutual relations and impact on architecture through a triangular architectural relation model developed by the authors of the article. Using the theoretical thought experiment, it highlights eight boundary models along with their main characteristics, in particular, the implosion, explosion, shared-control, utilitarian, no-control, supremacy, inside-forced, and outside-forced architectural related models. Such models can help predict future events, explain past events, make decisions, and plan strategies, or reveal problems and propose new solutions. Other applications include determination of the causes of certain results or finding out the responsibility and mechanisms that led to them. The authors are of the opinion that the mutual denominator of sustainability, beauty, and power represents ethics that should be forced in architectural education and practice.

Diverse heritage architecture characterizes Port Said in Egypt, reflecting European and Arab influences. Suez Canal heritage villas comprise 25% of the total listed heritage buildings in the city. Thus, it is important to retrofit them, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By reviewing the previous literature related to the green retrofitting of heritage buildings, the (3Ts) framework can be considered a holistic framework that covers the latest trends due to its three components: targets, tools, and tasks, which help the success of the process through a holistic vision of supporting building information modeling (BIM) technologies and organizing stakeholders' involvement. This paper aims to apply the (3Ts) framework to Suez Canal heritage villas in Port Said, Egypt. The applied study is based on how stakeholders perceive their input and decision-making, measuring the climate parameters, proposing several green retrofits, and integrating them into green scenarios. Evaluation of scenarios is conducted by utilizing the Design Builder simulation software. Additionally, the Skelion plugin calculates the photovoltaic system's (PVs) energy generation. The results indicated that the total energy savings could reach approximately 12%–74% and nearly 10%–73% CO₂ emissions reduction without affecting heritage values.

Dutch housing associations are dealing with a growing number of tenants who are ageing in place. Meanwhile, there is a lack of suitable housing that meets the (social) needs of this target group. Clustered housing, which offers a socio-spatial context that facilitates encounters between residents, is considered a promising housing concept to (partly) fill this gap. However, clustered housing is a broad concept consisting of a variety of housing types that differ from each other in the extent to which people “live together”. Still little is known about which types of clustered housing can be distinguished in relation to the potential for social interaction. Therefore, in this article we distinguish between types of clustered housing based on social, organizational, and spatial building characteristics. We have mapped these characteristics by combining real estate data of housing association Woonzorg Nederland with survey data collected among their building managers. Based on this dataset, an explorative cluster analysis was performed, resulting in four types of clustered housing. Finally, further exploration of the data shows that, from the perspective of building managers, residents of certain types of clustered housing interact more often and feel more connected with each other than residents of non-clustered housing types.

The modern architectural heritage is the core carrier of city's historical inheritance and vitality. Its value is related to the spatial and temporal evolution of the urban landscape, along with the collective memory of society and transformation in public life. The contradiction between high-speed urban construction and architectural heritage preservation has proliferated, and the problems of loss of heritage culture and fading of relics are very significant, but there is a lack of research on modern architectural heritage. This study analysed in-depth the artistic archetypes and evolutionary characteristics of the architecture of Zhongshan Park in Xiamen through field research and historical data collation, adopting the theory method of architectural typology. Afterwards, we analysed the architectural typology of Zhongshan Park in Xiamen and the process of acculturation and translation with foreign cultures, explored the motives of its formation and the cultural meanings of the public space embodied in it. Based on this, we proposed a sustainable development heritage approach for the modern architectural heritage of Zhongshan Park in Xiamen. Our results indicate that modern architectural art has inherited classical Chinese historical and cultural traditions and ideological foundations. Its unique characteristics reflect the spirit of the times and result from the gradual development of Western influence. Moreover, it embodies a strong sense of national identity. These findings enrich the academic research on the cultural interaction between Chinese and Western architecture, offering valuable insights for the conservation and living heritage of modern architectural heritage in other regions.

Traditional Jiangnan garden architecture in China offers distinct spatial impressions that hold significance in contemporary architectural expression. Yet, the understanding and analysis of these spaces have historically relied on subjective, sensory experiences, often lacking precise, quantitative research. Consequently, establishing clear logical connections between visual cognition and emotional perception within these spatial experiences has been a challenge. This study introduces virtual reality spatial simulation and quantification techniques, summarizing key Jiangnan garden spatial characteristics and prototypes. It includes a series of virtual reality experiments focusing on cognitive experiences within Jiangnan garden spaces. A comprehensive analysis of isovisit quantitative data, questionnaires, and behavioral information explores the logical relationships between emotional perceptions (calmness, surprise, interest, confusion) and visual cognition qualities (openness, complexity, theatricality) in garden space impressions. This research aims to reveal deeper connections between garden space qualities, visual cognition, and emotional experiences, offering valuable insights for the application of historical traditional spatial features in contemporary architecture. It bridges the gap between sensory experiences and rational analysis, enhancing our understanding of the intricate spatial narratives within Jiangnan gardens.

This study explores the challenges faced by congenitally blind individuals in navigating urban environments. Specifically, this research investigates the factors that contribute to the construction of city mental mapping for individuals who are born blind. Thirty-one congenitally blind individuals from the University of Jordan were asked to define and describe specific elements of the city based on their personal experiences and imagination. Furthermore, participants were guided through two urban paths: familiar and unfamiliar. The participants were asked to complete a survey regarding their experiences during the tour. The collected data was analyzed by using thematic analysis. The results revealed that congenitally blind individuals construct their mental image of the city by using their three senses of touching, hearing, and smelling, as well as their safety and experience. This mental image consists of five key elements: links, reference points, areas, separators, and topography. Despite the small size of the study sample and the specificity of the context, the results of this study will tremendously help planners in designing highly inclusive urban environments. Incorporating characteristics that can be recognized by the blinds will enhance their accessibility of urban spaces, encourage independent mobility, increase the quality of life and social inclusion for them.