Architecture

Urban studies research has increasingly focused on placemaking and place attachment in public open places. While several studies have explored how immigrants interact with these places, this study investigates how cultural differences affect immigrants’ place attachment, providing a deeper understanding of inclusive urban design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 students from India, Iran, China, and Australia, in Southport, a preferred neighborhood for immigrants on the Gold Coast, Australia. NVivo software was used to analyze the data and extract themes. The findings highlighted that, despite universal factors such as natural environments and social opportunities, cultural factors are crucial in shaping individuals’ experiences. Full article

Urban visual pollution, mainly driven by outdoor advertisements, is becoming increasingly prevalent in built environments. While urban visual pollution and outdoor advertising have been thoroughly examined in the Global North, less is known about these issues in the Global South. Therefore, this study examines the prevalence and impact of outdoor advertising in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focusing on both its forms and the perceptions of residents and commuters. The study employed key informant interviews, field observations, and surveys. The results show a significant increase in outdoor advertisements with 78% of respondents noting a recent rise and 62% feeling overwhelmed by their abundance. Additionally, the study reveals the negative effects of outdoor advertisements on urban aesthetics, as 82% of respondents believe these advertisements diminish the visual appeal of the city. The study underscores the perception of visual pollution, particularly in densely populated areas, where advertising clutter compromises the urban environment. Key contributing factors include a lack of regulation, poorly placed outdoor advertisements, inconsistent design, excessive size and brightness, and overcrowding. This study suggests the need for improved regulatory frameworks and community engagement in outdoor advertising to enhance the visual quality of urban spaces in developing countries like Ethiopia. Full article

This paper presents a systematic post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of a gated apartment building in Onaizah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia, focusing on resident satisfaction and building performance. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative data from walkthrough observations and interviews to assess various performance aspects, including thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic performance, and safety. Results indicate that residents generally expressed satisfaction with thermal comfort, visual comfort, and indoor air quality. However, concerns were highlighted in areas such as safety and security, design adequacy, and construction support services. These findings reveal that while the building meets many occupant needs, there are critical areas requiring improvement. This study underscores the importance of incorporating POE as a valuable tool for assessing building performance and informing future design and management strategies in residential developments. Finally, this study’s methodology excelled in analyzing the quality and performance of residential building elements, which contributes to enriching the literature related to facilities management. It explains the research strategy followed to provide an organized and reliable framework that can be used to evaluate performance and quality in residential buildings. Full article

The restoration of historical landscapes is crucial for preserving the cultural heritage. This study focuses on the cemetery of the former royal Tatoi estate, a historical site severely damaged by a wildfire in 2021. The fire almost completely eradicated the vegetation on Palaeokastro hill, necessitating a comprehensive vegetation restoration strategy. This research aims to restore the natural environment and historical landscape landmarks and improve future fire protection conditions. This study emphasizes creating a firebreak zone through thinning vegetation, aiding natural regeneration, and planting new seedlings, particularly Aleppo pines and cypresses. We recommend thinning interventions to reduce tree density, which improves the health of the remaining trees and lowers the fire risk. Additionally, the restoration of historical pathways, including cypress-lined routes, is proposed to preserve the cultural landscape. This study underscores the importance of maintaining the historical integrity and enhancing the resilience of the landscape against future fires. Full article

Since the Industrial Revolution, climate change has intensified due to rising greenhouse gas emissions, leading to severe environmental impacts. Given the building sector’s significant contribution to climate change, the circular economy has emerged as a key mitigation strategy. Despite political support and some advancements, significant barriers persist in the building sector’s transition to the circular economy. This article explores the pivotal role of stakeholders as essential agents of change, highlighting the necessity of a concentrated effort on stakeholder engagement in the building sector’s circular economy transition. Using an online questionnaire, this article evaluated the current status of the building sector, as well as stakeholders’ awareness, roles, and perspectives on the transition. The results revealed that while stakeholders are aware of their environmental impacts, knowledge gaps persist, particularly in waste management and circular economy practices. The stakeholders recognize that the transition is happening, but there is a sense of uncertainty about its effectiveness due to substantial barriers. Despite these barriers, there is an increasing commitment toward the practices of the circular economy, underscoring the need for policy development, infrastructure provision, and training programs to support the transition. This article contributes to the literature by providing insights into key stakeholders’ perspectives and offering actionable strategies to enhance engagement for a more effective transition to the circular economy in the building sector. Full article

This study explores the acoustic properties of European Churches, influenced by architectural design, historical context, and spatial configurations. A comparative analysis of 83 Churches from different regions and periods combines literature reviews and empirical data to understand the interplay between architecture and acoustics. Key geometric parameters—volume, surface area, length, height, and aisle count—were compared with acoustic metrics to provide a comprehensive view of these sacred spaces. The study identified the key factors influencing acoustic characteristics, uncovering significant variability within the same architectural style. Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) further highlighted distinct patterns and outliers, showing that Gothic, Neoclassical, and modern architectural styles possess unique acoustic signatures. These findings challenge the assumption of uniform acoustics within similar styles, revealing that even minor architectural differences can substantially impact sound behavior. Outliers were particularly informative, representing Churches with unique acoustic properties, which shed light on how specific design elements affect sound propagation. The study underscores the complexity of the relationship between architecture and acoustics in Churches and suggests that further research should consider both quantitative measures and subjective experiences to fully capture the acoustic environment of these historic spaces. Full article

Urban energy simulation research has been explored to forecast the impact of urban developments on energy footprints. However, the achievement of accuracy, scalability, and applicability is still unfulfilled in addressing site-specific conditions and unbuilt development scenarios. This research aims to investigate the integration method of urban modeling, simulation, and machine learning (ML) predictions for the forecasting of the solar radiation of urban development plans in the United States. The research consisted of a case study of Smart Growth development in the southern Kansas City metropolitan area. First, this study analyzed Smart Growth regulations and created urban models using parametric Building Information Modeling (BIM). Then, a simulation interface was created to perform simulation iterations. The simulation results were then used to create ML models for context-specific solar radiation prediction. For ML model creation, four algorithms were compared and tested with several data diagnosis techniques. The simulation results indicated that solar radiation levels are associated with block and building configurations, which are specified in the Smart Growth regulations. Among the four ML models, XGBoost had higher predictability for multiple urban blocks. The results also showed that the performance of ML algorithms is sensitive to data diagnosis and model selection techniques. Full article

This research concerns the exterior lighting of historic buildings and cultural heritage monuments. Its objective is to organize a methodology for the study of facades, to record the individual or grouped morphological and decorative elements of the facades, and to organize the steps to achieve a presentation of different ways of lighting these elements. This presentation is made by an experimental digital lighting simulation, leading the researcher to discover the relationship between light and the architectural element being illuminated. Finally, the results of the simulations are evaluated by experts in the field of lighting, who attest to the emotions generated by the observation of the different lighting scenarios, while an attempt is then made to synthesize these results on an entire building facade, to determine whether this synthesis of the individual lighting effects is practicable. The analysis of the results reveals the trends in each lighting scenario, leading to a variety of emotions, whether they arise from a specific morphological element or from the entire facade. Full article

Multi-objective evolutionary algorithms have long been used by architects to find objective solutions to complex building problems involving trade-offs implicit in sustainable building design. At a larger scale, urban designers have created a variety of tools to improve sustainability in urban-and-larger scale design. However, to date, fewer studies have focused on improving sustainability outcomes at the “in between” scale of the neighborhood and urban site. Existing scholarship on optimization at this scale has tended to take a narrow view of sustainability. We seek to expand the implementation of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms to this sometimes overlooked scale while taking a broad view of sustainability which includes social, environmental, and economic design factors. In doing so, we argue this optimization method is uniquely well suited to help designers balance the sometimes competing demands of multiple axes of sustainability which are applicable to design at this larger-than-building scale. In demonstrating the application of such an algorithm to a hypothetical problem in Chicago, we find the method offers a promising way of narrowing potential design solutions. Finally, we discuss the suitability of the solutions generated, the virtues and shortcomings of the method, and offer areas for future study. Full article

The level of detail (LOD) differentiates multi-scale representations of virtual 3D city models; however, the LOD tends to relay primarily the geometric details of buildings. When the LOD extends to other datasets, such as vegetation, transportation, terrain, water bodies, and city furniture, their LODs are not as clearly defined. Despite the general acceptance of this categorization, existing LOD formats also neglect non-geometric attributes. Integrating geometric and attribute data enables geometrically accurate and data-rich 3D models, ensuring that representations are as accurate as possible and that analyses contain as much information as possible. This paper proposes a family of LOD definitions considering both geometric and attribute data based on the geometric complexity and difficulty of obtaining, archiving, processing, and distributing the data. These definitions are intended to apply to all datasets by determining divisions in the LOD typically experienced across urban 3D model elements and their associated datasets, including buildings, vegetation, roads, relief, water bodies, and city furniture. Universally applicable definitions for datasets allow individuals to recreate studies or representations of 3D models to ensure the relevant data are present. These definitions also assist data providers in evaluating their data infrastructure and further strategizing and prioritizing updates or upgrades. Full article

This research explores how climate change will affect building energy use across the UK by analysing both a conventional reference building design and a net-zero energy (NZEBs) alternative to assess how each would perform under future weather conditions. Using climate projections from databases like Prometheus and Meteonorm, along with simulation tools like EnergyPlus and Freds4Buildings, the study evaluates the energy performance, costs, and GHG emissions of a case study building under current weather conditions, with 2030, 2050, and 2080 forecasts in three different UK locations: Exeter, Manchester, and Aberdeen. Results indicate that heating demand will decrease consistently over time across all locations by as much as 21% by 2080 while cooling demand will rise sharply. NZEBs proved more resilient to these changes, using less energy and producing fewer GHG emissions than conventional buildings, with 89% reductions in emissions even with increased cooling needs. Accounting for future weather helps both understand the risks of conventional design, with a number of scenarios experiencing overheating in 2080 and ensure NZEBs can meet their goals during their entire lifespan despite the increases in energy needs. The study highlights both the impact of accounting for future weather forecasts during design and the increasing relevance of net-zero energy designs in mitigating the effects of climate change while offering practical insights for architects, policymakers, and energy planners, showing why future weather patterns need to be considered in sustainable building design to ensure buildings will achieve their carbon targets throughout their life. Full article

While cities have always embodied difference, with their diverse inhabitants contributing to urban culture and economy, the underlying legitimation of belonging in the democratic nation-state continues to be based on an essentialized national identity. This study sheds light on the ways in which diverse cities, and specifically public spaces as spaces of encounter, are produced discursively on the level of the nation-state. The study employs Critical Frame Analysis (CFA) to examine the Austrian Security Police Act amendments between 2005 and 2018. This analysis focuses on how policy-making processes on the level of national legislation have discursively shaped public spaces in Vienna as zones of (in)security. The analysis reveals that national governments in Austria have increasingly framed urban public spaces as areas of insecurity. This framing aligns with broader nationalist agendas that seek to delineate who belongs within the nation, thereby exacerbating tensions between local multicultural practices and national discourses. The study highlights a significant gap between everyday multicultural encounters in urban spaces and national policies that reinforce exclusionary, homogeneous identities. These findings underscore the role of public space as a battleground for broader ideological conflicts over national identity and belonging. Full article

The article presents the development and validation of transdisciplinary collaboration (TDC) guidelines for nature-based design (NBD) of sustainable buildings that were used to develop and validate a proposed NBD Overlay of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of Work (PoW) 2020. The study first presents the results of consultations with architects on the application of NBD in all stages the RIBA PoW. The development of the proposed NBD Overlay of the RIBA PoW is described, followed by the results of a survey of architects on its contents. Over 80% of the architects in the consultation group confirmed the significance of the proposed NBD Overlay and its relevance in advancing sustainable building practices. The potential of the proposed NBD Overlay to foster tansdisciplinary collaboration and promote NBD approaches, principles, and solutions bodes well for the future of sustainable architecture, driving the industry towards a more resilient and environmentally conscious built environment. Full article

This study aims to examine how interdisciplinary urban interventions within architectural education can effectively address social justice issues. Motivated by the growing need for inclusive and equitable urban spaces, this research explores the potential of collaborative design and participatory research methods to foster social awareness and community engagement. Focusing on student-led projects in cities such as Houston, San Diego, and Amsterdam, this study addresses social justice challenges across themes like Art Activism, Tactical Urbanism, environmental justice, and gender equity. Using case study analysis, digital mapping, and poster creation as core methodologies, the research demonstrates the value of multi-scalar, interdisciplinary approaches in tackling complex urban problems. The key findings highlight that integrating these approaches into architectural education promotes critical engagement with social justice issues, equipping students with practical skills for future professional challenges. The implications suggest that expanding this framework to diverse urban contexts could enhance its impact, offering a foundation for further studies on interdisciplinary design as a tool for urban equity. Full article

This study explores sustainable housing solutions for urban areas in the Galapagos Islands, aiming to balance human needs with ecosystem preservation by fostering co-habitation between local communities and native species. Recognising the ecological importance of the Galapagos and the challenges posed by human-driven urban expansion, the research focuses on Puerto Ayora as a case study. It addresses material and spatial configurations that support key species such as giant tortoises, land iguanas, and sea lions. Computational strategies and simulations are employed to guide architectural, structural, and material decisions, including the use of evolutionary algorithms and selection strategies based on environmental performance metrics such as temperature, humidity, and solar radiation. These algorithms enhance architectural performance, facilitating co-habitation between humans and animals, with an emphasis on modularity and adaptability in architectural morphology. The results indicate that current configurations meet the habitat requirements for giant tortoises year-round. However, adjustments are needed for other species during specific months. The study also highlights bioceramic as a novel material for environmentally aligned construction in restricted environments. Limitations include focusing only on keystone species, with recommendations for future research to address the multispecies impact and integrate desalination and waste management systems for extracting the primary chemical component of bioceramic. This work advances the understanding of multispecies architectural design in ecologically sensitive regions, positioning the Galapagos as a model for sustainable co-habitation in conservation-focused development. Full article

In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant stay-at-home mandates, local governments in some cities in the United States implemented programs in response to the pandemic. This article focuses on Slow Streets, which were several programs implemented in eleven cities (Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Boston, and New York) in the United States. The programs were intended to keep people healthy by providing temporary public spaces on residential roads where residents were allowed to exercise and socialize. Some practitioners characterized the programs as tactical urbanism or tactical placemaking and as agile responses to the public health crisis. The programs deserve a critical reflection, considering their potential impact on community health and the limited amount of the literature on the program in terms of design justice, which is an approach to design that prioritizes marginalized communities and challenges their structural inequality. This reflective study attempts to fill that gap in the literature of architecture and urban design. This article aims to examine whether the Slow Streets programs promoted design justice. To address that aim, we propose a social justice framework to evaluate the program, because social justice is essential to design justice. Data from publicly available information online about the eleven cities’ Slow Streets programs, interviews, surveys, focus groups, and the interdisciplinary literature support the qualitative research. The study outcomes suggest that the Slow Streets program had limited success because their attention to the priorities of underserved populations was ineffective. We argue that while the programs provided a timely response to the pandemic, the programs did not adequately address the vulnerability of low-income communities of color due to the limited consideration of design justice. Building on the lessons from social justice and human geography, the article concludes with recommendations for future practices including place-cultivating and human geography-informed design to better serve vulnerable communities of color. Full article

The 2015 seismic events in Nepal highlighted critical challenges in constructing earthquake-resilient, self-built stone masonry houses in rural mountain areas. The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC), however, provided designs that failed to preserve the local architectural landscape and craftsmanship while adding unfamiliar knowledge and technology. To address the shortcomings of DUDBC model houses related to architecture, structure, and socio-economic concerns in designing and implementing post-earthquake houses, a need-based building development framework is required for standardized practice. This study proposes a novel framework to assess, design, and implement a self-built house after a disaster, consisting of five stages: (1) post-disaster problem assessment, (2) need identification, (3) material selection, (4) design development, and (5) validation and implementation. Based on this framework, we proposed a novel gabion building construction technology for two-story stone masonry structures that effectively mitigate post-disaster challenges such as logistic, resilience, and socio-economic aspects while improving disaster resiliency specifically in the high-elevation rural areas of Nepal. The proposed two-story gabion building preserves local architectural values, enhances structural integrity, and provides cost-effectiveness when compared with its DUDBC peer models while providing much-needed relief to the vulnerable community. The proposed resilient house, G-2.1, utilizes locally sourced materials and craftsmanship, and innovative gabion technology that ensures affordability and facilitates knowledge transfer. The contribution of this study includes a multi-objective framework for a two-story gabions house that is most suitable for self-built resilient homes that preserves the local architecture and socio-economic conditions while providing structural integrity and safety. Full article

Since the onset of the Syrian conflict in 2011, millions of Syrians have sought refuge globally, with thousands resettling in the UK. Despite their displacement, Syrians have brought with them a rich array of inherited knowledge and traditions, collectively known as intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The construction of domestic spaces by these settlers and their struggle to feel at home have emerged as important topics in migration studies, particularly when housing issues are considered as a critical aspect of their transcultural social engagement and the evolving boundaries of their identity and belonging. However, the role of ICH, along with the related crafts and movable objects, in the home-making practices of forced migrants remains under-researched. This gap is especially significant given that the UK recently ratified the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the safeguarding of ICH after a decade-long delay. Through in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in the interviewees’ native Arabic within their home environments and supported by an observational study, this research explores how resettled Syrians in Liverpool integrate traditional ICH practices into their new homes, focusing on the dynamic relationship between the intangible and built heritage. By examining how intangible knowledge and movable objects interplay in creating a ‘Syrian home’, this study contributes to discussions on community engagement and the role of memory in conservation. The findings underscore the importance of ICH in maintaining cultural continuity and identity in the diaspora, providing insights into the inclusive heritage conservation practices in migrant contexts. This research highlights two key insights: first, the essential role that ICH, along with the associated crafts and movable objects, plays in constructing new homes in the diaspora, particularly in how these items serve as the carriers of cultural identity and continuity; and second, the symbolic significance of Syrian homes, especially their interior designs and decorations, as reflections of a blend of sociocultural practices that Syrians are committed to preserving. Full article