Periodica Polytechnica Architecture

The Design of Slender Columns Made of Solid or Glued Laminated Timber

Cesare Ghittoni — 2023-08-10

In this study, a method for the design of timber slender elements, subjected to simple compression is presented. The presented method is analytical, and is in accordance with Eurocode 5 and the new Italian technical standards (NTC 2018). The proposed method can be applied in the design of compressed elements with a generic doubly symmetric section.

Assessing the Idle Downtown Elements: Case of Trg Nezavisnosti Square

Žaklina Nježić — 2023-08-10

The main city square, Trg Nezavisnosti, in Podgorica is a relatively young square formed as a part of the new city "Nova Varoš". Its turbulent history of existence is anticipated from the initial placement of a central square distanced from public social events. With several changes in design and outlook over a short period, the square still fails to fit within the general urban image. Besides not being recognized as the central point, citizens do not identify with it in the current state. This paper offers an overview of the square development through an analysis of the social background of each affected period. Through the analysis of unsuccessful attempts at construction and reconstruction, we can sense a much deeper problem that transcends just the physical forms and boundaries. Chains of events and urbanistic decisions that lacked more profound research provided temporary solutions that could not grow old within the city and community. In the transitional period, this place shares the destiny with many others, as decentralization and the fast pace of new urban dwellings make it hard to find a single central point. This research explores more layers of societal problems that physically and visually manifested in the example of the main square in this capital city.

Art-based References in Architecture

Anett Virág — 2023-08-10

The conditions affecting architectural form are changing more rapidly and radically today. There is no longer a consistent canon nor a uniform guideline to follow. However, technological achievements offer more opportunities for architects; the buildings are isolated from their surroundings and become formulaic objects. Due to the increasing impersonality of globalized construction, the search for alignment points that help the integrity of architectural works has lost its importance.
This research examines those creators and their design methods who reject global trends and try to renew the emptiness of modernism. This paper has collected and analyzed alternative attempts, rich in multi-layered readings, emphasizing the value of the given place. These directions, seeking a connection to culture, history, and art, attempt to identify new points of alignment. How can these cultural elements become a guideline for the design process? How can they liberate formulaic modernity in crisis?
This essay explores the answers through a conversation with Adam Caruso. The architect's writings, teaching, and design practice are unavoidable among contemporary architects who represent a critical attitude towards the impersonality of construction and promote the importance of cultural embeddedness. The practice of his office – founded with Peter St John – is fascinating because, in addition to examples from the history of architecture, they also use art-based references to find relevant architectural answers that reflect today's problems. The conversation reveals how we can integrate art-based references into architectural creation and education.

Increasing the Energy Performance of Existing Buildings in Cold Climate Regions

Ayşegül Er — 2023-08-10

High energy consumption in regions with harsh climatic conditions makes it difficult to reach energy consumption targets. This study considers design decisions affecting energy consumption for cold climate regions; the position of the building, its orientation, building envelope elements and building materials were examined. In line with these decisions, a field study was conducted by researching the energy-efficient renovation of existing social housing structures in cold climate regions. For the field study, social housing in Erzurum was selected, and the current heating energy consumption of the building was simulated using the Design Builder program. By creating energy-efficient renewal scenarios that can be economically and physically enacted, the U-values and thicknesses of the building envelope elements were changed, and 14 renewal simulations were carried out for five scenarios. The effects of each renovation scenario on the current heating energy consumption were examined, and the results were compared. With the most efficient replacement scenario, it was observed that the heating energy consumption decreased by an average of 31%. The data obtained informed decisions for building envelope element selection within the scope of energy-efficient renewal studies in cold climate regions and their impact on energy consumption.

An Assessment of the Informal Settlements of Palestinian Refugee Camps in Amman Urban Pattern

Rania Matrouk — 2023-08-10

Palestinian refugee camps were established as a "temporary solution" following the 1948 and 1967 wars displacing more than 700,000 Palestinians, a status that has been ongoing for seventy years and three generations. These conditions led to a transformation of temporary camps into an urban sprawl of informal settlements embedded within the city context. The housing conditions of these camps face physical, environmental, social, and health-related challenges. The study analyzes the camp-built environment based on multidimensional indicators and explores the possible rehabilitation strategies. The paper adopts a case-study method to assess the physical conditions of these settlements through an analysis of two of the oldest and biggest camps located in the centre of Amman; Jabal Al-Hussein camp and Al-Wehdat (Amman new camp). The study establishes an assessment model to evaluate the current situation and explores urban strategies that can be implemented to upgrade these settlements.

Rethinking the Pedagogical Fiction of the Architectural Design Studio

İrem Küçük — 2023-08-10

In line with the changing definitions and boundaries of architecture and the changing roles and professional description of the architect, the need to question and explore the contexts, contents, methods, techniques and tools of architectural design education is always on the agenda. The pedagogical fiction of the architectural studio is treated as a noteworthy issue that is effective in educating architects and shaping architecture. It is a matter of discussion about what the training in the studio should cover and how the content should be processed. This study, developed with an experimental approach to design, questions the architectural design studio's fiction of content and method to rethink its pedagogical coverage and processing. To materialize the discussion on the studio pedagogy, "house" as a design content and "designing in becoming" as a design method are proposed. "House" is re-conceptualized as a basic spatial structure for designing space in terms of its openness to derivation and reproduction. "Designing in becoming" is conceptualized as an experimental design method that creates instability and constructs a field of experimentation at the level of both subject and object. Accordingly, "Becomings of House" is proposed as an experimental design studio fiction through which the conceptualized content and method can be applied together. Based on the conceptualizations made in the study, the pedagogical opportunities and limitations of the proposed fiction are examined. A discussion on the pedagogy of architectural design studios towards experimental design approach is set up.

Scheduling Heritage in Malta

Nadine Zammit — 2023-08-10

Scheduling is a cultural heritage tool to provide statutory protection to heritage assets. This article is an analysis of the process of securing protection of immovable cultural heritage buildings and sites in the Maltese Islands. Through qualitative interviews with key stakeholders – namely, heritage professionals – this study exposes shortcomings and limitations of the existing local scheduling process. It proposes the public as a main stakeholder and lists several recommendations put forward by the participants for a more inclusive methodology of selecting and scheduling cultural heritage buildings and sites. It concludes by proposing the adoption of modes of rendering the process and assessment of heritage assets less subjective, notably through the adoption of the prototype computation of heritage values based on a heritage value grid.