VITRUVIO - International Journal of Architectural Technology and Sustainability - Vol 10, No 2 (2025)

Tabla de contenidos

Editorial

Editorial

Interview

Interview with Werner Tscholl

Articles

Air raid shelters as tangible cultural heritage: analysis and strategies for their study and 3D documentation
Between waiting and project: a comparative assessment of eight meanwhile urbanism
Innovative facade solutions for energy efficiency in contemporary architecture: inspired by traditional elements
AI-driven transformation of traditional architectural Ottoman style into modern mosque designs
Current relevance of the historic construction technique of Bousillage using Spanish moss, golden broom, and Posidonia oceanica
Conscious architecture and circular economy for a transition in building: The IMIP project as a case study
Industrialization for sustainable facade rehabilitation: a feasibility study in aging urban environments
Methodology for LCA Assessment of Heritage Buildings and their retrofitting works

URI permanente para esta colecciónhttps://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/232006

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Ecological transition and cultural transformation: from roots to innovation
(2025-11-29) De Gregorio, Stefania
[EN] Editorial VITRUVIO - International Journal of Architectural Technology and Sustainability, Volume 10, Issue 2 (2025)
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Interview with Werner Tscholl
(2025-12-29) Palmero Iglesias, Luís Manuel; Bernardo, Graziella; Departamento de Construcciones Arquitectónicas; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Edificación; Centro de Investigación de Tecnología de la Edificación
[EN] Werner Tscholl stands out as a key figure in contemporary Alpine architecture. His practice is characterized by a coherent integration of territorial analysis, structural control, and a critical engagement with the existing built environment. His production, primarily concentrated in Alto Adige Südtirol (Italy), is based on a methodological approach grounded in the reading of context from a cultural, morphological, and structural point of view. This approach is evident in his projects, where pre-existing elements and new additions are always clearly distinguished, and construction solutions are thoughtfully adapted to the specific topography and climate conditions.In his projects from infrastructure and productive buildings, to interventions on historic complexes Tscholl employs spatial and material systems that preserve the legibility of stratification, while delivering functional efficiency, durability, and a strong integration with the landscape. This attitude underpins a design approach focused on typological coherence and on a notion of sustainability understood as a balanced and responsible relationship between architecture, traditions, and contemporary use.The following interview examines the theoretical and practical foundations of his work, beginning with the formative context of Val Venosta, which constitutes the geographical and cultural background from which his design methodology has evolved.
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Air raid shelters as tangible cultural heritage: analysis and strategies for their study and 3D documentation
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-10-31) Fernández Tapia, Enrique; Martín de Torres, Diego; Bermúdez-González, Juan Luis; López-Viejo, Jorge Luis; European Regional Development Fund; Consejería de Educación, Cultura y Deportes, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha; Comunidad de Madrid
[EN] Public air raid shelters, which emerged as a response to massive bombardment of the civilian population, were put to the test for the first time in history during the Spanish Civil War. This sample of defensive architecture represents a unique type of tangible cultural heritage with a high associated significance. Taking as a case study two significant shelters in the central peninsular area, this article analyses their historical evolution, their architectural characteristics and, especially, the possibilities offered by their documentation using 3D technologies. It evaluates the physical, technical and contextual particularities that condition their documentation, conservation and enhancement. The uniqueness of its architecture and the underground context, presents many challenges when it comes to studying and documenting it. However, the new three-dimensional documentation technologies have reached a sufficient degree of maturity to allow their study in a generalised manner and the obtaining of precise and expressive documentation, which not only facilitates their architectural study, but also their dissemination and valorisation, as spaces charged with historical memory.
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Between waiting and project: a comparative assessment of eight meanwhile urbanism
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-12-23) León-Rodríguez, Ruth de; Temes Cordovez, Rafael Ramón; Departamento de Urbanismo; Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura
[EN] This article defines temporary urbanism as a set of practices that activate vacant land by testing programs, rules, and alliances before their consolidation. It distinguishes between two main interpretations: the first, meanwhile urbanism, seeks to provide a solution during the transitional period in an interrupted urban process by assigning temporary uses and activities until the planned future development takes place. The second approach views time as a process of adaptation and demonstration to reach a more robust and community-driven consensus. Focusing on meanwhile urbanism, the study analyses eight European case studies and identifies four main typologies: 1. Community-led participatory uses on small plots; 2. Interventions creating temporary recreational spaces with environmental and educational value; 3. Projects using modular infrastructures to address equipment or service deficits; 4. Large-scale developments incorporating temporary uses to maintain social engagement during long-term implementation. The results confirms that community participation, flexible design, and local appropriation are critical to strengthening social fabric and place identity. These interventions, varying greatly in duration, demonstrate that interim uses can adapt without obstructing final projects. The article concludes that temporary urbanism should be regarded as a dynamic complement to formal urban planning and could be very useful in Valencian Community where extensive undeveloped lands exist.
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Innovative facade solutions for energy efficiency in contemporary architecture: inspired by traditional elements
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-10-31) Ergün, Ruşen
[EN] The reinterpretation of traditional passive design strategies is of importance to modern architectural sustainability. One such effective strategy, widely used in traditional architecture to achieve indoor thermal comfort, is mashrabiya. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of adapting mashrabiya to modern architecture on energy-efficient facade design. The city of Diyarbak?r, located in the hot and dry climate zone of Turkey, was selected as the study area. The mashrabiya is integrated into the living room. In this context, the effect of the use of perforated dimensions, depth and components of the mashrabiya on the indoor cooling load on four different facades was analysed. As a result of 148 different analyses, the use of mashrabiya on the south, east and west facades was found to be an important strategy. The use of appropriate perforation sizes, depths and components in the mashrabiya reduced the cooling load by approximately 21% on the south facade, 17% on the west facade and 13% on the east facade. This study shows the importance of mashrabiya in modern buildings for indoor thermal comfort. This is considered an important guideline for sustainable building in this context.
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AI-driven transformation of traditional architectural Ottoman style into modern mosque designs
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-11-07) AlHarbat, Ragd; Maksoud, Aref; Alsyouf, Leen; Alali, Mohamed
[EN] The use of AI art-generating platforms has recently become a trend in different disciplines, including the field of architecture. The relation AI has with architecture led to the idea of this paper to explore the intersection between these platforms with traditional Islamic architecture, specifically the Ottoman style. To achieve a proper evaluation, this paper discusses the use of 6 different platforms to generate 18 images using the text-to-image method and by employing 3 distinct prompts from different complexities to guide the generation process. Moreover, a comparative analysis conducted to evaluate the generated images using 2 criteria, the first assesses the Ottoman architectural elements that appeared in the images such as the domes, minarets, and arches. Then the second investigates the overall excellence of the figures considering factors such as realism, quality and resolution, overall details, and lastly the consistency with the given prompt. The results demonstrate that across all the 6 platforms, the more detailed the prompt is, the better the outcome. However, Midjourney was the only platform that was able to produce all three images consistently from the first prompt with all the required elements, and as the prompts got more detailed, the other platforms provided more accurate results.
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Current relevance of the historic construction technique of Bousillage using Spanish moss, golden broom, and Posidonia oceanica
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-11-21) Minguito García, Ana Patricia
[EN] Bousillage is a traditional construction technique used to build vertical and horizontal enclosures in tropical, West European, and Mediterranean regions. It uses a timbered structure called colombage and a fibrous filler made from natural waste. This research paper confirms the current practice of this ancient technique by analyzing its structural, hydrothermal and environmental peculiarities through the examination of three persistent solutions that use golden broom, Spanish moss, and Posidonia oceanica as binders. The methodology begins with a theoretical framework that confirms the technique s historical roots according to context. Then, field and hygrothermal data is collected for each vegetal binder type. The main objective is to test the initial hypothesis that bousillage is a symbiotic construction method which creates a balance between nature and anthropocentrism in the local ecosystem regardless of the plant waste used or the climatic context in which it is developed. The research results clarify that this environmental balance is achieved when waste discarded by nature is used as an active component in thermal building improvements. This benefits both the fauna and flora species, as well as anthropized neighborhoods. In conclusion, reviving this traditional technique in accordance with the current ecological situation, creates necessary anthroponatural interdependence for the long-term survival of the ecosystem.
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Conscious architecture and circular economy for a transition in building: The IMIP project as a case study
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-11-07) Gilabert-Sanz, Salvador; Oliver Villanueva, José Vicente; Departamento de Ingeniería Rural y Agroalimentaria; Instituto Universitario de Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicaciones; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y del Medio Natural; European Commission
[EN] This research explores the role of design in fostering sustainable transitions through systemic thinking in the building sector, addressing the dynamic, multi-scalar, multi-species, and transdisciplinary challenges inherent in socio-ecological and socio-technical transformations. The study is grounded in Transition Design principles, recognizing the agency of ecological, human, and computational intelligence. By embracing systemic approaches, this paper underscores the importance of long-term thinking, collective action, pluralistic perspectives, and value co-creation among diverse actors. The results highlight the IMIP (Innovative Eco-Construction System Based on Interlocking Modular Insulation Wood & Cork-Based Panels) project s contribution to circular economy principles, demonstrating its environmental and social impact through a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), as an innovative holistic approach to low-energy construction and near-zero-emissions strategies in construction, leveraging local timber and cork as materials for construction systems in building. These results demonstrate the potential of locally based bio-based materials and modular construction systems to promote circularity, reduce ecological footprints, and enhance community resilience. The findings reinforce the significance of design as a driver of systemic change in the building sector, emphasizing the interdependencies and feedback loops between human actions, natural ecosystems, and technological infrastructures.
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Industrialization for sustainable facade rehabilitation: a feasibility study in aging urban environments
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-12-23) Iborra Lucas, Milagro; Zambrano Alcívar, John Jairo; Departamento de Construcciones Arquitectónicas; Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería de Edificación; Escuela de Doctorado; Centro de Investigación de Tecnología de la Edificación
[EN] The existing building stock represents one of the main contributors to environmental impact, as a large portion of constructions were built under outdated regulations and technical requirements with low energy efficiency. This study assesses the technical feasibility of incorporating industrialized façade systems as an energy rehabilitation strategy, with particular attention to their structural compatibility under additional loads and their potential to enhance the thermal performance of older buildings. Through a case study, structural and energy simulation tools were applied to compare different modular prototypes. The results demonstrate that it is possible to integrate industrialized solutions compatible with existing structures, achieving substantial improvements in both energy performance and building habitability. Industrialization in rehabilitation enables the modernization of obsolete buildings and represents a viable alternative with reduced environmental impact. This approach provides objective technical criteria to support decision-making in rehabilitation projects, contributing to extending the service life of the building stock and aligning it with sustainability goals.
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Methodology for LCA Assessment of Heritage Buildings and their retrofitting works
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2025-12-22) Onecha, Belén; Suárez, Patricio
[EN] In the current context of necessary reduction of environmental impact, retrofitting historical buildings is essential, but it must be specified the total carbon footprint, considering the original construction and the current restoration. This research has a double objective: firstly, to develop a methodology to establish the carbon footprint of three historic Catalan Modernist buildings at the time of their construction; and secondly, to determine the carbon footprint of the restoration works of one of them. An exhaustive analysis is carried on about the materials used, their extraction, transportation and manufacturing methods at the time. Following the methodological structure of contemporary EPDs and LCA, both aligned with the UNE-EN 15804 standard. This ensures methodological consistency between historical and modern datasets and provides a robust basis for comparison. Then, the embodied carbon of these buildings is compared with that of modern buildings construction, in order to establish which is higher. Finally, the carbon footprint of retrofitting one of them is also calculated. The importance of this research lies in the methodology for the quantification of the total environmental impact of historic buildings, from their original construction to their restoration. The limitation of the study lies in the fact that only one of the three case studies has been retrofitted so far.

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