Estoa. Journal of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism

Eco-urbanism: new synergies between architecture, sustainable development, heritage and their multiple visions

2024-01-31T21:29:06+00:00

The text emphasizes the growing global need to integrate ecological and sustainable urban planning with contemporary demands for circulation and transportation. The importance of university education based on serious research for architects and urban planners is highlighted, promoting collaboration among all societal stakeholders. The increasing urban concentration poses challenges in mobility, sustainability, and commerce, making it essential to address these issues in education and professional practice. The "door-to-door" trend in consumer-oriented societies underscores the need to reconcile mobility with sustainable designs. ESTOA's editorial reflects on these aspects, advocating for academic forums discussing sustainable projects tailored to user needs. The issue features theoretical and practical articles exploring architecture from various angles, ranging from heritage studies to evaluations of post-COVID-19 public policies. The text underscores the importance of education and teaching in developing synergies in eco-urbanism, emphasizing the need for innovation in architectural and urban education.

The materialization of an architectural dream. Henry Van de Velde’s projects for the Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller

2023-11-08T13:20:25+00:00

Henry van de Velde is one of the most multifaceted architects in the history of architecture in the last century, both in terms of his work and the versatility of the strategies he employed throughout his career. The Belgian architect immersed to a multitude of artistic disciplines, allowing himself to be influenced by the ideas of William Morris’s Arts & Crafts, linking himself to the beginnings of Art Nouveau or becoming involved in the Deutscher Werkbund until 1914. The development of this multidisciplinary attitude, a symptom of his creative evolution, experienced one of its most intense episodes during his working relationship with the Kröller-Müller couple of modern art collectors in the Netherlands. This research unravels Henry van de Velde’s graphic and architectural legacy in the service of the Kröller-Müller family, from the first sketches in the 1920s to the execution of the museum in 1936-57. A true example of the realisation of an architectural dream.

Synergies between architecture and landscape: house in Guápulo by Guadalupe Ibarra

2023-12-19T14:05:11+00:00

“House in Guápulo”, a representative project of Guadalupe Ibarra, the first woman architect in Ecuador, is the result of a pragmatic process, without allegations about locality or identity, but which, due to its consistency in execution, allows establishing a discursive and critical structure. The work is observed, as a starting point, from a dialogue between geography, landscape and typology. Once the macro context of its implementation is understood, an approach is made to the spatial and material cultures, an issue that also allows to understand the logic of insertion in the place, and that due to its own location and design mechanisms turns the house into an element of transition between different topographies, landscapes and urban areas. Finally, on a smaller scale, a brief analysis of the actors in the process is addressed: inhabitant, author and other collaborators. As conclusions, what was previously stated is integrated, a reflection on the architectural strategies for the Andean landscape, recognizing Ibarra for the weight of his contributions, without demagoguery or do-goodism, where contextual, spatial, compositional, and constructive issues of the project are analyzed, allowing value it as an object where the parts and the whole establish synergistic relationships.

Schinkel’s influences on Mies’s brick architecture. From the Bauakademie to the Perlstein Hall

2024-01-05T15:05:22+00:00

Although Mies van der Rohe’s architecture is often associated with steel and glass, he had a fondness for brick and used it in both Europe and the Americas. For this reason, and because it has received little attention in the academic literature, this article investigates its use in Mies’s work from the perspective of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, an architect known for his innovative use of the material.110 years elapsed between the Bauakademie and Perlstein Hall, a period in which the study variables are clearly visible: Mies’s most important projects are reviewed and compared with Schinkel’s buildings, all of which were designed in brick. This research provides clues how Schinkel influenced Mies’s architecture, demonstrates that both architects used a classic material in a modern, honest way, and which Mies was able to push to its furthest limits by individualising the load-bearing and enclosing functions of the wall in his projects.

Envelope and diachronicity in residential energy assessment regulations

2023-12-06T19:33:59+00:00

Globally, the residential building stock shows different levels of obsolescence and high energy consumption. Therefore, it is imperative to promote energy savings through measures to improve building efficiency in the rehabilitation and remodeling of housing units. The objective of this work is to analyze the different ways of evaluating energy efficiency through the diachronicity of the renovations introduced during their use, with emphasis on the variations of the building envelope. The method used is a theoretical-qualitative study, structured in two stages that allow addressing the regulatory context in force in 31 countries. It is concluded that the evaluation methods examined apply a synchronic criterion, without considering the dynamics of housing change processes. Together, the regulations of Brazil, Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Cyprus are highlighted for their relevance, potential and approach to the envelope.

Factors linked to dissatisfaction of habitability in residential units during COVID-19 confinement in Argentina

2023-10-27T13:42:18+00:00

The present work aims the association of factors linked to the habitability satisfaction of isolated and semi-detached residential units in apartment buildings is analyzed, during lockdown due to Covid-19 in Argentina. Using the snowball technique, an electronic survey is disseminated in the strictest lockdown moment, reaching a sample of 137 users of residential units. The answers for two research questions are empirically validated with inferential statistical techniques, giving rise to hypotheses born from the conflicting aspects detected in habitability satisfactions such as the availability of interior spaces, perceived natural lighting, as well as the age of the respondent, among others. Conclusions confirm the relevance of natural lighting could replace the demand for spatial amplitude, and its importance based on the users age range among other aspects of significant association. The results obtained serve as foundations for housing and territorial planning policies to mitigate habitability dissatisfaction risks during social confinement events.

Historic-archaeological research in the conservation of the building heritage of Cuenca (Ecuador): example of analysis Rodríguez house, El Vado neighborhood

2024-01-02T13:37:16+00:00

The international and national norms establish the need to count on historical information prior to an intervention in heritage properties and the Organic Law of Culture of Ecuador establishes the obligation to notify any discovery of archaeological interest. However, there is a lack of awareness regarding to the importance of these resources that in the moment they complement each other enable a more exact interpretation of the data required to promote an optimal conservation proposal and thus perpetuate the intrinsic values of a heritage building. The historical and archaeological investigation carried out in the Rodríguez house revealed that the property contains certain values of relevance for the sustainability of its environment and that the omission of these would deprive the restoration project of evaluation criteria and the community of important resources for the development of a resilient city.

Heritage management in post-revolutionary Tunisia: a case study from Mhamdia

2023-07-11T13:44:48+00:00

Since the 2011 revolution, Tunisia has undergone a transformative phase characterized by emerging models of governance that prioritize grassroots initiatives and community participation in local affairs. Despite its manifold challenges, this political renewal has unfolded during political, socioeconomic, and security crises. Through a case study of the commune of Mhamdia, this article aims to examine two key aspects: (1) how communes can approach built heritage amidst the presence of national, international, governmental, non-governmental, profit, and non-profit actors, and (2) how heritage management can pose challenges, occasionally leading to the destruction of historical elements. This qualitative analysis, rooted in practitioner research, explores shifting paradigms and evolving dynamics within traditional and novel practices, shedding light on their impact on built heritage. The results demonstrate that, similar to national players, local elites also leverage built heritage to fortify their legitimacy, albeit through different means.

Valuation of the viceroyalty-republican military patrimony of Metropolitan Lima. Study case: Barbones Barracks, Lima-Peru, 2020

2023-11-21T20:18:27+00:00

The military heritage built in the regions of Peru is conspicuously invisible. The present investigation contributes to its patrimonial valuation. It has a qualitative approach and an exploratory level. For the recording, photogrammetric means of collecting metric information were used (Agisoft Metashape Professional software, professional/semi-professional camera equipment, a DJI Mavic Pro drone, and desktop computers). In the historical study, the technique used was to review secondary sources, maps and photographs of the total history of the property, and then explore documents from the 19th century in the archive. One notable result is that, in relation to the overarching goal of deepening the precise architectural record of “Fort Barbones,” the process undertaken— even amidst the Covid-19 pandemic—has been both possible and valuable. It has transformed problems into opportunities for cooperative, technological, and innovative work.

Luis Berges Roldán: Reflections on heritage, thought, and memory through his drawings

2023-12-01T14:21:23+00:00

With this study, we aim to emphasize the heritage of Jaén through the graphic production of architect Luis Berges Roldán. Throughout his professional career, Berges has employed a distinctive and personal system of expression that grants him a recognizable identity. Drawing has always been the lens through which he filters his approach to time and space. The local culture that sparked his vocation as an architect and upon which his executed work unfolds, along with the historical, familial, and personal circumstances he has had to respond to, have been the substrate where his production, both graphic and architectural, has germinated. In this research, we address two complementary perspectives. Firstly, we assess the significance of graphic representation as a substantial asset for understanding his personal universe. Secondly, we focus on comprehending the value of his graphic and architectural production as an inseparable unit, giving rise to his creative thinking.

Sketches and CAD, partners in architectural design: experience at the Catholic University of the North (Chile)

2023-07-10T14:20:49+00:00

The prominence of sketching and architectural observation has been displaced by the increasing use of CAD tools among architecture students. However, the thesis that these tools can be effectively used together is defended. The research employs a mixed-method design with two sequential phases. Firstly, the prevalence of CAD representations and the use of sketches in two-thirds of the projects are recognized for a sample of 102 thesis projects from the School of Architecture of Catholic University of the North-Chile. In the second phase, through a case study, the symbiosis of sketches with CAD, particularly in their prescriptive and speculative functions, is demonstrated. The article contributes to the discussion on the integration of analog and digital approaches in architectural education and prompts reflection on the continued relevance of sketches as an identity hallmark in the aforementioned school.

Analysis of the teaching practice of the Department of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Honduras Teachers

2023-09-11T18:44:55+00:00

This article presents the experience of three teachers from the Department of Architecture at a public university in Honduras, with different specialties, who have planned, designed, and implemented coordinated activities in the same classroom. In this regard, the research explores the process of planning, content selection, teaching methodologies, and evaluation strategies employed by the teachers. The research is grounded in the interpretive paradigm from the perspective of educational research, and the methodological approach applied is the interpretive and non-interventionist multiple case study, selected through intentional maximum variation sampling. The results highlight the importance of these practices, where teachers learn from each other regardless of their level of experience, avoiding isolation and working together, employing diverse and innovative methods and strategies. Furthermore, these practices foster collaboration, respect, and solidarity among teachers.

Public policies and their ephemeral response in the cycle paths executed within the monumental area of Tacna, Perú 2023

2023-11-22T17:23:56+00:00

Public policies and the transient response to cycle paths implemented within the monumental area of Tacna, Peru, align with an international policy proposed by the Sustainable Development Goals related to SDG 11: Sustainable cities; where the national government is the main promoter of its execution in urban areas, this initiative aims to enhance the organization and accessibility of non-motorized vehicles, particularly during the pandemic and the post-pandemic period caused by Covid-19. The main objective is to determine the level of satisfaction of the collegiate architects of Tacna, relating it to the contribution of the cycle paths in the monumental area and interpret the ephemeral paradigm of efficient use, imposed on the city. The study employs a quantitative approach at a descriptive level, utilizing a survey based on a Likert scale. The survey evaluates conditions such as materials, basic security, institutional functioning, and the achieved results. The findings indicate low levels of acceptance across all four dimensions low.