{"title":"Methodology of Heritage Impact Assessment for World Heritage nominations: balancing impacts of the new Douro River bridge on Álvaro Siza’s Faculty of Architecture in Porto, Portugal","authors":"Pedro Freitas, Tiago Cruz, Teresa Cunha Ferreira","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00133-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00133-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) are essential tools for heritage management, balancing potential development plans with heritage safeguarding. This is especially important in what concerns the evaluation of impact on Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of World Heritage (WH) properties. This paper aims to present how an HIA was adapted to access the possible impacts of the construction of the “New Metro Bridge over the Douro River” in the immediate vicinity of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP). This demonstrates an integrated methodology supported on ICOMOS and UNESCO Guidelines, as well as on a cross-cutting analysis of different techniques and tools: documents, interviews, fieldwork and landscape simulations. Hence, this case study provides a valuable pilot reference to be implemented in other case studies, demonstrating HIA as a tool that can be applied in different stages (upstream advice, preliminary assessment, nomination preparation and management planning) of a nomination process, strongly contributing to the credibility and consistency of the WH List.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44150-025-00133-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143553817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"MycoCurva: stay-in-place fabric formworks for curved veneer-reinforced mycelium building components","authors":"Eda Özdemir, Andrea Rossi, Philipp Eversmann","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00134-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00134-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) are a promising new class of environmentally friendly materials that can be produced using local materials and grown into a wide range of shapes and designs. Upscaling them to architectural scale, however, remains challenging particularly due to insufficient structural stability and the required manufacturing processes. The necessity of a formwork in the growing process often restricts designs to simple shapes, or requires costly formwork, which limits design flexibility. In preliminary research, the authors introduced 3D wood veneer lattices into MBCs as reinforcement, similar to steel reinforcement in concrete, to provide increased strength and scaffolding. This research combines robotic additive manufacturing of 3D wood lattices with a natural fibre textile, to act as a stay-in-place formwork for planar and curved architectural components. The combined lattice and textile serve as a support structure, eliminating the need for formwork and providing the required structural performance. As MBCs are often subject to large manufacturing tolerances, the fabrication steps that influence accuracy are analysed. Therefore, two prototypes of the same design are compared: one using a temporary formwork, and the other, a stay-in-place formwork. Results show that the temporary formwork provides precise shaping during growth, while the stay-in-place approach, incorporating natural fibre textiles, allows a more organic shape development. The methods are assessed via 3D scanning to compare the physical outcomes against the digital designs, highlighting trade-offs and limitations. This study contributes to sustainable biomaterials research by offering insights into the accuracy and feasibility of these approaches for future construction elements with MBCs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44150-025-00134-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143533195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlo Antonio Stival, Thomas Bisiani, Paola Limoncin
{"title":"Criteria for enhancing comfort and liveability conditions in homogenous built contexts through innovative façade interventions","authors":"Carlo Antonio Stival, Thomas Bisiani, Paola Limoncin","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00131-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00131-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research is conducted within the framework of the Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem (iNEST) project, funded by the Next Generation EU and the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The global project focuses on developing sustainable solutions for the built environment in Northeastern Italy, aligning with both UN Agenda 2030 and European directives on energy transition, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation. This research refers to the methodology <i>Renovation through Design for Adaptability/Flexibility/Change</i> to analyze and enhance existing buildings, with particular emphasis on façade systems and spatial concepts. The research applies to the case study of the Panzano residential District (1907–1927), a historic workers’ village associated with the Monfalcone shipyards, comprising of over 600 dwellings. This district exemplifies the challenge of balancing the general requirements for adapting dwelling units to contemporary needs, providing additional spaces, and mitigating energy impacts while preserving the historical value of the built heritage of a 20th -century company town. In the research approach, technology should become an integral component of the architectural design process, focusing on façade systems as a key point. These interventions aim to enhance environmental comfort, to ensure the transformability of interior spaces, and to foster inclusive interactions between individuals and their environment, while maintaining compatibility with the principles of heritage preservation. The developed methodology contributes to defining effective approaches for renovating existing buildings, while addressing both the technological and social aspects of sustainability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44150-025-00131-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143430700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bernardete de Lourdes Ferreira Minervino, Cristina Calmeiro dos Santos, Paulo Gustavo von Krüger, João Paulo C. Rodrigues
{"title":"Fire safety regulations in Brazil: Analysis of the occupancy classification of buildings","authors":"Bernardete de Lourdes Ferreira Minervino, Cristina Calmeiro dos Santos, Paulo Gustavo von Krüger, João Paulo C. Rodrigues","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00128-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00128-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Fire safety in a building depends on several factors, including its use and occupancy, which fire protection systems are present in the building and the state of maintenance of these systems. Considering the fact that Brazil has 27 federal states and each of them has its own fire safety legislation, it is common for there to be divergences that result in different protection requirements depending on the state where the building is located. This study analyzes Brazilian state fire safety legislation with regard to the sizing of fire protection systems for buildings, considering the parameters used for such sizing. It then identifies the differences in classification in terms of the use and occupation of buildings in the 27 federal states; and presents a proposal for a standardized classification for the whole country, taking into account the convergences that already exist in state legislation. The main objective is to suggest a discussion starter for the process of standardizing fire safety parameters in Brazil.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44150-025-00128-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143430997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Natalia Ortega, Daniel Paes, Zhenan Feng, Monty Sutrisna, Tak Wing Yiu
{"title":"Investigating the factors that define and influence safety culture: perspectives from expert professionals","authors":"Natalia Ortega, Daniel Paes, Zhenan Feng, Monty Sutrisna, Tak Wing Yiu","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00130-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00130-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Reducing the number of harmed workers in the construction sector has proven to be a challenging task. While promoting a Safety Culture (SC) is crucial for achieving that goal, defining it and pinpointing the key factors that influence it is difficult. SC has been defined in many different ways, and there is no consensus on what it exactly entails. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors that define and influence SC in the New Zealand construction sector. This goal was achieved through a modified Delphi study conducted in two rounds to gather experts’ views and reach a consensus. Data collection included in-depth interviews and survey questionnaires. A total of 32 experienced construction safety professionals participated in the first round, and 26 of them continued in the second round. Data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis and Relative Importance Index (RII). The main findings are twofold. First, they indicate the need for a holistic definition of SC incorporating its various defining factors. Second, they indicate that the top-ranked influencing factors are ‘Level of Leadership Commitment,’ followed by ‘Level of Experience and Mindset,’ and ‘Level of Communication.’ Furthermore, the results show the dual nature of these influencing factors, as they can either facilitate or hinder SC depending on whether their level is low or high. The results of this study offer valuable insights that enable practitioners to assess and promote SC in their organizations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44150-025-00130-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143396535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rafael Novais Passarelli, Mariapaola Riggio, Nancy Cheng, Peggy Winkels, Elke Knapen
{"title":"Designing for timber circularity: Potential challenges and approaches from the lens of two educational design/build projects","authors":"Rafael Novais Passarelli, Mariapaola Riggio, Nancy Cheng, Peggy Winkels, Elke Knapen","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00132-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00132-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To transition to a Circular Economy, architecture schools are incorporating Design for Circularity (DfC) into their curricula. Integrating circularity into full-scale Design/Build prototypes helps students connect sustainable design theory with practice and application of concepts. This paper examines the gap between circular design intentions and real-world barriers, focusing on DfC with wood in two educational projects. The first, in Belgium, follows a “design from reuse” approach using short-length reclaimed sawn-timber to create a small-scale canopy structure. The second, in the USA, adopts a “design for reuse” approach, using plywood to develop a reusable kit-of-parts. In the analyzed cases, the non-standard nature of DfC requires a holistic life-cycle perspective, presenting challenges in material sourcing and quality assessment, significant variability in sizes and condition, and uncertainty regarding mechanical properties. Furthermore, utilizing frequently smaller reclaimed timber elements increases the number of connections, requiring original solutions. These issues complicate architectural design, structural calculation, and permitting and influenced the design and construction in both cases. An analysis of successful DfC cases shows parallels with lessons learned, identifying common barriers and suggesting solutions. Using reclaimed wood for structural purposes requires thorough planning for transportation, storage, regrading, and reprocessing. Design flexibility is critical to accommodate dimensional variability and mechanical downgrading. When designing for reuse, adequate fabrication tolerances and well-designed connections are key to ensuring structural integrity and easy disassembly. Increased educational projects can build a robust knowledge base, leading to currently lacking standardized procedures and streamlining DfC practices in architecture, engineering, and construction industries. This paper enhances understanding of DfC with wood and Design/Build education by identifying barriers, opportunities, and methods to improve education and training, aiming for a more sustainable built environment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143396547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tiago Miguel Orantos Borralho, João Paulo Correia Rodrigues, Cristina Calmeiro dos Santos
{"title":"Evacuation of Lisbon’s Baixa-Chiado subway station in case of fire","authors":"Tiago Miguel Orantos Borralho, João Paulo Correia Rodrigues, Cristina Calmeiro dos Santos","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00127-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00127-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>It is essential to ensure that any building has conditions for a safe evacuation of its occupants. This aspect is essential in subway stations, where evacuation has to be carried out in an upward way, and usually correspond to large structures constituting a single fire compartment. Baixa-Chiado subway station, in Lisbon, Portugal, was selected for studying the evacuation in case of fire, due to its depth, high number of passengers that frequent the station and the existing of two intersecting train lines. A calculation of evacuation time was calculated and the way of evacuation studied, in different fire scenarios, number and location of occupants. The numerical simulations used Fire Dynamics Simulator and Pathfinder softwares, the first for fire spreading and the second for evacuation analysis. The importance of smoke control system, and its rapid activation in case of fire, was highlighted by the results obtained. In situations where this did not occur, there was a significant worsening in the evacuation of the occupants. It was estimated the incapacitation of a significant number of occupants, considering the levels registered for the fractional effective dose. The station’s architectural constraints proved to be a crucial factor in the results of the study. This article highlights important results applicable to subway stations around the world.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143109686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Seyed Hossein Zargar, Robert M. Leicht, Alan R. Wagner, Jose Duarte, Nathan C. Brown
{"title":"Beyond trial and error: toward construction-aware early design optimization considering robotic capabilities","authors":"Seyed Hossein Zargar, Robert M. Leicht, Alan R. Wagner, Jose Duarte, Nathan C. Brown","doi":"10.1007/s44150-024-00125-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-024-00125-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Automation, including the use of robots, is increasingly presented as a potential solution to the lagging efficiency of the construction industry. Buildings designed for robotic construction may be different than traditional buildings, and computation can help reveal these differences. In response, the goal of this research is to assess the challenges, opportunities, and potential of robotic construction to be incorporated into early-stage design exploration and multi-objective optimization. It evaluates robotic capabilities for performing construction tasks, determines how designs with varying structural systems can leverage robotic constructability assessment, and shows which tasks and design types offer good venues for evaluating construction metrics during design optimization. The first part reviews literature in design, fabrication, and construction, covering design-based robotic research in which robots are replacing traditionally human tasks in standard construction, as well as research in which a custom design can only be built with a novel construction approach. The role of robots in construction is then examined through a task-based review, which maps existing robots and their capabilities to potential subtasks during sequential construction phases, from initial offsite preparation to completion. Finally, a case study built on insights from the literature review introduces an initial construction metric tied to cumulative discrete material delivery time. This metric helps distinguish between high and low-quality designs in terms of constructability, showcasing how considering robotics can enhance early-stage design assessment. A trade-off between embodied carbon and a robotic construction score emerged in the design options, with the number of elements affecting both factors. The case study suggests that adjustments to the building massing can lower embodied carbon without negatively impacting the construction score. Similar relationships could be uncovered by incorporating the objectives and constraints identified in this paper in future optimization workflows.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142995627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mechanical analyses of Félix Candela’s N-edged hyperbolic paraboloid umbrellas as tubular structures under uniaxial compression","authors":"Shengzhe Wang, Guoying Dong, Trevor Walker, Halston Sandford","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00129-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00129-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research investigates the nonlinear mechanical properties and post-yield deformation mechanisms of hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) shells inspired by the architecture of Félix Candela for the first time. 3D-printed tubular structures derived from non-Euclidean hypar umbrellas with 3, 4, and 6 edges (capable of forming regular tessellations) across three rise-to-area ratios were benchmarked against Euclidean thin-walled prismatic and pyramidal geometries under uniaxial quasi-static compression. For the same relative density, hypar structures exhibited markedly improved stiffness, strength, and energy absorption over their Euclidean counterparts. 6-edged hexagonal umbrellas were also observed to be more efficient than 3- and 4-edged hypars for a constant shell thickness, with their mechanical performance being positively correlated with the extent of hypar warping. Moreover, the relative stiffness and strength exhibited by tubular structures based on hexagonal hypar umbrellas compared favorably with alternative lattice and honeycomb metamaterials across the relative densities considered within this study. These findings highlight the attractiveness of hypars as novel (micro)architectures and provides further impetus towards the utilization of non-Euclidean geometries for ultra-light and ultra-stiff applications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142995120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Designing and prototyping of a reconfigurable segmented fan concrete shell as a flooring system","authors":"Mishael Nuh, Robin Oval, John Orr","doi":"10.1007/s44150-025-00126-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44150-025-00126-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A significant portion of the environmental impact of a building’s superstructure lies in its structural flooring. By leveraging funicular forms such as thin concrete shells, a materially and carbon-efficient alternative to bending-active flooring systems can be attained. In addition, through segmentation and the use of dry jointed interfaces, a segmented concrete shell allows for ease of disassembly compatible with circular economy principles for the built environment. This paper presents a novel segmented concrete shell flooring system that leverages the symmetry of revolution of the classical fan vault form to facilitate future design flexibility through increased reconfigurability. The design and form-finding of the segmented fan concrete shell are detailed through the use of an evolutionary algorithm and finite element analysis. Quarter-scale prototypes were digitally fabricated using a robotic concrete spraying process which were then assembled and tested to assess its structural potential, evaluate the limitations, and identify areas of future work. An embodied carbon analysis demonstrates that the system provides a mass and embodied carbon saving compared to conventional flooring systems while adding approximately a 20% embodied carbon premium over a comparable non-reconfigurable segmented shell flooring system. Rephrased, the proposed system provides a positive embodied carbon saving if enabling design flexibility through reconfiguration increases the life-span of the system by at least 20%. Through this work, it is shown that a segmented fan concrete shell presents a viable lightweight and carbon-efficient flooring system which has the potential to become a sustainable alternative that enables disassembly, reuse, and even reconfigurability for circular construction provided further research and development to address its current limitations for adoption in industry practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":100117,"journal":{"name":"Architecture, Structures and Construction","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s44150-025-00126-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142994535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}