Historic urban areas are a crucial component of urban heritage, embodying the collective memory of urban development and possessing distinctive urban textures and cultural attributes. However, the growing impact of globalization on the urban environment poses challenges to historic urban areas, including diminishing social recognition, aging infrastructure, loss of vitality, and cultural erosion. To address these challenges, this study proposes a novel approach to revitalizing historic urban areas by employing space syntax methodology. The study focuses on Yushan Historic District in China as a case study and uses spatial models within space syntax to describe, analyze, and interpret its urban morphology. The objective is to enhance urban vitality while preserving the heritage fabric of historic urban areas. Additionally, it aims to contribute to the advancement of space syntax research, specifically in the context of urban renewal and revitalization of historic districts. The findings reveal the spatial factors that contribute to the generation of vitality within the district, identify areas requiring intervention, and provide strategies for revitalizing historic urban areas. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing a space syntax approach in urban revitalization, providing valuable guidance for effectively conserving urban heritage within the context of urban renewal.

This article examines Block A, the first block-style building in Heybeliada Sanatorium in Istanbul. The purpose of this research is to understand its architectural and spatial development and discuss how in fact it was a “prototype” of Turkish sanatoria. Approached with a three-step methodology (documentation/evaluation/results) this research conducts architectural and spatial analysis on Block A. Primary sources like architectural documentation and restitution drawings, the writings of the institution’s head doctor Tevfik Ismail Gökçe, periodicals on tuberculosis (TB), as well as pertinent literature are utilized. The findings demonstrate that Block A’s development (1924—1945) was the result of knowledge transfer that introduced the universal sanatorium design principles, spatial experiments, adaptation to sociocultural norms, and trial-and-error processes. Not only it had a major impact on shaping of the second block-type building in the complex, the “model” Block B, but it also became exemplary of the subsequent Turkish sanatoria. The originality of this article is its exploration of the changing and evolving Block A in its resonation with the cultural tensions of Turkey’s modernization process. This was established via the assessment of budgetary issues, medical developments and climatic experiments, the social issue of scarcity of TB beds in the country, spatial practices to separate the sexes as reflections of local traditions and culture in the shaping of spaces.

The study addresses the issue of monotonous and lengthy corridors with a single spatial form commonly found in Chinese elderly facilities. We aim to assess the influence of the built spatial environment on the emotions of the elderly quantitatively. To do this, Virtual Reality (VR) technology was employed to construct a digital twin model featuring three corridor forms: straight, arc, and folded, respectively. Forty participants experienced walking in each corridor form for 144 s, while electroencephalogram (EEG) data and subjective questionnaires were collected to explore the psychological and physiological effects caused by different corridors. The results of the questionnaire indicate that arc corridor yielded the highest satisfaction, followed by straight corridor, and the satisfaction for folded corridor is the lowest. EEG results show that folded corridor has 26.0% higher average power than arc corridor and 6.6% higher than straight corridor. The participants consume less energy and are more satisfied in arc corridor, compared to straight and folded corridors. The results establish a correlation between spatial form and occupant perception, suggesting that moderate spatial variations contribute to a better experience of the elderly. Moreover, this study provides quantitative cross-referencing information to optimize the design methods of public space in elderly facilities.

Tourist preferences are important for the high-quality planning and design of recreation spaces. The famous scenic locale of West Lake in Hangzhou, China, is used as an example in this study. Based on multi-source data (e.g., online comments, and tourist photographs), we used content analysis, kernel density estimation, and image semantic segmentation technology to determine the spatial distribution of tourists’ landscape preferences. We analyzed these spatial sight characteristics from the viewpoint, sight distance, and perspectives. The results show that tourists’ landscape preferences are mainly concentrated on landscape architecture for recreation. The viewpoints of these preferences are concentrated in the north-south embankment—far beyond that of the east-west embankment. The preferences also show a spatial sequence in terms of sight distance, and the best visual effect is the open platform at the north and south islands of Xiaoyingzhou. From the perspective of vision, the degree of spatial openness in the tourists’ landscape preferences is proportional to the distance of vision; the two factors have a convergent relationship. The discussion of the characteristics of tourists’ landscape preference and space sight creation in Xiaoyingzhou provides a reference for the quality improvement of island recreation space.

This study reflects on the impact that the neighborhoods’ in-between spaces have on: spatial perception, social interaction, and security. These sites, characterized by their abandonment and deterioration, can also be seen as crucial spaces of opportunity for cities, in the architectural, urban and landscape research. This paper aims to analyze the sociospatial relationships in the neighborhoods’ in-between spaces and examine the impact of inbetween space configuration on urban habitability. The investigation draws on a survey of perception to residents about the requirements for a suitable social interaction in these spaces. This study was developed in a neighborhood in the city periphery, characterized by their social dynamics and location in a nature conservation area. The findings indicate that the appropriation process, activities, and collective practices are dependent on the spatial legibility, in this case when this increases, gives rise to improve the habitability and the rehabilitation of the in-between space. Furthermore, the lack of design on in-between spaces substantially affects the use of these spaces and the social interaction among residents.

The urban cemetery is the material carrier of citizens’ view of life and death, and it also evolves with time as a special part of the urban form. Since the reform of the housing system in the 1990s, China has entered a period of rapid urbanization, and the urban cemeteries has entered a cycle of shock and accelerated transformation. The cemeteries originally located on the urban fringe were gradually surrounded by new built-up areas as the city sprawled, and then most of them inevitably migrated outward under the pressure of urban population explosion and land shortage. Taking Nanjing as an example, this paper presents the morphological evolution of Nanjing’s urban cemetery since the early 20th century, discusses the relationship between the evolution of the cemetery and the urban fringe belt, and analyzes the reasons for its evolution. The different types of morphological evolution of Nanjing cemetery are further summarized, revealing the general law and its Chinese particularity. The article concludes with a discussion of the value and significance of morphological research on urban cemeteries in China.

This paper examines historical urban fabrics’ challenges regarding quality of life and visual disturbances despite their cultural and identity value. Regeneration and socialoriented approaches considering social, economic, and cultural dimensions preserve and enhance these valuable materials. Tactical urbanism, with its people-oriented approach, can address these issues. This study focused on Sarpol in Khomeinishahr County, Isfahan Province of Iran. The city’s urban structure divides into two parts: despite its active social structure and valuable spaces, Sarpol is a historic neighborhood with significant deterioration. We followed Corbin and Strauss’s version of Grounded Theory in the qualitative research methodology. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were employed to select 21 participants from the Sarpol neighborhood for semi-structured interviews. The analysis involved three stages of coding: open, axial, and selective. The themes included religious participation, identity, sustainable social bonds, indigenous dependence, and low environmental quality. The central issue identified was the crucial role of religious and cultural values as a driving force for tactical urbanism, which emerged as the most critical semantic domain related to the research problem.

Makkah has developed unique architectural vocabularies for centuries. The Roushan, Qalalib, Kharja, and Shwabir responded to topography, climate conditions, and socio-cultural aspects. However, demolishing heritagebuildings to expand theHolyMosque has led to thedisappearance of many traditional architectural vocabularies. Then, the imposition ofmodern architectural elements bymodernity increased a feeling of discontinuitywith the past. In addition, globalization has branded Makkah as a city of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. Megaprojects have emerged since Saudi Arabia announced its Vision 2030, necessitating creative architectural solutions.

Although the literature on the architecture of Makkah introduced varied approaches to developing traditional architectural vocabularies, the results were far from anticipated. Most studies assumed that traditional elements should shape the future of architecture in Makkah. The field of architecture suggests analyzing physical forms in reality, while the philosophical attempt proposes exploring them in virtuality. Reality and virtuality must be dynamic in space as methods for innovation; this space should be detached from architecture to challenge physical norms and separated from philosophy to promote practicality. This paper maps the literature to evaluate the approaches that examine the architecture of Makkah. It suggests a third space, outside architecture, and philosophy, utilizing AI to generate Makkah’s architectural elements. The aim is to employ technology, i.e., AI, not to document but to generate architectural vocabulary based on rising potentials and differentiations,which are the bases of innovation, hence establishing continuity with the past to shape the future.

Cultural landscape is a social natural process under which people actively participate in thinking, feeling, and acting. On this basis, their connection with a certain part of the environment in turn affects people’s perception of the world and the products of their actions. Trails is a representative and complex practice of integrating nature into society and transforming it into a mixed entity. However, the dynamic and diverse relationships of cultural landscapes represented by this interactive process have not been well interpreted in landscape research. The research first discusses the conceptualization and value theory of cultural landscape, and develops the methodology of cultural landscape interaction process research combining typology and Network theory. Taking the trails spontaneously formed around the Zhengqi Pavilion of Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing as an example, this paper discusses the interaction process of trails as a cultural landscape. Based on the analysis results, we obtained the dynamic characteristics of cultural landscapes by treating trails as a network, while obtaining the value expression created by typology.

This research explores the capacity of emerging technologies to enhance well-being. It involves the generation of 2D biophilically-driven geometries to represent human-response-oriented built environments and conducts inter and intra-individual analyses to assess human responses using a range of technologies within the realms of facial micro-expression analysis and EEG biosensor use. The outcomes of this analysis allow for the grading of these geometries in terms of emotional valences, meditation levels, and subjective preferences. These graded geometries can subsequently be employed in specific architectural contexts, such as interior decor, wallpapers, furniture surfaces, or other architectural and interior components. It is an interdisciplinary effort that underscores the importance of incorporating emerging technological means with human-response-oriented design approaches to foster built environments that promote well-being.

Walking, as the main mode of soft mobility, has become an integral aspect of urban tourism. The development of pedestrian tourist routes plays a crucial role in enhancing the positive walking experience in urban tourist destinations. This research employs a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with GIS to rank street segments, establishing walking-oriented tourist paths in Shiraz’s historic district, Iran. The initial steps involve identifying pivotal criteria through literature reviews and expert surveys. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) establishes criteria and sub-criteria weights using input from 30 experts. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) then prioritizes street segments based on sub-criteria such as traffic safety, image ability and heritage assets, security, land use and activity, accessibility, comfort and convenience, and human scale. Further-more, a Space Syntax analysis (SSA) is conducted to evaluate the morphology of the street network in the study area and identify streets with potential for pedestrian movement. By integrating these analyses, a prime corridor for a pedestrian tourist route is identified. This study offers planners and policymakers a valuable tool for pre-investment decision-making, aiding the promotion of walkability in tourist-centric areas.

The aim of the study is to present a multi-leveled comparative evaluation approach for structural characteristics of historic masonry monuments so that the consciousness in their authentic designs is comprehended, and the optimum structural performance is clarified. A case study approach is preferred by the examination of the Bedesten (15th–16th centuries) located in Bergama, İzmir, Turkey. The structure is documented through tacheometric techniques. The construction techniques of structural elements are mapped. These documented qualities are compared with similar period and/or function structures in order to rank the frequency of construction details. The geometrical factor of safety state is defined theoretically for domes and arches. Finite element macro model of the Bedesten is generated in ANSYS software and overall structural analysis of the structure is made to evaluate the safety level of historic building by the limit states through self-weight analysis. The presented study shows that the rare structural characteristics can both contribute to structural safety and cause vulnerability. Therefore, total consciousness in structural design cannot be stated for the studied Bedesten, but the structural designs that are often preferred in the monuments built at the same period in the proximity to each other have low vulnerability, yielding to conscious preferences.

Aesthetic evaluations, including beauty and attractiveness, have an important role in our lives. Despite its importance in our every-day life, enough attention has not been devoted to the assessment of place attractiveness in previous studies. We assume that changes in elements of square attractiveness are associated with changes in brain functional connectivity patterns. In this study, we have tried to explore the relationship between elements of square attractiveness and individuals’ emotional perception as well as the brain mechanism involved in the process of cognitive development. There has been a focus on using objective measures of physiological rather than using self-reported data of an individual’s emotions because people cannot understand their emotions properly and it is needed to compare self-report emotions with physiological processes. Classification of the five main elements of attractiveness was performed using the Delphi technique. Subsequently, twenty-four healthy young adults were exposed to the visual stimuli consists of five elements. A 32-channel EEG system was used to record the brain activities of participants while watching the stimuli. The subjects’ feelings about valence and arousal levels of the elements were evaluated using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) technique. The findings showed that “visual openness” is the most important element to increase the square attractiveness of everyday landscape in residential areas. The analysis revealed a significant difference (p = 0.048) in arousal ratings between more attractive (more openness) (M = 4.77) and less attractive (less openness) (M = 4.52). Attractiveness elements of the stimuli have a region-specific association with brain functional connectivity networks. This pattern is mainly found in the functional connections between central parts of the brain.

The present research studies the relationship between place attachment and the perception of form’s visual quality in fifteen outstanding contemporary Iranian architectural cultural buildings. This study puts forward the hypothesis that there is a correlation between the quality of building form and the sense of place attachment, in the sense that creating high visual quality through enhancing the quality of building form increases citizens’ initial satisfaction with and subsequent attachment to the building. High visual quality influences people’s experience of the environment and improves the quality of life. Place attachment highlights how people, on a personal level, recreate a sense of place for themselves. The present study adopts the descriptive-analytical method as its theoretical framework and the survey as the empirical methodology. Questionnaires were developed using the Likert scale and distributed among experts and ordinary citizens. Data analysis using SPSS and the adoption of descriptive-analytical statistics, correlation analysis, and regression showed the relationship among the characteristics of indicators. The results show a positive correlation between form and place attachment mediated through visual quality, and they are causal conditions for one another. In addition, only some of the buildings under study evoke the same level of place attachment.

The conception drawing in architecture is that allows to initiate the architectural thinking, visualizing, and discovering the first ideas. This drawing has traditionally been given as an act of linking and collaboration between thought, sight, and the movement of the hands with a tool. Identifying and recognizing its characteristics will make it possible to deal with any mediation of information technologies. To establish such characteristics, three case studies were carried out. An analysis was made of the conception drawings and interviews by the Pritzker Prize laureates: Ando, Hadid and Gehry. One condition and four characteristics have been determined: drawing is a phenomenological action that produces haptic drawings; it is an undecided process that originates unformed drawings; it is a fast action that results in small and multiplied drawings; it is a perceptual act that generates redrawn and remarked drawings; and finally, it is an action that seeks to remember to resume the creative process at another moment, which produces rudimentary conventional drawings. Knowing these before any technological mediation will be an important pedagogical contribution that will allow future architects not to alter the cognitive processes that generate the first ideas in the initial moments of the architectural project.

Global climate change and the accelerated melting of glaciers have raised concerns about the ability to manage ice-snow environments. Historically, human ancestors have mastered the ecological wisdom of working with ice-snow environments, but the phenomenon has not yet been articulated in cultural landscape methodologies that emphasize “nature-culture relevance”. The challenging living environment often compels indigenous people to form a strong bond with their surroundings, leading to the creation of long-term ecological wisdom through synergistic relationships with the environment. This ecological environment is conceptualized as a cognitive space in the form of the landscape, with which the aboriginal community norms and individual spirits continually interact. Such interactions generate numerous non-material cultural evidences, such as culture, art, religion, and other ideological aspects of the nation. These evidences symbolize the intellectual outcome of the relationship between humans and the landscape, and they create the “spiritual relevance” through personification and contextualization. The aim of the study is to explore the traditional ecological wisdom of the Inuit people who live in the harsh Arctic, and analyze the Inuit’s interaction with the landscape through the lens of “associative cultural landscape”, and decode the survival experience that the Inuit have accumulated through their long-term synergy with the Arctic environment. The findings focus on the synergy between the Inuit and the ice-snow landscape, examining the knowledge and ecological wisdom that the Inuit acquire from the ice-snow landscape. Our goal is to develop a perspective of the ecological environment from the viewpoint of aboriginal people and establish a methodology, model, and framework for “associative cultural landscape” that incorporates ethnic non-material cultural evidences. From the results, a total of nine models for interpreting traditional Inuit ecological wisdom are generated based on the “diamond model” of “associative cultural landscape”, covering the transition from the physical landscape to a spiritual one and demonstrating the associative role of the landscape in stimulating potential spiritual cognitive abilities in humans.

The progressive deindustrialisation of many western cities since the 1980s has led to many industrial zones linked to port activities being abandoned or falling into disuse. Cities such as Barcelona, Naples, Lisbon, Amsterdam, and Hamburg have port industrial complexes of high tangible and intangible heritage value that could totally or partially disappear, resulting in an irreparable loss of their scientific, architectural, social, technological, and historical values. With that in mind, Adaptive Reuse (AR) of the built heritage allows the industrial memory of the ports to be preserved by turning them into new functional centres within the existing urban structure. That occurs in the context of the contemporary challenges of those cities, such as touristification, the circular economy and climate change, while guaranteeing the life cycle of those buildings. This article analyses two case studies—the Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (NDSM) and the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) shipyards, both in the Netherlands—in order to contribute to the knowledge of AR of Port Industrial Heritage. They are two examples of good practices in port industrial heritage interventions, where the factors behind their acclaim can be easily highlighted. A multi-scale methodology is therefore used and tailored to the case of port industrial heritage, based on analysing previous studies of the heritage in different spheres and on different scales. A relationship matrix tool is thus defined. It enables a comparative study to be conducted, using key variables and indicators, and considering qualitative and quantitative data. That provides extensive output information for each case study, which is summarised in the most favourable factors for the success of the AR of this port industrial heritage.

This article proposes a 35D form index system to quantitatively describe the 3D form of urban blocks. Utilizing the T-distributed stochastic neighbor (TSNE) embedding algorithm for cluster analysis, the visually complex and disordered urban 3D texture is translated into distinct form clusters, enabling the recognition of the overall urban form structure from the block perspective. The research methodology includes experiments conducted in the central area of Nanjing and comparative analysis in three neighboring cities: Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Suzhou. Results demonstrate the efficacy of form parameters and cluster analysis in achieving sound recognition. The four cities differ remarkably in the number and distribution structure of clusters. Shanghai has the fewest types of clusters with a compact distribution, Suzhou has the most types with a dispersed distribution, and Hangzhou and Nanjing exhibit similar characteristics, located between Shanghai and Suzhou. Correlation analysis reveals a negative relationship between the number of cluster types and the level of urban socioeconomic development in similar areas. This research implies that governments and urban planners can exploit neighborhood morphological types to devise customized spatial management and renewal strategies. The overall urban structure can be improved by strategically minimizing the quantity and distribution of neighborhood morphological types, fostering socioeconomic development.

Sustainability, beauty, and power are notions that hit our contemporary perception every day. However, they have been an integral part of architecture and urban planning in various forms since the ages. The paper presents their fundamental descriptions, followed by an assessment of their mutual relations and impact on architecture through a triangular architectural relation model developed by the authors of the article. Using the theoretical thought experiment, it highlights eight boundary models along with their main characteristics, in particular, the implosion, explosion, shared-control, utilitarian, no-control, supremacy, inside-forced, and outside-forced architectural related models. Such models can help predict future events, explain past events, make decisions, and plan strategies, or reveal problems and propose new solutions. Other applications include determination of the causes of certain results or finding out the responsibility and mechanisms that led to them. The authors are of the opinion that the mutual denominator of sustainability, beauty, and power represents ethics that should be forced in architectural education and practice.

This study develops a holistic approach that underlines the effect of spatial, behavioral, and perceptional dimensions on walkability at the neighborhood scale. The study recognizes quantitatively measured tangible factors and qualitatively assessed intangible values to evaluate the level of walkability in Besiktas, Istanbul (Turkey). The research explores the independent and combined effects of physical characteristics, individual perceptions, and walking behavior on walkability. Geographic Information Systems urban analyses, space syntax analysis, and observation to establish an analytical framework for spatial and behavioral dimensions of walkability in Besiktas central district are used as a methodology. Additionally, perceptional data is gathered through an experimental approach, which involves participants walking along pre-determined routes using cartography techniques and employing “shared walks” as a mobile method. The results of study confirmed previous findings from studies that the physical, social, and typological attributes of the built environment have a significant correlation between walking behavior and the physical and social aspects of the built environment. This study provides a comprehensive walkability assessment framework, encompassing quantitative and qualitative dimensions. By incorporating spatial, behavioral, and perceptual dimensions, this approach provides an efficient and integrated analytical methodology for evaluating walkability, distinguishing itself with its originality in the field of walkability research.

As an important element of urban renewal in highly urbanized areas, pocket parks with small size, flexible layout and daily accessibility are becoming a major component of green infrastructure and the mainstay of outdoor recreation space expansion in high-density urban centers. Nevertheless, the absence of a comprehensive framework for evaluating the potential of pocket park construction (PPC), one that integrates diverse influencing factors on a macro scale, has resulted in the random installation of such spaces, often failing to optimize the utilization of urban land. Addressing this critical lacuna, we propose an approach to evaluate PPC potential from a city-scale perspective, which is used to support the determination of which land units should be prioritized for PPC. A complete and feasible workflow was also established to identify potential land units, construct an index system for PPC combining demand and supply levels, quantitatively calculate indices based on remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS), accurately evaluate PPC potential using an entropy-weighted TOPSIS model, and develop targeted renewal strategies. A case study in Dalian, China, demonstrated the applicability and implications of the workflow. The results showed that it is flexible and easy to adapt to different local contexts, allowing evaluators to introduce parameters considering the availability of local data, and will help decision makers to build pocket parks in the most effective plots, providing a strong reference for high-quality development in other high-density urban centers facing the contradiction between ecological construction and land scarcity.

Formulating criteria for the assessment system of historic settlements is challenging due to complex geographical conditions and evaluator knowledge limitations, leading to subjective bias in the assessment process. To address this issue, this study proposes a data-driven method for assessing the features of historical settlements to carry out scientific and refined assessment and result analysis. Focusing on Northeast Hubei as the study area, this paper selects 3 historical settlements for validation and analysis. The results of the study show that (1) the data-driven method expands the methodological chain of assessing historical settlement features, and improves the assessment efficiency and scientificity of the assessment results by applying it to the new assessment process; (2) Through comparing the assessment results of the validation cases and data samples, the study establishes a comprehensive quantitative ranking of the assessment of historical settlement features and identifies the main influencing factors, thus enhancing the precision of result analysis; (3) By comparing the resulting assessment framework with the current assessment system, this study confirms the advantages of the proposed framework in identifying nuanced features and aligning with geographical conditions, thereby verifying the effectiveness of the data-driven method.

In 1951, the Organization of American States established the Centro Interamericano de Vivienda y Planeamiento (CINVA) to provide specialized training to tackle the housing problem. Based on archival documentation examined at the Rockefeller Archive Center and the Central and Historical Archive of the National University of Colombia, this article explores two significant episodes in which the story of one of the Center’s most successful outputs connects to the history of the Cold War. It thus contributes to the literature investigating the architecture and related technologies of development aid in the historical context of the Cold War with a precise focus on the role of non-governmental actors. After detailing the history of the CINVA-Rammachine, the pressing machine to produce rammed-earth blocks developed at the Center and later exported to America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, the article explores its deployment in two different fronts of the Cold War: Ghana and South Vietnam. As highlighted in the conclusions, the significance of CINVA-Ram use in these contexts is manyfold. Firstly, its diffusion, although appearing as a successful case of south-to-south cooperation, was in fact possible because of the Rockefeller family-controlled IBEC’s involvement. Secondly, it shows the global outreach of the intertwined action of governmental agencies, private companies, and NGOs, when fighting poverty and housing shortage via aided self-help initiatives were complementary strategies to the armed containment of Communism. Finally, it discusses the role played by US governmental and non-governmental actors in advancing US interests through technoscience, highlighting how the battle against poverty in the so-called “Third World” was in this case fought with one of the oldest andsimplest construction techniques in the ideological framework of self-help.

Vertical greening systems (VGS) are promising green infrastructure (GI) techniques for addressing urban resilience issues, like mitigating high temperatures and air pollution. This research aims to develop a conceptual framework to help designers better understand the VGS’ effects on buildings and urban areas, focusing on thermal performance and air quality improvement in hot, humid climates. The framework consists of three steps: (1) Identifying climate problems that hinder the improvement of built environment resilience in hot climates; (2) Selecting VGS as a type of GI that can enhance urban resilience; (3) Identifying the common key factors that impact both thermal performance and air quality while developing VGS at the urban and building scales. The results show that the framework can be customized to suit hot climate conditions. However, when applying VGS in built environment with specified climate conditions, the construction of VGS, greenery coverage ratio, plant species, facade orientation, and VGS formation have the most significant influences on their environmental performance. Additionally, the air gap between VGS and the facade has optimal performance in hot, humid climates. The paper concludes with some recommendations for future research and practice on VGSs in hot and humid climates.

Due to the importance of the historical context of Dezful City, investigating historic buildings is necessary. But unfortunately, a large part of it is being destroyed. For this reason, it is essential to discover the guidelines and logic behind the architectural design of these buildings to help their reconstruction or restoration. Regrettably, there is no logical information about the components of this context and the reconstructions are usually done according to taste and based on architecture tested or personal preference. Therefore, it is necessary to find a logic behind these critical components that support the whole plan or parts of it in a particular style. The purpose of this research is to discover and find the logic behind the design of this building in the historical context of Dezful. Finding geometrical proportions can significantly help to reconstruct buildings better and more accurately. For this purpose, 30 historical houses of Dezful were randomly selected, and their input information was drawn in 2D form in AutoCAD. Then, the length, width, and height proportions were measured, and the obtained ratios were compared with the golden proportions and dynamic rectangles. This paper studies entrance based on ratios of $\sqrt 2$, $\sqrt 3$, $\sqrt 4$, $\sqrt 5$, $\sqrt {1.25}$ and φ (the golden section). The results show that golden proportions and proportions derived from dynamic rectangles are present in the wording of all cases. Moreover, the range of ratios in the plan is from 1.34 to 2, and the content of changes in the section is from 1.22 to 2. The results can help architects, and particularly building owners, to reconstruct based on existing logic by discovering the proportions of the entrances of the houses. It is possible to administer a part of the damaged tissue and estimate its dimensions and sizes because the proportions’ completeness can help revive half-destroyed historical buildings.

In this paper we present a research-through-design study where we employed text-to-text, text-to-image, and image-to-image generative tools for a conceptual architecture project for the eVolo skyscraper competition. We trained these algorithms on a dataset that we collected and curated, consisting of texts about and images of architecture. We describe our design process, present the final proposal, reflect on the usefulness of such tools for early-stage design, and discuss implications for future research and practice. By analysing the results from training the text-to-text generators we could establish a specific design brief that informed the final concept. The results from the image-to-image generator gave an overview of the shape grammars of previous submissions. All results were intriguing and can assist creativity and in this way, the tools were useful for gaining insight into historical architectural data, helped shape a specific design brief, and provoked new ideas. By reflecting on our design process, we argue that the use of language when employing such tools takes a new role and that three layers of language intertwined in our work: architectural discourse, programming languages, and annotations. We present a map that unfolds how these layers came together as a contribution to making machine learning more explainable for creatives.

Traditional Jiangnan garden architecture in China offers distinct spatial impressions that hold significance in contemporary architectural expression. Yet, the understanding and analysis of these spaces have historically relied on subjective, sensory experiences, often lacking precise, quantitative research. Consequently, establishing clear logical connections between visual cognition and emotional perception within these spatial experiences has been a challenge. This study introduces virtual reality spatial simulation and quantification techniques, summarizing key Jiangnan garden spatial characteristics and prototypes. It includes a series of virtual reality experiments focusing on cognitive experiences within Jiangnan garden spaces. A comprehensive analysis of isovisit quantitative data, questionnaires, and behavioral information explores the logical relationships between emotional perceptions (calmness, surprise, interest, confusion) and visual cognition qualities (openness, complexity, theatricality) in garden space impressions. This research aims to reveal deeper connections between garden space qualities, visual cognition, and emotional experiences, offering valuable insights for the application of historical traditional spatial features in contemporary architecture. It bridges the gap between sensory experiences and rational analysis, enhancing our understanding of the intricate spatial narratives within Jiangnan gardens.

This paper presents an analytical framework for evaluating the impact of the two main processes identified in Madrid timber-framed courtyard buildings reinforcing the courtyard's crucial role in architectural heritage sustainability: their development caused dwellings to darken (1737–1950), and the existing challenge is to open new patios according to the listed buildings' protection policy.Critical findings in archival research and existing building assessments led to completed data collection and analysis. When exploring construction expansion, from the house towards the collective prototype around a gradually reduced patio and dwelling darkening (1737–1786), buildings resulted in open, semiopen, underlighted and closed designs. Study area on-site assessment uncovered the transition from the older low-rise type (1–3) floors to the modern closed model of up to (4–6) storeys.Construction enlargements, consequently reducing original green areas and courtyards, call for reversing that process or formulating a new strategy. It debates the partial demolition of listed buildings in upgrades and its agreement with the needed “blue courtyard” strategy (PGOUM), resulting from joining new rear individual patios to create a communal building block courtyard. The uncovered “in-between” type (1864), which integrates two open-air collective spaces, an inner courtyard and a back garden, appears challenging to explore.

This paper, set against the backdrop of expanding urban rail networks and dynamic urban development, focuses on the distribution and evolution of commercial Points of Interests (POIs) within the central urban rail transit areas of Beijing. The study examines data from four different years—2008, 2013, 2017, and 2020—to observe the temporal evolution of commercial entities. It identifies stable explanatory variables affecting the distribution and evolution of commercial POIs, which include rail transit accessibility, characteristics of the working and residential population distribution around stations, and the construction intensity in the vicinity of station areas. Through statistical analysis and model building, relatively stable linear regression equations were established, with R² values generally maintained above 0.5 (except for 2017). The study advances our understanding of the influence of rail transit on urban commercial spaces and how this influence shifts with temporal and urban developmental changes. It elucidates the correlation between changes in the number of businesses and spatial configuration, offering insights and information for urban planners and policy makers. This research also serves as a model for exploring the interplay between urban rail transit and commercial spaces in other major cities.

Identifying thermal bridges on building façades has been a great challenge for architects, especially during the conceptual design stage. This is not only due to the complexity of parameters when calculating thermal bridges, but also lack of feature integration between building energy simulation (BES) tools and the actual building conditions. For example, existing BES tools predominantly calculate thermal bridges only in steady state without considering the temperature dynamic behaviour of building outdoors. Consequently, relevant features such as thermal delay, decrement factor, and operative temperature are often neglected, and this can lead to miscalculation of energy consumption. This study then proposes an integrated method to calculate dynamic thermal bridges under transient conditions by incorporating field observations and computational simulations of thermal bridges. More specifically, the proposed method employs several measurement tools such as HOBO data logger to record the actual conditions of indoor and outdoor room temperature and thermal cameras to identify the surface temperature of selected building junctions. The actual datasets are then integrated with the simulation workflow developed in BES tools. This study ultimately enables architects not only to identify potential thermal bridges on existing building façades but also to support material and geometric exploration in early design phase.