Reseting future, rebuilding past
Basic information
Project Title
Category
Project Description
Cultural landscape is the manifestation of man's connection to nature. The identity of an area is a mosaic of many pieces. From the dining room table, the shovel in the garden, the grazing cattle to the laughter of children and the sounds of the nearby forest. Underneath is a sense of well-being and harmony between living and non-living nature, based on a purposeful and spontaneous architecture. It's all part of a system that ensures a high quality of life for locals and smiles for visitors.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Description of the project
Summary
Finding a balance between the needs of today and respect for tradition is a dynamic process. It is also a quality of life which, can also be home. The latter is made up of the basic building blocks of the interior of the dwelling, its exterior, the neighbourhood, the settlement and a mosaic of natural and cultural elements. In this project, we wanted to show building owners, decision-makers, designers and the general public that a step backwards is also at least one step forward. We have based the process on the work of experts, which in turn connects at a certain point with the building owners and the landscape understanding of the individual buildings. Throughout the different phases, we have provided training, brought together different disciplines and presented key knowledge. The project was successful due to the integration of all elements and a sufficiently high level of awareness among the population.
The project has:
- Achieved greater visibility and awareness of the cultural landscape and built heritage
- Overcame the paradox between protected and unprotected built heritage sites
- Draw attention to local knowledge, quality of place
Key objectives for sustainability
Settlements and, consequently, buildings are the basic building blocks of the cultural landscape, which is based on the direct connection between man and nature. With the abandonment of traditional land uses and changes in lifestyles, the expectations of a modern quality of life have also changed, but this should nevertheless be based on respect for local identity (settlement pattern, typology, materials, crafts and knowledge). The project has deliberately not focused on specific (protected) heritage elements, but rather on the generally identifiable elements of construction and skills. The latter address local materials, the orientation of buildings in space, the structure of settlements and the key element of coherence. New demands for e.g. energy efficiency, accessibility, etc. have been linked to traditional approaches, showing the danger of generalising rural Alpine architecture and cultural landscapes. In doing so, we have pointed to the possibilities of cost optimisation while pursuing the quality of life and the preservation of cultural heritage elements.
Elements in focus:
- Traditional materials
- Old knowledge/crafts
- New expectations on old principles
- Youth-friendly renovation
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The basic guiding principle of traditional construction was functionality, enabling survival in harsh conditions with often very limited factors. Over time, functionality was translated into design standards, which still primarily followed a basic logic and attunement to nature. The basic starting point of the aesthetics of the cultural landscape thus follows the use of space. Despite the changes in lifestyles, such elements are still recognised and appreciated. The project has demonstrated to owners and potential investors the elements of good quality traditional architecture and its integration into the cultural landscape. Using concrete examples of their own buildings, the participants identified elements worth preserving and adapted the concept of renovating buildings to a changed way of thinking. They recognised that the aesthetics of the cultural landscape is built up by each element, each building, each settlement, and can also be devalued by it.
Elements in focus:
- Work on concrete (own) buildings, understanding through own experience
- Guided independent work supported by various experts
- Focus first on the cultural landscape, only in the second phase on the individual building
Key objectives for inclusion
Part of the project was aimed at producing materials and content that are widely available and serve as independent work, supporting strategic spatial and development documents, while the other part was practical. It was the work with individuals in the two training modules that represented the transfer of knowledge from the professional sphere to individual cases in practice. Many older buildings are empty and represent one of the few opportunities for youth housing or change of use for sustainable tourism.
The challenges of spatial planning and building policy are, on the one hand, the exodus from higher-lying and less accessible villages, and, on the other hand, the development of tourism and the very high pressure on the construction of tourist accommodation. The confrontation of these two challenges with concrete examples, with known and listed owners, the investors, was the core of the project.
Results in relation to category
Two (2) training modules delivered
Two training modules were delivered as part of the project. It was open to building owners who are considering renovation and would like to preserve heritage elements if and when it makes sense to do so. Due to the high level of interest, we have repeated the originally planned one set of training sessions for a second group. Each module lasted 40 hours and consisted of ten sessions of guided independent work with various presentations by experts, followed by a field visit to various cases at the end. At the end, each participant presented a concept for the renovation of their own building, based on the knowledge they had acquired.
One (1) expert basis prepared
A professional basis is a collection of knowledge, experience and, above all, the necessary professional background. An analysis of space, settlements and building typology that goes beyond the individual protected elements and focuses on the integrated whole of buildings, settlements and landscapes.
Two (2) publications on sustainable construction and cultural landscapes published and disseminated
The project produced two handbooks for investors and spatial planners. They are publications that bring together different knowledge and perspectives on spatial development, and above all they are not an inventory but a tool for planning the future. They cover building typologies, traditional materials and crafts, energy efficiency, cultural landscapes and settlement patterns, as well as available knowledge and providers.
All three elements together were aimed at changing the way people think about and understand the quality of life. We have tried to combine the traditional with the modern, while preserving the identity of the area. It is difficult to measure the effects statistically, but judging by the reactions to the different phases of the project, we can estimate that the level of awareness among the citizens is still high enough.
How Citizens benefit
The starting point for the project was the frequent conflicts and misunderstandings between the spatial planners and the individual investors. The latter were only confronted with the issue of cultural heritage and identity in the final stages of planning renovations and constructions, and it was only a burden for them. This also reflected the way in which the designers thought, often following too closely behind the investors and failing to point out critical points. We set up the project to cover the whole process of thinking about renovation, planning and implementation. The awareness-raising aspect was designed to raise the level of awareness of the cultural landscape and to influence the way investors think in advance.
We have also decided to actively involve building owners in the project (training, case studies). This has given the content greater visibility, legitimacy to the work of the experts and also a good insight into the way of thinking.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
- Localising the (global) challenge
A globalised world has made life easier, with information, solutions, products that respond to individual needs available at any time. However, these are often one-size-fits-all solutions that are not ideal for general use due to social, economic and environmental specificities. The project has identified the challenges at local level, concretised them on facts known to citizens and also offered solutions in a simple, understandable and inclusive way. This achieved a much higher level of legitimacy than imported recipes and solutions.
- Confronting professional principles and citizens' needs at the same time
The profession is a centre of knowledge, yet its focus on the scientific often causes it to lose touch with the real world as seen by the individual. The project has linked scientific approaches to the analysis of space, landscape and built heritage to the current expectations of citizens and building owners at the analysis stage.
- Awareness of the responsibility of each individual (building owner)
We often forget that social responsibility is the sum of individual responsibilities. In the case of cultural landscapes, each building can contribute to the quality of a place or completely disrupt its harmony. Awareness of interconnectedness, of interdependence, was at the core of the training and the whole project.
Learning transferred to other parties
The project/process is very easy to transfer and implement at (relatively) low cost, especially compared to the impact it has on changing attitudes towards the built environment and the cultural landscape. It is based on bringing together the profession and building owners and involving and working together from the idea/thinking stage. The key to success lies in linking concrete examples with training and awareness-raising. Often the good practices highlighted are financially out of reach for the average citizen, despite the elements of excellence. However, a mass approach is more important than individual formally protected sites, and this is more accessible to the general public.
Stages/parts of the process:
1. Preparation of expert material
2. Training
3. Publication of the material and awareness-raising
The focus is mainly on the combination of awareness raising and training, which is the most tangible for the owners of the facilities.
