Contemporaneity of Spain rural architecture intervention and economic sustainability

From the second half of the 20th century onwards, Spanish rural architecture has suffered a transformation regarding its farming and ranching model. The economic unsustainability of the family economy has led to further action for the viability of the system. This transformation has meant a new mindset to the owner of the farm and livestock, who had to consider whether continuity was given to the exploitation or the countryside/field was changed and adapted to a new use such as rural tourism, restoration, or for collective uses such as holiday camps, cultural centers or others. Owners who have decided to continue the exploitation they were developing have had to industrialize it and thus extend it in a considerable percentage. That has meant the need to intervene significantly in the rural architectural heritage. A wide and varied range of results has been obtained in these interventions: from the fossilization or destruction of assets, to the achievement of harmony and coexistence between tradition and modernity in this heritage, the result of which represents the contemporaneity of rural architecture.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Cooperative and autonomous learning in architecture and economics : an experience in the subjects of architectural design and accounting in Spain

The implementation of cooperative and autonomous learning was analysed for the subject Architectural Design, which is part of the bachelor’s degree in Architecture and the subject Financial Accounting, which is part of the bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. These disciplines are very different. Although they are both taught in the classroom using a similar pedagogical method involving a combination of group and individual work, it is distributed in a different way in each subject. The academic results obtained in both subjects were very satisfactory. We can conclude that cooperative work helps to improve the final results of the course.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Construir amb l'aigua a París

Descripció del recurs: 17 de juny de 2016Projectes dels alumnes de l'assignatura: Taller d'Arquitectura i Projecte TAP BLa creativitat i l’imaginari són paràmetres de l’ésser humà que ajuden a avançar i a millorar la nostra societat. Per a projectar cal tenir estímuls que deixin fluir i desenvolupar les idees i que aquestes es puguin materialitzar en arquitectura. Una arquitectura en aquest cas relacionada amb l’aigua, un element bàsic i essencial de la nostra vida i alhora caracteritzada per unes propietats molt suggerents per a dialogar amb l’arquitectura: tals com la seva transparència, els seus reflexos, el seu so quan té moviment o la seva creació de microclimes. És un element amb suficient dialèctica per a generar un llenguatge i un discurs arquitectònic d’interès

Les intervencions contemporànies de la masia

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The Need for a scientific research paradigm understanding and clarification in Algerian architecture departments

This article highlights the problem of scientific research in the field of architecture discipline and takes Algerian universities as a study case. It presents and discusses research paradigm problems in academic architecture research and aims to perform a content analysis of architecture, urbanism, and built environment doctoral theses submitted in different architectural departments. Understanding and correctly applying a research paradigm is of capital importance in any research. It guides the research by controlling its evolution and the relevance and coherence of the research approach. Above all, paradigmatic positioning allows the establishment of research validity and legitimacy. So, this article aims to analyze the main paradigms of research and their respective philosophical principles, to understand the methodological problem of research paradigm identification and its crucial role in scientific research regarding architecture, urbanism, and built environment in Algerian universities. Therefore, several doctoral theses in various specialities in architecture and urbanism were analyzed to determine their research paradigm and whether the ontological, epistemological, and methodological points of view were respected according to the logic of every paradigm. The article stresses the importance of reviewing some traditional models of knowledge that still dominate, in an erratic way, the world of scientific research in the field of architecture and urbanism. The article showed that research paradigms are not identified and clarified, and a big part of the selected theses do not respect research standards in each paradigm philosophy.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Anglès

El curs 2021-22, un dels projectes a desenvolupar pels alumnes de darrer curs de l’Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura del Vallès ha estat la implantació d’un Club de Rem a la bocana de la Marina d’Empuriabrava, al terme municipal de Castelló d’Empúries.Postprint (published version

Arquitecturas ensambladas

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Vernacular Architecture in Catalonia. The masia

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Reforma del castillo y capilla de Sant Salvador de Puig-Alder

This work restores the original architecture by removing subsequent construction elements that distorted and blurred the building. The intervention clarifies the volume and simultaneously, brings out visual penetrability and permeability to the bottom floor, until the inner adjoining landscape is absorbed. The restoration increases the building's unity and consistency providing the shelter's cover with continuity along its entire length, thereby breaking the symmetry of the two gables and taking in the existing terrace. This aspect is notably appreciated in the castle's south façade, where the building emerges from the rocks that extend throughout the closures. This clearly expresses that "less is more".Postprint (published version

The Tlemcen (NW-Algeria): urban colonial heritage as a tourist attraction

This paper discusses the importance of urban colonial heritage aspects identification in the promotion of tourism in the case of the old city of Tlemcen. The latter was one of the Algerian traditional Arab-Muslim cities occupied during the 19th century by the French colonial armies. According to their "supposedly" civilizing project, the French Génie Militaire has remodeled the city's traditional fabric to modernize and transform the colonial territories. So, amongst other cases of historic Algerian towns, and after the installation of the European community, the old city of Tlemcen began gradually to forge a new identity, which resulted from profound transformations that affected its socio-spatial structure. The city of Tlemcen experienced, during this period, the introduction of new urban principles. The French colonial authority aimed to transform the city of Tlemcen to meet the 19th European community's requirements. The European cities' architecture and urbanism were, therefore, seen as models that symbolize modernity. In a relatively short period, the Tlemcen ancient city was changed from a city with old Arab-Muslim cities' urbanism to a town with modern European urbanism. The impressive urban dynamic was engaged at that time to make the city more modern and less introverted. Today, apart from the Tlemcen's Medina remains, we cannot ignore the richness of the built colonial heritage in the Tlemcen old city center and that it constitutes a valuable tourism resource. Thus, the aspects of these built heritage attractions need to be identified for the community to be preserved and valorized to promote tourism in this historical place. The paper is thus aiming at identifying urban colonial heritage and understanding how is crucial to take them into account in the process of tourism promotion in the case of Tlemcen's old city center. Based on documentary research and a qualitative approach achieved through walking inquiries, informal discussions with local community representatives, visitors, professionals and institutional actors, the reconnaissance work has brought out the main elements of the built colonial heritage and the urban planning characterizing the long period of colonial presence in Tlemcen, which are considered to have aesthetical and testimonial values and can therefore be seen as an asset for the Tlemcen city tourism enhancement.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version