Thermal Assessment of Traditional, Partially Subterranean Dwellings in Coastal and Mountainous Regions in the Mediterranean Climate. The Case of Cyprus

Fully, or partially, subterranean dwellings have developed as a distinctive building type from the prehistoric to pre-industrial era in the Mediterranean region, often serving specific purposes. The energy benefits of such spaces are well documented mainly through the investigation of numerous examples found in vernacular architecture. Despite their environmental potentials, subterranean structures remain limited in contemporary design practices. The present paper reports on the findings of a systematic research that examines partially subterranean traditional dwellings in the coastal and mountainous regions of Cyprus, an island in the Eastern Mediterranean. The study focuses on the environmental assessment of these spaces, through the monitoring of air temperature and relative humidity, and on a brief demonstration of various passive strategies for indoor microclimate improvements. Although these structures are not very common in the vernacular architecture of the island, their scientific examination produces useful knowledge in terms of energy savings. This can inform contemporary design applications and form a basis for the drafting of environmental refurbishment guidelines, applicable for this particular building typology. The research indicates favourable temperatures and significant cooling effects in partially subterranean spaces during the hot summer period, especially in mountainous regions. Temperatures in such spaces during the cold winter period are found to exhibit higher values compared to the temperatures of above-ground spaces, although they remain below comfort limits. High indoor humidity is found to be a major problem, in both the summer and winter period, in the coastal regions of the island. It is highlighted that, although partially subterranean spaces have many environmental benefits, as earth offers thermal insulation and heat storage, generalizations should be avoided since a number of varying parameters, such as the local climate, geology, natural ventilation conditions and building materials used, influence considerably their environmental performance

STUDY : Questionnaire for the State of the Art in educating sustainability and heritage

O2 INTELECTUAL OUTPUT Output type: Studies / analysis – Questionnaire development and survey implementation PARTNERS: The University of Belgrade - Faculty of Architecture // Serbia Universita Iuav di Venezia // Italy The University of Cyprus // Cyprus The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki // Greece The University of Seville // Spain Enhancing of Heritage Awareness and Sustainability of Built Environment in Architectural and Urban Design Higher Education Erasmus+ Hersus Proje

Review : Best Practices In Educating Sustainability and Heritage

This result has been produced as a part of O1 INTELECTUAL OUTPUT "01: Review of the Best Practices on Educating Sustainability and Heritage" within HERSUS project, Erasmus + Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Architectural History, Theory and Composition 3

The contents of the course address the evolution of the concept of heritage throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, incorporating all types of heritage, from monuments to the landscape as a container of heritage. It also reviews the strategies for managing cultural heritage in the 21st century and identifies new models of heritage city management based on urban governance and the heritage-sustainability binomial, as well as the challenges for the 21st century and the 2030 Agenda. The course is structured alternating sessions with a more conceptual and critical vocation with practical sessions where both group work and individual work are developed. In this practical part of the course, the students overturn the contents of the first part of the class. In both cases and on a different scale, students' work deals with a case study - a building with its surroundings, an area of the city or territory- in which they identify heritage values and attributes in order to define strategies and criteria for intervention. Basically, the course aims to introduce the student to methodologies of intervention in heritage, which can be structured in three phases: heritage identification (research and documentation), cultural values and conservation project

Influence of national policies on the sustainability of heritage from the architectural and urban design perspective

The aim of this report is to reflect on urban policies and how they affect the issue of sustainability in heritage. The decentralized character of Spanish geopolitics and the transference of power to the different autonomous governments both in terms of heritage management but also architectural and urban policies in general, make one autonomous region the proper framework for this study. Therefore, we have structured the document as follows: 1) Andalusia, Spain. National, Regional and municipal policies. 2) Regulatory framework 3) The international context. International reference texts and charters 4) The protection of cultural heritage in Andalusia (Spain). The Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH) 5) Reference

Learning Methods on Heritage for Architects: Creative Design Process for a Sustainable Built Environment

Culture and heritage constitute the driven force to sustainability of the built environment, situated at the heart of urban renewal and innovation, becoming a key issue for training future architects. The fact that a substantial part of our built environment is already built, the population exponentially growing, and concentrated in the small areas of the cities, has brought forward the need to work with our preexistences. We cannot freeze the dynamics of human occupation; we can however learn how to assess the values it cherishes, and incorporate them to the design process, not as a limitation but as treasure design material for our proposals

HERSUS Project and Digital sharing platform [1st prize, 31. International Urban Planners' Exhibition]

ХЕРСУС (Јачање свести о наслеђу и одрживости грађене средине у високошколском образовању у домену архитектонског и урбанистичког пројектовања) је Еразмус+ стратешко партнерство за високо образовање које окупља пет универзитета из Србије, Италије, Кипра, Грчке и Шпаније који заједно раде на дизајну и развоју курсева уз дисеминацију знања кроз семинаре, радионице и заједнички изграђену платформу дељења. ХЕРСУС платформа дељења је дигитална платформа за истраживаче и студенте замишљена као образовно средство и архива ресурса о темама одрживости и свести о наслеђу у архитектури и урбанизму. Платформа је дизајнирана и развијена као извор референци и инспирације када се ради о истраживањима у областима које пројекат ХЕРСУС има за циљ да истражи. У платформи се стварају везе између наизглед удаљених тема, показујући основне наративе, везе и преклапања која спајају садржаје на различитим просторним и друштвеним нивоима.HERSUS (Enhancing of Heritage Awareness and SustainaЬility of Built Environment in Architectural and Urban Design Higher Education) is Erasmus + Strategic Partnerships for higher education which brings together five Universities from SerЬia, ltaly, Cyprus, Greece, and Spain working together оп the design and development of the courses while disseminating knowledge through international training courses, workshops, and а jointly built Sharing Platform. The HERSUS Sharing Platform is а digital platform for researchers and students conceived as ап educational tool and archive of resources around the topics of sustainaЬility and heritage awareness in architecture and urban design. The platform has been designed and developed as а source of reference and inspiration to refer to when doi ng research in the fields that the HERSUS project aims to investigate. ln the platform, links аге created between apparently distant subjects, showing underlying narratives, connections and overlappings that bring contents together оп different levels.ПРВА НАГРАДА 31. Међународног Салона Урбанизма у категорији Дигиталне технике, дизајн и продукција у урбанизму и архитектури / 1st prize at the 31st International Urban Planners Exhibition in category Digital techniques, design and production in architecture and urbanis

Intelligent distance diagnosis of students\u27 solutions. DIRCE: Diagnostic Interactive Relationship-Causality Engine.

One of the important and most difficult tasks of open distance learning is the efficient diagnosis of students\u27 solutions of given problems and exercises. Intelligent diagnostic systems and tools may essentially assist in this type of diagnosis by employing new methods and techniques from the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Psychology. In this paper we present DIRCE (Diagnostic Interactive Relationship-Causality Engine), a novel intelligent diagnostic engine suitable for computer-based distance diagnosis. The scope of DJRCE is the detection of discrepancies in the students\u27 solutions, and the identification of relevant errors. DIRCE diagnoses problems solved in a procedural manner with steps interconnected through mathematical equations. The engine does not need extended student models or bug libraries. It is mainly based on the correct solution(s) of the problem, the interconnections among the steps of the student\u27s solution, as well as on limited evidential information about the solution under examination acquired interactively from the user. DIRCE has been used in the DIAS and I-DIAS experimental systems diagnosing the students\u27 solutions of problems in high school physics and chemistry

Smart Rehabilitation 3.0 Project: Conservation and environmental sustainability of vernacular architecture

This online course (MOOC) is part of a wider effort to bridge the knowledge gap between the offer of higher education in most European universities and the practical skills and competencies needed in the rehabilitation sector. Actually, it is one out of 4 training courses developed in the ErasmusPlus SMART Rehabilitation 3.0 Project. The course offered by the University of Cyprus provides an introduction to the environmental features and strategies of vernacular architecture encountered in both urban and building scales. Particularly, this course highlights vernacular heritage significance, incorporated lessons regarding sustainability, threats related to physical degradation and lack of maintenance, as well as international regulatory framework regarding vernacular dwellings. Also, the course presents the methodology approach and good practices for environmental friendly conservation, enhancing the passive performance of vernacular buildings and the integration of passive and active systems