34 years and counting: The so far experience of World Heritage assets in Thessaloniki, Greece

Situated in the north of Greece, Thessaloniki, the country’s second largest city, is foremostly admired for its uninterrupted history of over twenty-three centuries. In solid proof of this remarkable continuity, its historic center is interspersed with a wide array of archaeological and architectural remains that date from Hellenistic to modern times. The most distinguished segment of this unique heritage is by far the city’s Early Christian and Byzantine legacy. More than half of its surrounding walls, fourteen churches and one bath comprise a unique ensemble, revered in the whole of Europe as early as the 19th century. Not surprisingly, at the end of the 20th century, it became one of the first Greek cultural assets to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Thirty-four years have passed since then, a substantial period of time that allows, on the present occasion of the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, for a review and appraisal of the impact of the inscription. This is precisely the goal of this paper, which will be pursued through an original discussion and evaluation of the consequences of World Heritage status, on one hand for the monuments themselves, and on the other, for their urban, architectural, social and educational setting. Extensive bibliographic research and thorough on-site examination will provide the basis for this discussion, which will culminate with a didactic conclusion as to the degree to which the full potential of the inscription has been achieved or remains to be pursued

Life Cycle Assessment of a Steel-Framed Residential Building

One of the most widely acknowledged policies, which is also strongly promoted by legislation and government officials globally, is sustainable development. Since the introduction of the term and the development of its content, the movement for sustainable development has been accepted by all business sectors as a set of principles that have to be incorporated into standard practice. Particularly in the case of business sectors such as construction that have been identified as the largest consumers of raw materials and energy there has been considerable pressure to optimize processes in terms of sustainability, with particular emphasis on the environmental impact caused. Steel structures constitute a construction technology which holds significant potential in terms of sustainability. The purpose of the current research is to quantify this potential by calculating the environmental impact caused throughout the life cycle of a steel-framed residential building. A life cycle assessment is conducted, taking into account issues such as raw material acquisition, construction and waste management. The results obtained are used to draw conclusions regarding the application of the life cycle assessment methodology to steel buildings and the environmental data required. Furthermore, observations regarding the quantification of the environmental impact caused by the steel-framed residential building and the identification of the most environmentally damaging processes in regard to the life cycle of the building are also made

An intricate encounter? Cultural significance and accessibility in the conservation of the 19th and 20th century monuments of Thessaloniki, Greece

Located in the north of Greece, the city of Thessaloniki encompasses approximately 320 monuments of the 19th and 20th century. Addressed under Greek law as “modern” monuments, most of them were conserved over the past 40 years, with little if any attention to the issue of adaptation to accessibility needs in the initial conservation works. Nonetheless, in more recent projects, specific care was displayed, largely through interventions aiming to facilitate physical access, with two cases of people with disabilities in mind, namely users of wheelchairs and people with restricted mobility. In each of these interventions, two special issues arise: on one hand, the extent to which the safeguard of cultural significance has placed limits on the pursuit of accessibility, and on the other, the degree to which the initiatives undertaken for accessibility have affected cultural significance. Based on extensive on-site research and genuine evaluation, this paper seeks to provide a complete picture and didactic appraisal of this two-way relation. To this end, it undertakes a thorough analysis and assessment of the interventions completed in the so far three main directions of action for accessibility improvement in the “modern” monuments of Thessaloniki: (1) Establishing an entrance, (2) Providing unobstructed horizontal circulation, and (3) Ensuring smooth vertical movement. This analysis allows for a clear answer to be given to the question posed in the title, in addition to revealing prospects for the enhancement of the encounter of cultural significance and accessibility in the most sizable segment of Thessaloniki’s architectural heritage.Located in the north of Greece, the city of Thessaloniki encompasses approximately 320 monuments of the 19th and 20th century. Addressed under Greek law as “modern” monuments, most of them were conserved over the past 40 years, with little if any attention to the issue of adaptation to accessibility needs in the initial conservation works. Nonetheless, in more recent projects, specific care was displayed, largely through interventions aiming to facilitate physical access, with two cases of people with disabilities in mind, namely users of wheelchairs and people with restricted mobility. In each of these interventions, two special issues arise: on one hand, the extent to which the safeguard of cultural significance has placed limits on the pursuit of accessibility, and on the other, the degree to which the initiatives undertaken for accessibility have affected cultural significance. Based on extensive on-site research and genuine evaluation, this paper seeks to provide a complete picture and didactic appraisal of this two-way relation. To this end, it undertakes a thorough analysis and assessment of the interventions completed in the so far three main directions of action for accessibility improvement in the “modern” monuments of Thessaloniki: (1) Establishing an entrance, (2) Providing unobstructed horizontal circulation, and (3) Ensuring smooth vertical movement. This analysis allows for a clear answer to be given to the question posed in the title, in addition to revealing prospects for the enhancement of the encounter of cultural significance and accessibility in the most sizable segment of Thessaloniki’s architectural heritage

Quantification of the influence of life cycle parameters on the total environmental impact of steel-framed buildings

Summarization: Due to the increased urgency with which environmental issues are currently being prioritized, business sectors such as construction, that have been identified as one of the largest consumers of raw materials and energy, are actively involved in research aiming to optimize construction processes and products in terms of environmental impact. Although researchers have pointed out various issues and aspects of a construction project’s delivery process that can significantly affect its environmental impact, the extent to which these issues can influence the total environmental impact of the project is unclear. The current research aims to investigate and eventually quantify the influence of a number of such parameters, utilizing an existing steel-framed building as the basis for the necessary calculations. The conclusions drawn illustrate the actual extent of the influence of the examined life cycle parameters, while also offering specific insight in regard to the determination of criteria that can be used as the basis for recommendations for similar projects.Presented on: International Journal of Sustainable Engineerin

LCA of timber and steel buildings with fuzzy variables uncertainty quantification

Summarization: Steel and timber structures constitute a construction technology which holds significant potential in terms of sustainability and are therefore selected as sustainable solutions for the construction of housing, commercial or other types of building projects. This paper consists of two parts. Firstly, to quantify the sustainability potential of timber and steel construction by calculating the environmental impact caused throughout the life cycle of a steel-framed residential building and a timber building. The calculation has been extended with the usage of fuzzy variables that represent uncertainty of the various parameters involved.Presented on: European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineerin