Opportunities and precautions in the implementation of GIS-based analysis tools to cultural landscape restoration

Abstract. The protection of cultural and natural heritage has been extended to the surrounding landscape in the last decades. This tendency has been corroborated by a series of International Charters and the European Landscape Convention (ELC) of 2000. Despite protection, management and planning proposed by ELC some structural aspects of the territory have been disregarded because of the frantic enlargement of cities throughout the Twentieth Century. In many cases, urban investments and planning associated to the expansion of the metropolitan areas have overlooked a territorial heritage that is necessary to ensure the cultural landscape regeneration. Cultural itineraries are presented as a landscape architecture strategy for valorising the territorial heritage. Well-targeted design of these itineraries can also contribute to restore the dynamics of cultural landscape formation. Research is focused on the definition of a method for designing cultural itineraries able to restore the dynamics of cultural landscape formation. Particular attention is paid to the areas around the archaeological sites. Because of the territorial scale of the intervention, software based on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) turns out to be the most suitable for representing and analysing complex spatial phenomena. This paper explores the opportunities and precautions that must be taken into account to integrate a GIS-based analysis into the design of a landscape architecture like the cultural itinerary.A systematic review of the scientific literature indexed in those databases with a wider international impact is elaborated in order to analyse the range of opportunities offered by GIS-based software in the area of theoretical and practical research on cultural landscapes. This review allows us to determine the state of the art, as well as to discover those applications and strategies that are generally used for each research field or intended aim. Knowledge of the recent discussions on the matter can be useful in that it can be integrated into the different phases of a method for designing cultural itineraries in an attempt to increase its level of technological innovation.In first place, a sample must be extracted. To this end, a series of parameters must be determined beforehand. It is considered a valid sample that formed by more than one hundred entries, which is representative of the state of the art observed. The sample is examined afterwards in quantitative and qualitative terms. The systematic review is conducted according to the methodology proposed by Gough, Oliver and Thomas (2012, 2013). The databases used to elaborate the systematic review of the scientific literature are Web of Science and Scopus. The definite search is based on the combination in groups of three of four elements: GIS, the component archaeo*, the operation (route OR path) and the expression "cultural landscape".The questions that are meant to be clarified by means of this systematic review are the following ones. First, to what discipline does the entries belong? Second, what is the research field? Third, what is the scope of application of GIS? And, fourth, what GIS-based functionalities are prevalent? Then the criteria for inclusion and exclusion are determined. The details of the flow of the review process can be observed in the diagram on the slide.The distribution of the results by discipline allows us to observe how most of the articles and papers mainly belongs to the disciplines of archaeology and history. The significative but scant collection of writings that could be identified as belonging to the disciplines of architecture or civil engineering, may be due to the fact that the number of specific journals indexed in those databases is smaller in comparison with other disciplines. Most of the entries that were ruled out, because of the thematic dispersion, belong to the discipline of natural sciences and fail in considering human activity as fundamental in cultural landscape formation. The reduced number of entries belonging to the disciplines of architecture and civil engineering is considered here to be indicative of an unexplored research field.Following a thorough review, it is concluded that the main research field in relation to architecture and civil engineering concerns the technological innovation. In this sense, scientific literature review allows us to conclude that the main field of application of GIS in relation to architecture and civil engineering, when referring to cultural landscapes, is the development of protection, management and planning actions and cataloguing. The qualitative review of these entries has been useful to outline a possible integration of GIS-based functionalities into a method for designing cultural itineraries, as well as to prevent us from following some apparently innovative paths that sometimes lack of a solid scientific basis or that are far from the intended aim.None of the articles and papers focused on the technological innovation in which the scope of application of GIS is the protection, management and planning of cultural landscapes, is centred on the design of cultural itineraries as a landscape architecture strategy. Neither were they focused on the definition of a conceptual framework to guide the design of the cultural itineraries. This allows us to verify the opportunity of a research in which GIS and, more concretely, their analysis tools assist the landscape architect when design is aimed to restore the dynamics of cultural landscape formation.Having detected the main analysis tools that can contribute to cultural itineraries design and having considered in which way they are distributed by field of knowledge, research field and scope of application of GIS, we can then suggest a hypothesis to integrate GIS into our three-step method for designing cultural itineraries. In order to guide the design actions towards the restoration of the dynamics of cultural landscape formation, the methodological approach to the ecological design of settlements set up by different authors of the Società dei Territorialisti/e is taken as a reference. The synthetical structural descriptions that constitute the first part of the method, can benefit from the use of GIS-based analysis tools as they can assist landscape architect in the elaboration and refinement of the narratives about the evolution of the territorial heritage. The use of advanced spatial analysis tools should not be encouraged, however, in the elaboration of the interpretations. GIS software is used, both in the identity interpretations and the strategic scenario (the second and third phases of the method), as a visualisation and graphic representation tool. Basic functionalities allow us to manipulate and simultaneously observe different georeferenced datasets that can support the architect's interpretative work of synthesis. As so many qualitative and sensitive factors should be taken into account when interpreting the process of cultural landscape formation, landscape architect's design cannot rely on the abstract result of a GIS-based advanced spatial analysis. Although the use of algorithms is defended to lead to more precise results based on quantitative indicators, under no circumstances may the design of a landscape architecture be constrained by them, as identity features that have determined cultural landscape formation can hardly be codified.After an in-depth review, it is concluded that the success and efficiency of the method depends on the careful balance between the designer's interpretation and the scope of application of the information technologies. It is defended that the automated result of applying advanced spatial analysis tools cannot supply the required interpretative work of the architect who pursues to restore the dynamics of cultural landscape formation through the design of cultural itineraries. Like any other operation of restauro, this restitution is subjective as it entails a revision of the past that should be necessarily interpretative. Thus, the use of predictive models based on the application of algorithms are discouraged in the interpretative phases because of the structural and historical complexity associated to the construction of the territory and landscape. Also, reluctance to ground the method on the implementation of GIS-based analysis tools lies in the fact that the highest levels of efficiency are meant to be obtained by focusing on the methodological innovation rather than on the technological one. GIS-based analysis tools integration into the different phases of the method for designing cultural itineraries mainly follows to ease the visualisation and comprehension of complex spatial processes that take place on the territory and it is always subsumed to the designer's interpretative work

Influences on Herman Hertzberger

In the sixties, the journal Forum voor Architectuur en Daarmee Verbonden Kunsten becomes the media employed by the Dutch wing of Team 10 to lecture on and spread the new architectural theories developed after the dissolution of C.I.A.M. Aldo van Eyck and Jaap Bakema head the editorial board in between 1959 and 1967. The editorial approach gravitates towards the themes defended by these young architects in the last meetings of the International Congresses of Modern Architecture, accompanied by the analysis of works of architecture that, in the editorial board’s opinion, give a correct response to the epoch’s needs. Moreover, the permeability and cross-sectional nature of the content, bring the editors’ board closer to the European architectural, cultural and artistic avant-garde. Thus, it is appreciated that similar theoretical assumptions than the ones that gave support to the different revolts that happened in Paris, London and Amsterdam between 1966 and 1968 underlie in great part of the journal’s writings. Its content is aligned parallel to the revolutionary phenomenon, contributing tosome degree to it. Herman Hertzberger, a young architect who worked for years as a part of the editorial board, was highly influenced by the contents of the journal. His later dedication to education as professor atDelft University of Technology, and hisassociation with Dutch Structuralism as well, turn him a key figure to study, because of the determining role of Forum’s acquired knowledge in his future professional activity.The proposed study pretends, first, to accentuate the content of Forum voor Architectuur en Daarmee Verbonden journal where the approach to the avant-gardes is produced, reflecting on the impact it had on the imagery of Herman Hertzberger based on his diverse contributions to the journal. Furthermore, it is aimed to stress the role of the cross-sectional nature architectural magazines in the transmission and contribution to the cultural and artistic avant-garde in the Sixties

Centraal Beheer. An instrument in the process of human awareness

[EN] This research focuses on the motivations and the design processes that lead us to conceive the early works of the architect Herman Hertzberger, specifically Centraal Beheer office building, as an instrument. The assumption is that Hertzberger tried to respond to the needs and demands of the society in the sixties by forcing an individual interpretation of space aimed at strengthening the ties among people and between the people and the environment. His work, while following different reasoning and design strategies, is built on the premises developed by Dutch Team 10, which is believed to be his main architectural antecedent. A theory is presented on the design strategies used by Hertzberger to turn Centraal Beheer office building into an instrument able to promote diverse interpretations by individuals as a means of fostering processes of social and spatial identification. The basis for this theory lies in the analysis of several plans and sketches belonging to the different phases of the design process, specific and general bibliography, two interviews with Herman Hertzberger and other sources.[ES] La presente investigación pone el foco en las motivaciones y los procesos proyectuales que nos hacen concebir la obra temprana construida del arquitecto Herman Hertzberger, concretamente, el edificio de oficinas Centraal Beheer, como un instrumento. Se parte de la hipótesis de que Hertzberger trataba de responder a las necesidades y las demandas de la sociedad de los años sesenta forzando una interpretación individual del espacio orientada a estrechar los vínculos entre las personas, y entre estas y el entorno en el que coexistían. Si bien siguiendo razonamientos y estrategias dispares, su trabajo se construye sobre las premisas desarrolladas por el ala holandesa del Team 10, que constituye el principal antecedente arquitectónico. Pormedio de un análisis de los planos y los croquis pertenecientes a las diferentes fases del proyecto, la bibliografía específica y general, dos entrevistas con Herman Hertzberger y otras fuentes, se presenta una teoría sobre las estrategias de proyecto empleadas por el arquitecto para convertir el edificio de oficinas Centraal Beheer en un instrumento capaz de promover distintas interpretaciones por parte de los individuos como medio para fomentar procesos de identificación social y espacial.Ayuda BES-2017-082188 financiada por MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. Ayuda POSTDOC_21_00591 financiada por la Junta de Andalucía y por “FSE Invierte en tu futuro.”Merino Del Río, R. (2022). Centraal Beheer. Un instrumento en el proceso de concienciación humano. VLC arquitectura. Research Journal. 9(1):127-159. https://doi.org/10.4995/vlc.2022.155571271599

Between Utopia and Idealism: Assessing Correspondences between Jaap Bakema’s and Constant’s Urban Models for the City of the Future

El presente artículo trata de evidenciar la correspondencia entre el discurso teórico-práctico empleado por Jaap Bakema y el legado situacionista de Constant. Desde una perspectiva teórica, se trata de esclarecer el posible origen de conceptos como ‘sociedad abierta’ o ‘espacio total’, introducidos por Bakema en la escena arquitectónica, en relación con los conceptos de ‘sociedad lúdica’ y ‘urbanismo unitario’, sobre los que Constant diseña New Babylon siguiendo los presupuestos situacionistas. Por otro lado, desde una componente práctica, se examinan las estrategias proyectuales empleadas en el Plan Bochum y en el proyecto Pampus de expansión urbana de Ámsterdam con las que Johannes van den Broek y Bakema tratan de materializar parte de su discurso teórico. Ambas dimensiones se analizan en el marco de la revista Forum voor Architectuur en Beldende Kunsten que fue el medio de difusión de las ideas del ala holandesa del Team 10. Este análisis nos permitirá establecer en qué medida las contribuciones de Jaap Bakema son esenciales para comprender las referencias contraculturales utilizadas por arquitectos posteriores, como es el caso de Herman Hertzberger.This article aims to verify the correspondence between Jaap Bakema’s practical and theoretical speech and Constant’s situationist legacy. From a theoretical perspective, it is intended to shed light on the possible origin of concepts such as open society or total space, firstly introduced in the architectural scene by Bakema, in relation to the concepts of ludic society and unitary urbanism, which Constant uses when designing New Babylon following the situationists assumptions. On the other hand, from a practical perspective, the design strategies that lead to Plan Bochum and Pampus project for Amsterdam’s urban expansion, used by Johannes van den Broek and Bakema to materialize part of their theoretical speech, are examined. Both dimensions are analysed in the framework of Forum voor Architectuur en Beldende Kunsten, the media used by Dutch Team 10 to spread its ideas. This study will also allow us to establish to what extent Jaap Bakema’s contributions are essential to understand de counter-cultural references used by the following generation of architects, Herman Hertzberger among them

Del paisaje cultural al patrimonio territorial, y viceversa: una conversión necesaria para un proyecto de paisaje desde el patrimonio

The article focuses on the necessary translation of cultural landscape heritage and identity values into the material sediments comprising the territorial heritage for a landscape project. It is aimed to disclose the sort of relationship between the cultural landscape and the territorial heritage, which shall eventually allow us to move from one concept to another. This is made by means of a comparative-descriptive analysis. The conceptualization done by some authors of the Territorialist Society to define the integrated plan for territory is taken as a reference. Therefore, the broad sense of the territorial heritage embraces cultural landscape heritage and identity values. The alignment with the territorialist presumptions pursues an effective integration of the landscape values when operating on the territory through a landscape architecture and to have an impact on landscape, even when there is neither a prescriptive nor a regulatory framework that may address to innovation in this regard.El artículo se centra en el necesario proceso de traducción de los valores patrimoniales e identitarios del paisaje cultural a los sedimentos materiales que forman el patrimonio territorial para un proyecto de paisaje. Por medio de un análisis comparativo-descriptivo apoyado en las nociones del paisaje cultural y del patrimonio territorial se trata de descifrar el tipo de relación entre ambos conceptos. Se toma como referencia la conceptualización propuesta por los autores de la Società dei Territorialisti/e para el proyecto integrado de territorio, en la que el significado extensivo del patrimonio territorial recoge los valores patrimoniales e identitarios del paisaje. La alineación con los supuestos territorialistas persigue lograr una integración efectiva de los valores paisajísticos cuando operamos sobre el territorio mediante el proyecto de arquitectura y tener una repercusión sobre el paisaje, aun cuando no exista un marco normativo o regulatorio propenso a la innovación en esta materia

Reseña: Jaap Bakema and the Open Society. Dirk van den Heuvel (ed.)

[ES] Jaap Bakema and the Open Society compila textos de diferentes autores, entrevistas a personajes cercanos a Bakema, reportajes fotográficos, y documentación de archivo procedente mayoritariamente del Rijksarchief voor Nederlandse Architectuur en Stedenbouw que custodia el Het Nieuwe Instituut. Huyendo de una presentación cronológica, se recurre a una estructuración sistemática en torno a tres temas que serán los que articulen las distintas secciones: “A Man with a Mission”, “Building Social Relations” y “Growth and Change”. Tras el prólogo de Guus Beumer, director del Het Nieuwe Instituut, Heuvel presenta en el capítulo introductorio la figura de Bakema como uno de los arquitectos clave en la historia de la arquitectura contemporánea, destacando su compromiso social y la dimensión humana de sus escritos y propuestas arquitectónicas. En esta recensión se relacionan aquellos apartados que se consideran de gran utilidad para futuras investigaciones, deteniéndonos en aquellos capítulos que han suscitado un mayor interés personal debido a su proximidad con la investigación realizada hasta la fecha.Merino Del Río, R. (2019). Review: Jaap Bakema and the Open Society. Dirk van den Heuvel (ed.). VLC arquitectura. Research Journal. 6(2):175-183. https://doi.org/10.4995/vlc.2019.11710SWORD1751836

From cultural landscape toterritorial heritage, and vice versa: arequired conversion for alandscapeproject from heritage

El artículo se centra en el necesario proceso de traducción de los valores patrimoniales e identitarios del paisaje cultural a los sedimentos materiales que forman el patrimonio territorial para un proyecto de paisaje. Por medio de un análisis comparativo-descriptivo apoyado en las nociones del paisaje cultural y del patrimonio territorial se trata de descifrar el tipo de relación entre ambos conceptos. Se toma como referencia la conceptualización propuesta por los autores de la Società dei Territorialisti/e para el proyecto integrado de territorio, en la que el significado extensivo del patrimonio territorial recoge los valores patrimoniales e identitarios del paisaje. La alineación con los supuestos territorialistas persigue lograr una integración efectiva de los valores paisajísticos cuando operamos sobre el territorio mediante el proyecto de arquitectura y tener una repercusión sobre el paisaje, aun cuando no exista un marco normativo o regulatorio propenso a la innovación en esta materia.The article focuses on the necessary translation of cultural landscape heritage and identity values into the material sedimentscomprisingthe territorial heritagefor a landscape project. It is aimed todisclose the sort of relationship between the cultural landscape and the territorial heritage, which shall eventually allow us to move from one concept to another. This is made by means ofa comparative-descriptive analysis. The conceptualization doneby some authors of the Territorialist Society to define the integrated plan for territory is taken as a reference. Therefore,the broad sense of the territorial heritage embracescultural landscape heritage and identity values. The alignment with the territorialist presumptions pursues an effective integration of the landscape valueswhen operating on the territory through a landscape architecture and to have an impact onlandscape, even when there is neithera prescriptive nor a regulatory framework that may address toinnovationin this regard

Centraal Beheer: the Limits of Structuralism in the Configuration of a Support-Space

En 1968, Herman Hertzberger comienza el proyecto para Centraal Beheer, influido por las tendencias artísticas y culturales de la época. El concepto de espacio–soporte surge en este contexto fuertemente vinculado a la idea de la ciudad tradicional como marco estable capaz de soportar distintas interpretaciones a lo largo del tiempo y catalizador de las relaciones cotidianas entre el ser y el entorno. Centraal Beheer se considera un ejemplo de espacio–soporte, ya que la estrategia de proyecto de reproducción de las condiciones de habitabilidad de la ciudad tradicional persigue una mayor implicación del usuario en la personalización del espacio y se rige por una clara diferenciación de la forma arquitectónica y la sucesión de acontecimientos. Su funcionamiento se evalúa mediante la aplicación de la técnica de la deriva y la psicogeografía, concebidas inicialmente por la Internacional Situacionista para redescubrir el entorno urbano como un espacio–soporte, en las que el factor tiempo y el papel protagonista de las personas son también determinantes. El artículo busca demostrar cómo el bagaje estructuralista de Herman Hertzberger permite entender la réplica urbana de Centraal Beheer como un espacio–soporte desde una perspectiva antropológica y epistemológica. Por medio de una colección de textos, fotografías y croquis, la hipótesis se demuestra en un estudio de naturaleza transversal que se nutre de investigaciones coetáneas desarrolladas en campos como la arquitectura, el arte, la lingüística o la sociología.In 1968, Herman Hertzberger starts the project for Centraal Beheer inspired by the artistic and cultural trends in the sixties. It is in this context that the support–space concept, strongly linked to the idea of the traditional city, arises as a framework able to bear diverse interpretations throughout time and catalyst for the everyday relationships between the individual and the surroundings. Centraal Beheer is considered an example of a support–space building, up to the extent that the project’s strategy of reproducing the traditional city habitability conditions implies a greater user involvement in the space configuration while it is subject to a clear distinction between the architectural form and the sequence of events. Centraal Beheer’s functioning is assessed through the application of the dérive technique and psychogeography, which was initially conceived by Situationist International to rediscover the urban “milieu” as a support–space in which the time factor and the leading role of the user are also determinantal. This article aims to demonstrate how Herman Hertzberger’s structuralist background allows us to understand the urban replica of Centraal Beheer as a support–space from an anthropological and epistemological perspective. It is by means of a collection of texts, pictures, and unpublished sketches, that the hypothesis is demonstrated in a cross–sectional study nourished by coetaneous researches into fields such as architecture, art, linguistics or sociology