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Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of New Architecture is the property of New Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Arizona Toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) is restricted to riverine corridors and adjacent uplands in the arid southwestern United States. As with numerous amphibians worldwide, populations are declining and face various known or suspected threats, from disease to habitat modification resulting from climate change. The Arizona Toad has been petitioned to be listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and was considered "warranted but precluded" citing the need for additional information – particularly regarding natural history (e.g., connectivity and dispersal ability). The objectives of this study were to characterize population structure and genetic diversity across the species' range. We used reduced-representation genomic sequencing to genotype 3,601 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 99 Arizona Toads from ten drainages across its range. Multiple analytical methods revealed two distinct genetic groups bisected by the Colorado River; one in the northwestern portion of the range in southwestern Utah and eastern Nevada and the other in the southeastern portion of the range in central and eastern Arizona and New Mexico. We also found subtle substructure within both groups, particularly in central Arizona where toads at lower elevations were less connected than those at higher elevations. The northern and southern parts of the Arizona Toad range are not well connected genetically and could be managed as separate units. Further, these data could be used to identify source populations for assisted migration or translocations to support small or potentially declining populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large domestic complex comprising six dwelling units with courtyards was uncovered in the village of Naṣr ed-Din overlooking Roman-period Tiberias. The site dates mainly to the Middle Roman period, spanning the beginning of the second century and the first decades of the third century CE. It seems that the complex was abandoned abruptly, as many finds were left in place on the floors. The good preservation of the dwellings and the wealth of the small finds shed light on the nature of domestic-rural construction in Roman Galilee, its material culture and household organization. This report describes the excavation of the site: the architecture and its stages of development, and the finds, including pottery, stone, metal, coins and glass, followed by a discussion of the identification of the site with ancient Bet Ma'on and village-polis relations in Roman-period Galilee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of Chinese ancient architectural design has gone through three historical stages: primitive society, slave society, and feudal society. Due to the influence of geography, the environment, and the humanities, the regional architectural styles of each region were also formed. In particular, this is reflected in the residential architecture. Among residential architectures, the courtyard architectural style is the most typical, adapting to the microclimate and improving the comfort of living. This enclosed style of architecture was accompanied by the diffusion of Chinese culture and enriched the architectural design of the East Asian region. Nonetheless, as urbanisation accelerated, this traditional style of architecture began to be undermined. In addition, there is less discussion of the architectural content that embodies design ideas in terms of ritual, order, form, components, and color. In order to preserve this precious built environment, this study highlights the design style and its connotations. Through the use of case studies, the stylistic characteristics of a traditional dwelling in Northern China and the restoration process are assessed. Furthermore, observations on key building components, construction techniques, and materials are made in terms of architectural ideas. This leads to the proposition that conservation strategies should be appropriate to local conditions. The findings show that building restoration can contribute to the effective conservation of traditional building forms and provide an opportunity to inherit traditional culture. Moreover, it is more conducive to the presence of Chinese residential architecture that shines in the world discourse. New perspectives and contributions are offered in the fields of architectural design and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of South Architecture / Nanfang Jianzhu is the property of South Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hongcun traditional dwellings are representative of Huizhou architecture in China, with distinctive cultural and architectural characteristics in terms of layout, material, decoration and other features. Research on Hongcun traditional dwellings has been a matter of ongoing interest in academic circles in China, but there has been no specific focus on the phenomena of decay affecting these structures, even though research on this aspect has the most direct impact on the conservation of traditional dwellings. In this study, abundant and comprehensive fieldwork was carried out to investigate the building information, materials and especially preservation status of traditional dwellings. Furthermore, the decay phenomena of traditional dwellings were identified and described in detail in the Masonry Components and Wooden Components sections, which are based on the collected information and the relevant guidelines. Moreover, the restoration and actual conservation practices for traditional dwellings, which were specifically both government-led and private projects, were examined. In these analyses, the main problems related to the decay phenomena investigation and intervention are systematically summarized, and corresponding solutions are proposed to ensure that optimized conservation strategies are applied to traditional dwellings in Hongcun village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vernacular dwellings, throughout the years, have been continually reused, adapted to the local conditions and survived as cultural testimonies providing a direct link with the past. The satisfaction of human needs with simple means, the use of traditional local materials and available resources, as well as the incorporation of environmental design principles, give them a sustainable identity. With a view to enrich the methodological approaches in the conservation of vernacular dwellings with aspects of sustainability, the present study considers the vernacular architecture of Cyprus, as an appropriate case study. The research findings presented herein derive from two extended multidisciplinary research programmes. The qualitative and quantitative investigation carried out has revealed that, although vernacular dwellings incorporate many sustainable design principles, there is often a need to be further enhanced to meet the contemporary sustainability requirements and construction standards. Even though the enhancement of the sustainable character of vernacular dwellings is not incompatible with the preservation of their authentic character, there is some conflict of interest in terms of the different priorities set during these processes. Thus, a balance between the energy and environmental retrofitting and the preservation of the tangible and intangible values of vernacular dwellings must be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between depression and health conservation of community dwelling elderly and to confirm the mediating effect of self-efficacy in their relationship. Method/Statistical analysis: This study is a descriptive study and consists of collected data using questionnaires for 129 elderly people who use the elderly community health center as an elderly person living in C, D, and S city. Findings: The elderly depression and self-efficacy were appeared to have significant correlation with health preservation. The elderly depression has a significant effect on self-efficacy (R³=12.9%). Depression had a statistically significant effect on health conservation (R³=3.1%). Depression (β=-.02, p=.779) and selfefficacy (β=.47, p<.001) were significant predictors of health conservation and explanatory power was 21.8%. Self-efficacy was found to have a mediating effect of depression and health conservation of the elderly (Z=-3.13, p=.001). Improvements / Applications: It is suggested to develop a nursing intervention program that focuses on reducing depression and enhancing self-efficacy in order to conserve the health of the elderly in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a period of unprecedented building in the 1960s and 1970s, the national government of Sweden decided on a programme to promote renovations, refurbishments and extension of older buildings. The programme (abbreviated R.O.T.) was introduced in 1984 and consisted of loans and subsidies for the modernisation of houses older than 30 years, as well as information to home owners and builders on the benefits of home improvement. The target was to modernise 425,000 homes during the period 1984–1993. The programme stated that 'the energy-saving measures must be intensified' and 'all out-dated and the main part of all inadequate apartments should be rebuilt to modern apartments, or be demolished'. By relating the processes that formed R.O.T. to theories of decision-making, this study contributes to a better understanding of how housing policies may affect historical values in the built environment. The study reveals a conflict of interest between stakeholders. R.O.T. developed ad hoc as discourses shifted between interests. Initially, it was presented as a solution for unemployment in the building sector and a social improvement for the poor and elderly. It was not until the late 1980s that a discussion turned to the consequences for historical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Loggia, Arquitectura & Restauración is the property of Universidad Politecnica de Valencia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

With the increased demand for urban living by high-income households, sponsors of subsidised affordable housing face significant pressure and incentive to opt out of their subsidies and sell or redevelop. National evaluations of HUD data have illustrated the number and characteristics of buildings lost and the neighbourhoods in which they are located, but little has been done to better understand the specific outcomes, including the events leading up to preservation or loss of the subsidised buildings, how they were preserved or lost and what actors were engaged in the process of preservation. This study examines the ways buildings have been preserved and lost in Washington, DC, USA, to better understand the ways that local and state governments might intervene to preserve housing. I argue that affordable housing preservation is not a simple or linear process. Instead, it requires multisector monitoring, data and tools. First, there are multiple opportunities in which to intervene in the process. Second, data from all parts of the preservation puzzle are critical to the ability to intervene to prevent the loss of affordable housing. Finally, preservation is often a long and complex process that engages multiple actors at several levels, including tenants, organisers, attorneys and agency staff – and most importantly, flexible policies and funding sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buildings’ degradation is a real concern of owners. The early deterioration of public and private buildings reflects the low durability of their constructive solutions. Most of those contribute to the no compliance with the estimated service life of the entire building or of its parts, leading to the need of extraordinary refurbishment actions and to a wide waste and consumption of resources. An evaluation methodology to estimate the buildings’ degradation level identifying the causes of the anomalies and the refurbishment solutions to achieve more quality and durability of buildings’ envelope was developed. The assessment of the conservation state of a set of social housing through visual survey allied to evaluations scales was carried out. Since the methodology revealed useful and adequate to any constructive system it was subject of changes to get more objectivity, flexibility and reliability in its application to different type of buildings. Therefore, a review of the evolution of this methodology was done. This paper aims to analyse the evolution of this degradation assessment methodology, to show the improvements introduced, providing insights into this method and outlining the most important directions for future research. It is concluded that currently the method is easier to implement and lead to more consistent and reliable assessment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the building energy impacts of simple green roofs in the hot summer and cold winter climate zone, using Suzhou as the study case city. The study finds that simple roofs can reduce building peak heating and cooling loads. Simple green roofs can also save building cooling and heating energy uses in the hot-Summer and cold-Winter climate. With the insulation and thermal mass effect of green roof construction, simple green roofs can be equivalent to the insulation effect of public buildings insulation requirements in the Jiangsu Province. The study results also indicate that simple green roofs may replace the insulation required in building energy standard, especially in the design of existing building energy renovation, and the insulation layer with green roof may not be necessary, saving energy cost as well as construction cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we explore key parameter values, methods and assumptions used for energy balance modelling of residential buildings in the Swedish context and analyse their effects on calculated energy balance of a typical multi-storey building from 1970s and on energy savings of energy efficiency retrofit measures. The parameters studied are related to microclimate, building envelope, occupancy behaviour, ventilation, and heat gains from electric appliances and persons. Our study shows that assumed indoor air temperature, internal heat gains and efficiency of ventilation heat recovery units have significant effect on the simulated energy performance of the studied building and energy efficiency measures. Of the considered microclimate parameter values and assumptions, the outdoor temperature, ground solar reflection and window shading have significant impact on the simulated space heating and cooling demands. On the contrary, the simulated energy performances are less affected by the variations in air pressure outside and the percentage of wind load that hits the building. We found that input data and assumptions used for energy balance calculations and energy saving analyses vary significantly in the Swedish context. These result in significantly different calculated final energy performance of buildings and energy efficiency measures. To inform accurate analysis of energy performance of building and energy saving measures, input parameters used in simulation models need to be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restructuring of the economy has led to the relocation of industries from certain areas and in some cases even complete extinguishing of certain activities. This phenomenon has left behind a large number of abandoned sites and buildings. Today, these buildings represent a significant percentage of the architectural heritage, which has been largely neglected and which could be used for the formation of new residential areas in the already defined urban fabric. Conversion of these buildings trough the adaptive reuse into residential ones could solve the problem both of obsolete and housing shortage market. The papers points out the significance of this process and analyzes the possibility to reuse industrial facilities into residential dwellings. In addition the paper discusses in which case such transformation would be legit, through the consideration of a large number of architectural criteria necessary for the success of adaptive reuse to host the housing function. Advantages and limitations of industrial facilities as well as potential problems that can occur are analyzed within this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preservation of traditional residential architecture is crucial since it is a prime indicator of the cultural relationships between it and its locality. Sustaining traditional residential architecture is important in terms of cultural continuity. The study questions the appropriateness of the new functions of heritage buildings through the evaluation of socio-cultural, economic and physical aspects of the adaptive reuse of traditional urban houses in the Walled City of Nicosia. The selected buildings were used as houses before and new functions have been assigned to them. This article aims to measure the success of the adaptive reuse projects by identifying the benefits gained from the adaptive reuse. As the data collection method of study, questionnaires were conducted with architects, who are registered and active members of the chamber in the northern sector of Cyprus. The findings show that traditional urban houses have been preserved physically but the buildings lack a living function due to the neglect of socio-cultural and economic aspects in the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade there has been a sudden, extraordinarily large, and simultaneous expansion of multi-billion dollar housing programs in many emerging and developing economies. This shift occurred after a long period of limited public involvement in social housing production. Yet, despite the fact that countries and cities have introduced such large-scale programs, there has been little independent analysis of the rationale, efficacy and potential long-term effects of these interventions. Adopting a perspective that expands beyond typical public finance approaches, this paper examines the renewed shift in public housing provision. It provides an outlook of recent experiences in housing provision, showcases general trends in housing, proposes an evaluation framework, and offers a series of recommendations aiming at strengthening the programs. The paper concludes that if large-scale housing assistance is to help accommodate the almost 2 billion additional people who will live in cities over the next 35 years, as well as help to address the growing housing affordability issues, much more attention should be paid to the lasting effects that such programs can have on the structure of cities for generations to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many post-occupancy comfort studies of energy renovated residential buildings have documented elevated temperatures above comfort levels, not only during the summer period but also during the shoulder months. The main focus in renovation projects is on heat savings while the risk of overheating is not considered. This paper analyze in which situations overheating and cooling need to be addressed in building energy renovation projects and which renovation measures are causing this need. The analysis contains four reference single family houses from central and northern Europe. Both dynamic and static methods were used to assess the overheating risk. In terms of overheating occurrences, the most critical renovation measures are the insulation of the floor and the increase of the airtightness. The contribution of decreasing the g value of the window glazing is positive. The way to energy efficiency improvements also results in an extension of the overheating period and higher average and maximum building temperatures. The increase of the ventilation rates and the use of shading systems are useful measures for preventing overheating increase. The paper will highlight the inconsistencies which arise from the use of different criteria and also propose suggestions for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the climate-related methods of adaptation on which the traditional Arab house in the Eastern Mediterranean was based. We analysed nine old houses (from the 18th century to the early 20th century), built in the Arab vernacular tradition style, in three areas of Israel with different climatic conditions. Three houses in each area were chosen at random. Only nine were chosen because of the difficulty in finding houses whose state of preservation was in keeping with the aims of the research. For each house, climate-related elements of the construction were documented. We found elements included at the design stage indicating climate consciousness, climate-related elements due to building constraints, and building constraints in a cultural context with implications for the balance of climatic efficiency. The findings showed that climatic considerations were an integral part of the design while the principles crossed the boundaries of the three areas. Temperature, relative humidity, and heat intensity were measured, both inside and outside the house on selected days in each season. The research showed that the house moderates the impact of the outside temperature, inside the house in winter and mainly during the hot hours of the day in summer. Most of the climate-related elements are still relevant. They can be used in regions with Mediterranean-type climates (in the Mediterranean Basin, South Africa, central Chile, and southwestern Australia), especially when global warming and air pollution demand a substantial revolution of building design philosophies, strategies, technologies, and management methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique and original Satıcı dwelling is located in the city center of Çorum. Its plan typology includes an open sofa, and the construction involves a rare technique that uses a wooden carcass filled with mud-brick in every part of the walls. Documentation of this dwelling carries the utmost importance due to its intensive deterioration and the danger of collapse. This article is derived from a master's thesis completed by the authors. The documentation of the dwelling includes measured drawings and analysis of the deterioration and corruptions. Research for restitution, interventional proposals for restoration, and new function are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market-oriented transformation of urban China has led not only to a radical change in urban space but also to a restructuring of residents' daily activity space. During this complicated process, problems such as spatial mismatch have accumulated and created obstacles to sustainable urban development. This paper reviews this transformation process from the perspective of daily activity space and finds that residents’ daily activity space has transitioned from a daily life circle to an intertwined and expanded situation. Based on an analysis of the sustainability effects of this transition, this paper proposes the reconstruction of a daily life circle under the market economy as an answer to sustainability problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting with cultural context of historic block, this paper investigated current situation of Shengjinta Historic Block in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, proposed dynamic protection planning and sustainable industrial upgrading strategies, specifically, by repairing, clearing, preserving and restoring historic streets and lanes, courtyards and folk dwellings from six perspectives of planar layout, traffic pattern, spatial texture, facade decoration, landscape planning, and characteristic culture. In view of the specific geographical location, food shops and leisure green spaces are constructed to build a modem urban living system for residents in the ancient block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the use of buildings it becomes necessary to carry out repair works including modernisation. Deciding on the choice of repair solutions is a difficult and complex task. Building administrators have to consider both, the benefits of some repair works, and limitations due to the availability of funds. Selection of a repair solution, bearing in mind the above, requires a comprehensive approach that will allow assessment of the building condition and determining the repair scope required. The research conducted by the authors was aimed at developing a decision-making model and its computer-aided implementation, taking into account a number of operating demands. The system algorithm proposed comprises five stages including: building condition assessment, building use value evaluation, repair classification, multiple variants of repair and the choice of repair solutions. The article describes individual stages of the model in detail, giving numerical application examples of the method for repair solution choice for five multi-family houses. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Technical Transactions / Czasopismo Techniczne is the property of Sciendo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents a method to assess and quantify changes in performance states of systems. The method is based on survey data containing performance states graded in a suitable scale. The changes in performance states are modelled using an association matrix obtained as a frequency table of measured performance states before and after an influential incident. Performance deviation, for both negative effects induced by a harmful incident and positive effects due to a constructive incident, is modelled. Relative change in performance is quantified by defining loss and gain matrices. Hadamard products of loss/gain matrices and the association matrix obtained from survey data are used to quantify performance deviation matrices. Finally, the overall change in performance is defined in terms of a performance deviation index, which is obtained by using the sum of the elements of performance deviation matrices. This index can be negative, zero or positive, and its value represents the degree of change in performance. A negative index indicates loss in performance; a zero index implies no measurable change, and a positive index means a gain in performance. An example application of the presented methodology for earthquake-induced damage and the subsequent restoration of residential buildings in South Iceland is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]