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Universal Symbol of Urbanisation 

The chimney has been a visible symbol of industry since Roman times, and their scale and materiality have developed significantly since. With urbanisation a reduction in classism is effected,  ignoring theory by Précis (1821) that customs inherited from antiquity need continued.  

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PRODUCTION OF FUTURE HERITAGE

There has been rapid urbanisation as populations grow and develop, resulting in an unconscious production of the grotesque. This expansion has occurred during a time of static heritage generation, sustained by linear economies and short-term financial models. If this trend continues, societies will become heritage impoverished.

 

In response, this proposal contends for the production of future heritage to meet demand of increased urbanisation. This will be explored through research of universal UNESCO principles, enduring architectures and an asset audit of Milan. 

 

In proposal, extremely durable ruins designed using harmonious proportions provide a permanent framework that function can be attached to. Increased urbanisation and future heritage is thus reconciled through an embrace of obsolescence.  

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Risk of Urbanisation 

Uncontrolled urbanisation of historic urban landscapes can result in the loss of heritage value. Inversely, control of these areas can lead to economic stagnation, as evidenced by Keefe, G. and Jefferies, T. (2011). Instead, in-built and intuitive solutions are needed if heritage is to be reconciled harmoniously with contemporary demands.  

UNESCOtrification
 

Study sorting UNESCO sites by size overlaid onto topography of Italian hills. This highlights dynamics of scale and sensitivity to surrounding landscape. Are these areas of outstanding universal value truly universal? Or are their values subject to satisfying specific cultural and spatial customs?            

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Designing UNESCO
 

Sketches showing possible UNESCO designs using harmonic principles such as golden section and dynamic symmetry. Their relationship with landscape and ability to create various space is explored. 

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URBAN GROWTH PATTERNS

Crespi D’ Adda is located within a wider heritage network, that stretches 300km from Milan to Venice. This urban growth analysis highlighted harm uncontrolled urbanisation can result on the liveability of cities. Their infrastructural and services networks are stretched, as they expand outwards from their historic centres.

 

Milan was identified as city to grow largest in population terms before year 2035, and was subsequently used as case study for future heritage.    

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RESILIENT RUINS

EQUALISING THE HERITAGE DEFICIT

Matthew Graham Semester 2

Societies are becoming heritage impoverished due to increasingly expansionist urban growth out-pacing the rate at which we preserve. At global and regional levels heritage generation has remained largely static, while economic and ideological forces threaten what we currently attempt to preserve. This can be evidenced by the recent UNESCO de-listing of Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, and by the loss of heritage within past and present conflict zones from Mariupol to Belfast.

 

The Falls Skankill interface area is used as test bed for future heritage solutions. Here, concrete foundations provide an architectural pentimento of the mills and churches that once stood, social deprivation has risen, and the past remains unrepresented. In response, this proposal contends for the revival of this industrialised landscape lost due to the Troubles and overseas market pressures. This process is facilitated by the Temple of Craft, that acts to revitalise traditional trades and encourage community engagement in creation of their own heritage. 

 

The need for sustainable integrated communities is evident, and aligned with  Stormont legislature regarding removal of Peace Walls by 2023, and several UN Sustainable Development goals. Furthermore, the need for net-zero cities by 2050 can be informed by lessons from our industrial past, when locally sourced traditional materials constructed low embodied carbon architecture.

Bibliography
 

Abramson, D. (2016) Obsolescence: An Architectural History, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

 

Agisheva, S. and Pokka, E. (2020) ‘Urban landscape in sustainable transformation: cultural heritage and contemporary architecture integration within urban area’, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering [Online]. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343638149_Urban_landscape_in_sustainable_transformation_cultural_heritage_and_contemporary_architecture_integration_within_urban_area (Assessed: December 12th 2019).  

 

Architects Journal. (2021) Introducing RetroFirst: a new AJ campaign championing reuse in the built environment, Available at: https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/introducing-retrofirst-a-new-aj-campaign-championing-reuse-in-the-built-environment (Assessed: 26th October 2021).

 

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Cadotte, Marc (2016): The number of UNESCO World Heritage sites by country and national statistics. Figshare [Online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3250534.v2 (Assessed: 2nd December 2021). 

 

Chen, C., Li, X. (2020) ‘Global projections of future urban land expansion under shared socioeconomic pathways’ ,Nature Communications, 11(537) [Online]. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14386-

 

Cohen, J. (2014) ‘Le Corbusier’s Modulor and the Debate on Proportion in France’, Architectural Histories, 2(1), p.Art. 23 [Online]. Available at: https://journal.eahn.org/article/id/7482/ (Assessed: December 12th 2021).

 

Cowan, P and Nutt, B. (1970) Obsolescence in the Built Environment, London: University College.

 

De Belie, N., Van Belleghem, B., Erşan, Y. and Van Tittelboom, K., 2019. Durability of self-healing concrete. MATEC Web of Conferences, [online] 289, pp.01-003. Available at: <https://www.matec-conferences.org/articles/matecconf/pdf/2019/38/matecconf_cs18_01003.pdf> [Accessed 11 April 2021].

 

Durand, J. (1805). Précis of the Lectures on Architecture: With Graphic Portion of the Lectures. Google Books [Online]. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=120cDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false (Assessed: 12th December 2021).

 

Ginzarly M, Houbart C, Teller, J. (2018) The Historic Urban Landscape approach to urban management: a systematic review International Journal of Heritage Studies 10 (25), pp 999- 1019.

 

Gu, Y. Yu, L. Mou, J. Wu, D. Zhou, P. and Xu, M. (2020). ‘Mechanical properties and application analysis of spider silk bionic material’, e-Polymers, 20(1) [Online]. Available at: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/epoly-2020-0049/html (Assessed: November 11th 2021).

 

Keefe, G. and Jefferies, T. (2011) Future Heritage: is Carbon neutrality possible in historic neighbourhoods? Leeds Metropolitan University and Manchester School of Architecture.

 

Kikutake, K. Kawazoe, N. Ohtaka, M. Maki, F and Kurokawa, N. (1960) Metabolism: The Proposals for New Urbanism, Toyko: Bijutu Syuppan Sha.

 

Kloos, M. (2017) Heritage Impact Assessments as an Advanced Tool for a Sustainable Management of Cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites: From Theory to Practice. In: Albert MT., Bandarin F., Pereira Roders A. (eds) Going Beyond Perceptions of Sustainability in Heritage Studies, 2, Springer, Cham pp 335-350.

 

Loach, J. (1998) ‘Le Corbusier and the Creative Use of Mathematics,’ The British Journal for the History of Science, 31(2), pp. 185-215 [Online]. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4027762?seq=31#metadata_info_tab_contents (Assessed: December 12th 2021).

 

Martin, L. Lopez, M. Grindlay, A. Naya, A. Aschheim, M and Montes, E. (2012) ‘Toward the production of future heritage structures: Considering durability in building performance and sustainability – A philosophical and historical overview,’ International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment, 1(2), pp. 269-273 [Online]. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212609013000022?fbclid=IwAR2vSF4oD3mNBP9hQRUMcl8aMvprrD0DTZ6EYz9yHliunekJASDWF9Vw3VU (Assessed: December 12th 2021).

 

Martin, L., Lopez, M., Grindlay, A., Naya,A., Aschheium, M. and Montes, E. (2012). ‘Toward the production of future heritage structures: Considering durability in building performance and sustainability – A philosophical and historical overview,’ International Journal of Sustainable Built Environment, 1(2), pp.269-273 [Online]. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212609013000022 (Assessed: 5th December, 2021).

 

Patino, G. Adam, J. Gimeno, P. Milani, G. (2017) ‘Causes of damage to industrial brick masonry chimneys’, Engineering Failure Analysis, 74(1), pp. 180-201 [Online]. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1350630716309530 (Assessed: 12th December 2021).

 

Ritchie, H and Roser, M. (2019) Land Use, Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/land-use (Assessed 18th November 2021).

 

Ritchie, H and Roser, M. (2020) Energy, Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/energy (Assessed: 8th November 2021).

 

Rowe, C. (1981) The Mathematics of the Ideal Villa and Other Essays, London: MIT Press.

Shekhawat, K. (2015) ‘Why golden rectangle is used so often by architects: A mathematical approach’, AEJ - Alexandria Engineering Journal, 24(2), pp. 1 – 10 [Online]. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274405957_Why_golden_rectangle_is_used_so_often_by_architects_A_mathematical_approach (Assessed: 12th December 2021).

 

The World Bank (2020). Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates – Washington [Online]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST (Assessed: 2nd December 2021).

 

UNESCO (2020). World Heritage List Statistics, Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/stat/ (Assessed: 18th November 2021).

 

United Nations (2019) - 2019 Revision of World Population Prospects - New York [Online].Available at: https://population.un.org/wpp/ (Assessed at 21st November 2021)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

 

Adams, G. (1983) Falls Memories, Dingle: Co. Kerry.

 

Architecture Fringe. (2021) COP26: Refurbish & Retrofit, Available at: https://architecturefringe.com/news/2021/cop26 (Assessed: January 25th 2022).

 

Calder, B. (2021) Architecture: from prehistory to climate emergency, 1st Edn., London: Pelican Books 

 

Chen, C., Li, X. (2020) ‘Global projections of future urban land expansion under shared socioeconomic pathways’ ,Nature Communications, 11(537) [Online]. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14386- (Assessed 5th March).

 

Ritchie, H and Roser, M. (2019) Land Use, Available at: https://ourworldindata.org/land-use (Assessed 18th November 2021).

Department for Communities (2020). NI Heritage Statistics – UK [Online]. Available at: https://niheritagedelivers.org/uploads/oWkREZVt7egLs3Dj/NI%20Heritage%20Statistics%202019.pdf (Assessed: 8th February 2022). 

 

Elliott, K. R. (2020). Observing Observers of the Troubles: Negotiating Collective Histories and Maps. Irish Journal of Anthropology, 23(1), 21-55. http://anthropologyireland.org/ija-2020-elliott/

 

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