Architecture and heritage

COURSE CONTENT

Restoration and Rehabilitation of Built Heritage

This subject is divided into three main parts:

1. Overview of the historical evolution of intervention criteria in architectural heritage.

2. Methodology of restoration projects: building analysis, historical evolution, preliminary studies, and diagnostics of damage in stone façades, historical roofs, arches, and vaults.

3. Case studies of restoration and rehabilitation interventions in architectural heritage.

Activities:

• Technical visit to the Cathedral of Burgos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to study the restoration interventions carried out since 1995.

• Technical visit to a restoration project in a listed building.

Urban Planning, Heritage, and Urban Sustainability

This course analyzes the historical evolution of the cities of Burgos and Castrojeriz, along with urban planning strategies for the preservation of built heritage.

Special attention is given to how preserving heritage and the original urban fabric is a cornerstone of urban sustainability, and how this must be considered in urban regeneration strategies. The course also reviews sustainability criteria applied in urban regeneration operations.

A section will be dedicated to public policies focused on the conservation and recovery of urban heritage, and how these align with urban planning frameworks.

Activity:

• Guided visit to Castrojeriz, one of the cities most influenced by the Camino de Santiago, where significant urban regeneration of its historic center has been undertaken.

Typologies and Structural Pathologies in Historical Heritage

The subject is divided into the following parts:

1. Classification of historical monumental heritage based on ancient structural and construction typologies, both classical and unique. Materials include brick, stone, wood, adobe, etc., forming vaulted, diaphragm, porticoed (open or closed), and hybrid structural systems.

2. Methodologies and case studies for the analysis of these typologies.

3. Along with the constructive history, the pathological history of these systems is studied, focusing on common types of damage, material deterioration, and techniques for strengthening, consolidation, and integrated rehabilitation.

Digitalization of Architectural Heritage

This subject introduces the most advanced techniques and technologies for digitally representing built architecture, focusing on photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning.

Students will carry out practical data collection on buildings using both techniques and process the data with specialized software to generate 3D models from photogrammetry images and point clouds.

New Technologies in Heritage Dissemination

This subject provides an overview of emerging technologies used to promote cultural heritage, such as virtual reconstruction, extended reality, and video games.

Students will learn how to select the most appropriate format and technology for different use cases, along with the methodological and ethical principles of representing heritage for public dissemination across various platforms.

Activity:

• Visit to the ITACA Lab, where students will experience several virtual reconstruction projects through virtual reality sets.