Built Heritage (2026)

14/01/2026

The process of developing Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) sites as heritage tourism products in Kedah, Malaysia
Mohd Hasfarisham Abd Halim & Mokhtar Saidin
Archaeological research conducted at the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) has revealed evidence of the development of ancient Kedah civilisations, which has enabled the empowerment of the archaeological heritage tourism sector. Therefore, this study aims to record seven aspects of tourism sector empowerment in the SBAC, which include 1) conservation and preservation, 2) governance, 3) human capital, 4) infrastructure, 5) promotion, 6) other tourism products, and 7) products and communities developed for the purpose of sustainability.

Archaeological research conducted at the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) has revealed evidence of the development of ancient Kedah civilisations, which has enabled the empowerment of the archaeological heritage tourism sector. Therefore, this study aims to record seven aspects of tourism s...

11/01/2026

H-MCDM Model to the preservation of dynamic historic urban sites
Luiz Carlos Magalhães Olimpio, Vanessa Ribeiro Campos & Esequiel Fernandes Teixeira Mesquita
The preservation of historic urban sites presents complex challenges for public administration due to the multifaceted nature of built heritage and the need for integrated, sustainable management models. This study introduced a Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making H-MCDM model to support the prioritisation of preventive maintenance for historic buildings. The model combined the Best–Worst Method (BWM) for criteria weighting with the Fuzzy Group Multi-MOORA (FG-MULTIMOORA) method for alternative ranking, specifically addressing uncertainty in decision-makers' evaluations through fuzzy logic.

The preservation of historic urban sites presents complex challenges for public administration due to the multifaceted nature of built heritage and the need for integrated, sustainable management models. This study introduced a Hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making H-MCDM model to support the priori...

07/01/2026

Recognition of rammed earth in Tlemcen as a means of preserving a forgotten heritage
Imene Oussadit Selka, Fatima Zahra Makhloufi & Mohammed Chihab Selka
Through a study of its historical, architectural and social features, this article aims to enhance the value of rammed earth in Tlemcen, a traditional building material with undeniably interesting ecological and heritage assets. This contribution highlights the richness of the architectural heritage of rammed earth, which is now under threat and remains underexploited because of the ideological upheavals of the current era.

Through a study of its historical, architectural and social features, this article aims to enhance the value of rammed earth in Tlemcen, a traditional building material with undeniably interesting ecological and heritage assets. This contribution highlights the richness of the architectural heritage...

28/12/2025

From material remains to institutional logic: a Three-dimensional synergistic framework for architectural heritage research
Kaida Chen, Muge Huang, Peishan Zhang & Yichen Lu
In this study, a Three-dimensional synergistic framework is proposed to address persistent material–cultural disconnection in architectural heritage research. The framework systematically integrates material remains, historical records, and technological intervention as interconnected analytical dimensions, establishing a scalable and transferable methodology for holistic heritage interpretation. The applicability of the framework is empirically validated through an in-depth case study of traditional residential architecture in Fujian, with a particular focus on its property division practices.

In this study, a Three-dimensional synergistic framework is proposed to address persistent material–cultural disconnection in architectural heritage research. The framework systematically integrates material remains, historical records, and technological intervention as interconnected analytical d...

02/12/2025

The monumentalisation of a Red memorial: the sublimation of the Shanghai Shikumen at the founding site of the Communist Party of China
Plácido González Martínez
Analysing the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, I argue that the search for the ‘origins’ of the place is rooted in authorised heritage discourses that motivate constant arrangements of heritage conservation and architectural and urban design around Shanghai’s vernacular residential type: the shikumen.

Political memorials remain being a developing chapter of the current heritage boom in China, with evolving heritage narratives that resonate with inner political changes. Analysing the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, I argue that the search for the .....

01/12/2025

Admission hospitals: 20th-century additions to English mental hospitals, heritage significance and challenges
Christina Malathouni
Considered within a broader exploration of special challenges and opportunities inherent in health-related built heritage, this article discusses the virtual absence of 20th-century mental healthcare facilities from English heritage lists. It aims to examine the reasons for such an absence and reflect on potential solutions towards a more balanced representation. The article also reflects on the relevance of broader developments in the field of heritage that can be seen as contributing to more holistic approaches, such as intangible heritage, heritage democratisation, multivocal narratives, or even rights-based approaches.

Considered within a broader exploration of special challenges and opportunities inherent in health-related built heritage, this article discusses the virtual absence of 20th-century mental healthcare facilities from English heritage lists. It aims to examine the reasons for such an absence and refle...

23/11/2025

Occidental discourses, materialities, spaces and assemblages: ersatz suburbs, replica towns and colonial histories and heritage in contemporary China
Andrew Malcolm Law & Qianqian Qin
Employing discursive, visual and internet analysis, we investigate two forms of Occidental assemblage that have emerged in the post-Maoist era: 1) a real estate/developer-based assemblage and 2) a conservation-heritage-based assemblage. We argue that ‘producers’ within both constellations create consumerist discourses and imaginaries of the Occident that serve a variety of elitist and nonelitist needs.Thus, our analysis of several faux Occidental real estate/developer landscapes (constructed by Assemblage 1) and several colonial heritage sites (constructed by Assemblage 2), leads us to argue that visitors and tourists to these spaces use these landscapes to construct discourses of romance, beauty, nostalgia and, in some instances, imaginaries of ‘escape’. As we suggest, rather than sites of elitism alone, these two Occidental assemblages serve as spaces by which Chinese consumers can escape the pressures and mundanity of everyday Chinese life.

Since the 1990s, a body of literature has emerged on the idea of Occidentalism in China. Many studies have explored the role of the Chinese state in the construction of a negative narrative of the Occident to legitimise state rule. Drawing upon the ideas of Xiaomei Chen, in this article, we argue th...

19/11/2025

Urban iconic soundscape, when historical perception overshadows acoustic perception: the case of preserving Yogyakarta's iconic sounds
Christina E. Mediastika et al.
A series of studies have been conducted to preserve the iconic soundscape, including the soundmarks of Yogyakarta, a city renowned for its rich cultural and historical heritage. Owing to limitations in implementing in situ approaches, the idea of virtual preservation through a virtual museum is being explored. The goal of this study is to present preliminary findings to local stakeholders for further data identification, confirmation, and validation and to gather acoustic perceptions through virtual soundscape surveys conducted at iconic locations, which will serve as guidance for advanced virtual preservation.

A series of studies have been conducted to preserve the iconic soundscape, including the soundmarks of Yogyakarta, a city renowned for its rich cultural and historical heritage. Owing to limitations in implementing in situ approaches, the idea of virtual preservation through a virtual museum is bein...

17/11/2025

Healthcare for everyone? The development, decline and heritage values of modern postwar hospitals in Slovakia
Laura Krišteková Pastoreková
This study explores the development and current heritage issues of healthcare built infrastructure in Slovakia from 1948 to 1989, a key period in the formation of a modern, centralised hospital network. It highlights that modernist hospital heritage demands informed renovation strategies rather than piecemeal modernisation. It also emphasizes the need for heritage-aware approaches in the face of climate considerations, changing medical practices, and private investment pressures. The deliberate registers of existing facilities and proactive modernisation plans are recommended to maintain functionality while safeguarding heritage.

This study explores the development and current heritage issues of healthcare built infrastructure in Slovakia from 1948 to 1989, a key period in the formation of a modern, centralised hospital network. It highlights heritage concerns while situating architectural and historical values at the centre...

15/11/2025

Mobility and permanence in the nomadic architectural traditions of Africa and Northern Siberia
Gordon Clarke
This paper explores the human response to questions of mobility and permanence in vernacular architectural design as the key to understanding the differences between nomadic architectures which are built afresh at each camp and thus are carried between camps purely as memory, and the productions of the nomads who produce mobile dwellings such as tents, in which the physical embodiment of their architectures is carried as they migrate between camps, such that the dwelling exists as temporary spaces within a constant materiality. In the former, the design pattern has a lineage, which may be thousands of years old, while the buildings themselves rapidly decay, in the latter, the process of constant repair and renewal means that the tents themselves may be hundreds, or even thousands of years old.

This paper explores the human response to questions of mobility and permanence in vernacular architectural design as the key to understanding the differences between nomadic architectures which are built afresh at each camp and thus are carried between camps purely as memory, and the productions of....

13/11/2025

Comprehensive evaluation of the landscape quality of Danjie Road in Loutang Ancient Town using AHP and entropy methods
Jianbin Li & Yuan Li
This study presents a context-specific evaluation framework for assessing the landscape quality of Danjie Road in Loutang Ancient Town, Shanghai. Drawing on historical research, field surveys, expert consultation, and public participation, this study develops a seven-criteria, twenty-six-indicator system that integrates physical attributes with intangible dimensions such as memory continuity, cultural identity, and microclimate adaptation. Although the AHP–Entropy method is employed to balance subjective and objective weights, the core contribution lies in reframing the evaluation of heritage streetscapes as a multidimensional and culturally embedded process.

This study presents a context-specific evaluation framework for assessing the landscape quality of Danjie Road in Loutang Ancient Town, Shanghai. Drawing on historical research, field surveys, expert consultation, and public participation, this study develops a seven-criteria, twenty-six-indicator s...

12/11/2025

The brick material culture of Urbino (UNESCO World Heritage, Central Italy) as inferred from a multidisciplinary archaeometric study on the historic architecture
Patrizia Santi, Francesco Veneri, Gianluigi Tonelli, Mario Tramontana, Laura Panzeri, Anna Galli & Alberto Renzulli
Roman to Modern times (19th century) brick samples from monuments, walls and other masonry buildings of the historic centre of Urbino were investigated through a multidisciplinary approach, including mineralogy and texture (thin section and XRPD), chemistry (major-trace elements), physical–mechanical properties and thermoluminescence (TL) dating, coupled with the historic literature data. TL mostly confirms the building periods of the architectural structures where the bricks were sampled, also emphasising for the Cathedral a building period that lasted more than three centuries. The absence of standardisation of the pyrotechnological processes probably led to the large variability of the physical–mechanical features even for bricks of the same building period. Uniaxial Compressive Strength of the investigated historic bricks, however, falls within the range of present-day full-bricks, and a general improvement of the brick quality from Roman to Modern times was highlighted, as well as a progressive refinement in preparation techniques before firing. The brick material culture of Urbino continues seamlessly, after the investigated periods, until the second half of the 20th century, testified by the presence of the brick factory of the Fornace Volponi, just outside the historic centre of the city.

Roman to Modern times (19th century) brick samples from monuments, walls and other masonry buildings of the historic centre of Urbino were investigated through a multidisciplinary approach, including mineralogy and texture (thin section and XRPD), chemistry (major-trace elements), physical–mechani...

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