Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Recurring Elements of Modern Facades (1960–1990). Foundations for the Conservation of High-Tech Modernism.

Project description

New insights into modern construction history for future conservation

Building renovation should start with an investigation into the materials and products used, often extensively described in technical specifications. However, this is not always possible because the analogue sources of information are difficult to access. As a result, modern building elements are often replaced during renovation before they could be evaluated and possibly preserved. To reverse this trend, the ERC-funded CONSTEMO project will create a digital repository. Targeting window frames manufactured between 1960 and 1990 in Germany, it will produce a thesaurus, mapping technological development, production and distribution. The analogue archival material will be digitalised into this repository that will, for the first time, allow for a comprehensive overview of windows in high-tech architecture.

Objective

High-Tech architecture made use of standardized, serial components whose characteristics were meticulously described in technical specifications. The scope of this historic information is almost unmanageable, the analogue sources are increasingly difficult to access. The challenge of quantity is mirrored by the scale of the built structures, constraining the possibilities of thorough building investigation. As a result, these building elements are often replaced during renovation before they could be acknowledged, evaluated, and possibly preserved.
What if, based on a few geometric details recorded on site, one could identify standardized building products semi-automatically and make use of the historic knowledge by integrating both into Historic Building Information Models?
The method I aim to develop will first target window frames manufactured between 1960 to 1990 in Germany. A close historic reading of hitherto neglected sources will produce a thesaurus, mapping technological development, production, and distribution. In this process, the analogue archival material will be digitalized, structuring both geometric and alphanumeric information. A second work package will develop sophisticated 3D scanning techniques for documentation and comparative analysis of similar facade elements. Parallel, existent conditions of the case studies will be evaluated in relation to standards of conservation and retrofitting. The outcome of these steps will be implemented iteratively into a graph database for efficient matching of 3D scans with information of historic building products, finally leading to semi-automatic identification.
The resulting digital repository will for the first time allow for a comprehensive overview and understanding of windows in High-Tech architecture. Innovative means of surveying and the new insights into the construction history of serial, standardized components in late 20th century modernism will be crucial for future conservation and reuse.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2022-STG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 499 919,00
Address
Arcisstrasse 21
80333 Muenchen
Germany

See on map

Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 499 919,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0