Final Report Summary - WOODENARCHITECTURE (Wooden Architecture: traditional Karelian Timber Architecture and Landscape)
The theme of the research concerns the study of wooden architecture in Carelia with a general Northern Europe, with particular attention to the heritage present in the Finnish and Russian Karelia. Thanks to the possibility, already matured during the last years of study in Architecture, to learn and manage survey methods through advanced technological tools such as laser scanner survey, topographic and photogrammetric systems, attention has focused on the analysis of structural systems of the wooden architectures on the Karelian territory. The study, starting from technical investigations aimed at the documentation, redesign 2D and 3D with cataloging and inventory of historic city centers in process of expansion, is then intended to analyze and investigate the systems of planning, development and management reusing aware of the city centers.
Thanks to the identification and inspection of the more interesting areas in Karelia, it's possible to define the most appropriate methodologies to support the campaigns of surveys arrangements envisaged. The research aims to develop two specific areas: an issue of technical science, through the study of new technologies relevant to carry out the documentation supporting interventions of consolidation and restoration, the second theme of theoretical and documentary, to deepen the historical knowledge of wooden architecture in Karelia.
Accurate surveying operations constitute the fundamental basis for critical analyses of the formation and development of an architectural element, village, city or territory, as well as for the planning of interventions for the conservation, restoration and exploitation of an urbanized area. This has provided essential tools for the critical interpretation and careful evaluation of maintenance interventions whose purpose is conservation of the environment and of its “genius loci”, i.e. the qualities of the space and the specific character of the place. The research project has been as first purpose to define the maining guides for understand and design the more appropriate analysis supports for the study of wooden architectures. The first study area individuated was the area around Vedlozero and Siamozero lake in Karelia, characterized by the presence of various types of urban settlements, different for the contexts in which are located, for be historical or not villages and for the social, economic, architectonic and landscape characteristics. For all these reasons it was necessary to define the guidelines on the basis of which shall be constructed the models representing the representative systems of various traditional contexts.
The research works wants to include investigations with questioning with local people for the understanding of the characteristics and main phenomena that have led to the development of urban centers and different aggregative systems. The main aspect of this part of studies were the defining of the census and the indexing for the development of a database on the study of different systems of aggregation among architectural units and identified environmental systems. The phase of the census and cataloging of buildings includes the analysis of all the architectural and typological elements needed to identify the essential features for a detailed description of the different urban systems analyzed. The investigations are carried out through operations of discretization and selection of the available information at different scales. The survey work is supported by an important view to realizing sketches able to steer the consultation of the bank explaining graphically the main information on the building. The purpose of the project of cataloging is to define all the aspects considered interesting and useful for the creation of thematic maps and maps of synthesis within which it is possible to highlight phenomena, attendance and specific data (using GIS systems of representation in 2D and 3D dimension). In this regard, research on the comprehension of phenomena involves the use of S.I.T or G.I.S systems to manage the relevant databases. These systems allow a multiplicity of access routes, usually via key words, as well as multiple geo referenced accesses and the creation of integrated systems for management of the census data.
The research wants to include activities and works conducted using surveying equipment laser scanner and start to make experimentations for the development of three-dimensional models directly from photo shoots. This kind of procedure is quite new, the main aspect is related to the possibility to create 3D models directly from a specific photo campaign around the architectonical object analyzed. There are then some new software and plug-in that can recognize, thanks to interpolation geometrical rules, the spatiality of the object studied so they can reconstruct a 3D model extremely precisions and with a excellent quality of the detail. The research presented aims to explore these important technical and performance by applying them to the study of a type of construction very difficult to represent: the wooden architecture.
Just for the type of material, in fact, a survey run on a wooden structure is always a very complex activity, difficult to achieve with the traditional systems of measurement. At the same time, the architectures of wood have the constant need to have a good survey updated and truthful support for maintenance, consolidation and restoration also just for the delicacy of the material. For these reasons, it is possible to say that the two main lines of research are:
- the knowledge and documentation of the historical and more recent wooden architecture, with the study of building systems;
- the study and analysis of the best technological systems for the detection and measurement representation of these types of architectures.
Another important aspect that the research intends to investigate is the development and elaboration of scientific-technical and operational protocols for major assets and documentation of the wooden structures. Understanding how the survey should be performed, locate the primary aspects fundamental to be analyzed in the moment in which an operator is confronted with an artifact of wood. Develop census systems, filing and glossary of technical terms with which to define the descriptions useful for the technician who devote attention to architecture.
The final database will be the definition of functional restoration, which can then be provided on the Karelian wooden architecture. Looking at different samples of architecture from various villages and analyzing the diagnostic point of view, proceeding to develop assumptions including the restoration of solutions, we will define the narrative useful descriptors of the condition of the property by delivering a census sheet that will be able to be adopted for the census total of all the Karelian traditional houses. The cards in addition to describing the condition of the property-framing and context. The development of procedures related to the graphic representation of woodworking technology useful for the development of systems analysis, with the individuation of the potentiality of point cloud in karelian villages and landscapes design and planning for implementing integrated graphic systems are the more interesting aspects that we would like to improve.
Technological systems such as laser scanner or the like are becoming more expensive, require staff with specific knowledge and updated software are essential for performing rework of point clouds produced. For this reason, aware of this system of tools and technologies, I would like to deepen those systems of survey defined fast-survey precisely for the execution speed (as in the case of photographic campaigns of detail), specialized in the field of capacity and cheaper if we consider the of renting a laser scanner.
Although research starts from the study of ancient wooden construction systems, this type of investigation has, however, in order to get closer to the architecture of wood in general. Increasingly, in fact, even in matters related to the bio-building, bio-architecture, realization of homes with zero impact on the environment has reopened the debate on the build realised in wood. Studying then the old systems with the aim to preserve, but also to know the rules on the primary static and wood technology is a useful activity to ex novo design and contemporary architecture and buildings that use the technology of the wood.
Career plans:
During the period supported by funding of the European Project the project activities were organized into three distinct phases:
- Survey activities and documentation of case studies of ancient wooden structures or newer in Russian Carelia through the methodologies and experiments described above. Will be studied architectures related to constructive techniques of Finnish Karelia, as well as other types such as churches, old buildings in urban centers, elements of different types such as covers, curtain structures, etc.
- Activities of archival research, through surveys and archive documentation provided in the main libraries of useful material to the themes addressed. The purpose is to associate to work on site, photographic campaigns and the creation of 2D and 3D drawings to date, a record of the literary sources for the construction of a state of the art which also includes a large part of verification of the principal writings.
- The benchmarking and definition of descriptive atlases useful for the understanding and classification of wooden architectural systems in Carelia and in the most inetersting areas related to the Northern part of Europe.
- Parallel activities investigation of the most recent and modern architectures to understand how the wooden traditions may have had on the findings of modern design and understand how even newer architectures can be documented and monitored for their protection and conservation without disfigure the original features.
Thanks to the identification and inspection of the more interesting areas in Karelia, it's possible to define the most appropriate methodologies to support the campaigns of surveys arrangements envisaged. The research aims to develop two specific areas: an issue of technical science, through the study of new technologies relevant to carry out the documentation supporting interventions of consolidation and restoration, the second theme of theoretical and documentary, to deepen the historical knowledge of wooden architecture in Karelia.
Accurate surveying operations constitute the fundamental basis for critical analyses of the formation and development of an architectural element, village, city or territory, as well as for the planning of interventions for the conservation, restoration and exploitation of an urbanized area. This has provided essential tools for the critical interpretation and careful evaluation of maintenance interventions whose purpose is conservation of the environment and of its “genius loci”, i.e. the qualities of the space and the specific character of the place. The research project has been as first purpose to define the maining guides for understand and design the more appropriate analysis supports for the study of wooden architectures. The first study area individuated was the area around Vedlozero and Siamozero lake in Karelia, characterized by the presence of various types of urban settlements, different for the contexts in which are located, for be historical or not villages and for the social, economic, architectonic and landscape characteristics. For all these reasons it was necessary to define the guidelines on the basis of which shall be constructed the models representing the representative systems of various traditional contexts.
The research works wants to include investigations with questioning with local people for the understanding of the characteristics and main phenomena that have led to the development of urban centers and different aggregative systems. The main aspect of this part of studies were the defining of the census and the indexing for the development of a database on the study of different systems of aggregation among architectural units and identified environmental systems. The phase of the census and cataloging of buildings includes the analysis of all the architectural and typological elements needed to identify the essential features for a detailed description of the different urban systems analyzed. The investigations are carried out through operations of discretization and selection of the available information at different scales. The survey work is supported by an important view to realizing sketches able to steer the consultation of the bank explaining graphically the main information on the building. The purpose of the project of cataloging is to define all the aspects considered interesting and useful for the creation of thematic maps and maps of synthesis within which it is possible to highlight phenomena, attendance and specific data (using GIS systems of representation in 2D and 3D dimension). In this regard, research on the comprehension of phenomena involves the use of S.I.T or G.I.S systems to manage the relevant databases. These systems allow a multiplicity of access routes, usually via key words, as well as multiple geo referenced accesses and the creation of integrated systems for management of the census data.
The research wants to include activities and works conducted using surveying equipment laser scanner and start to make experimentations for the development of three-dimensional models directly from photo shoots. This kind of procedure is quite new, the main aspect is related to the possibility to create 3D models directly from a specific photo campaign around the architectonical object analyzed. There are then some new software and plug-in that can recognize, thanks to interpolation geometrical rules, the spatiality of the object studied so they can reconstruct a 3D model extremely precisions and with a excellent quality of the detail. The research presented aims to explore these important technical and performance by applying them to the study of a type of construction very difficult to represent: the wooden architecture.
Just for the type of material, in fact, a survey run on a wooden structure is always a very complex activity, difficult to achieve with the traditional systems of measurement. At the same time, the architectures of wood have the constant need to have a good survey updated and truthful support for maintenance, consolidation and restoration also just for the delicacy of the material. For these reasons, it is possible to say that the two main lines of research are:
- the knowledge and documentation of the historical and more recent wooden architecture, with the study of building systems;
- the study and analysis of the best technological systems for the detection and measurement representation of these types of architectures.
Another important aspect that the research intends to investigate is the development and elaboration of scientific-technical and operational protocols for major assets and documentation of the wooden structures. Understanding how the survey should be performed, locate the primary aspects fundamental to be analyzed in the moment in which an operator is confronted with an artifact of wood. Develop census systems, filing and glossary of technical terms with which to define the descriptions useful for the technician who devote attention to architecture.
The final database will be the definition of functional restoration, which can then be provided on the Karelian wooden architecture. Looking at different samples of architecture from various villages and analyzing the diagnostic point of view, proceeding to develop assumptions including the restoration of solutions, we will define the narrative useful descriptors of the condition of the property by delivering a census sheet that will be able to be adopted for the census total of all the Karelian traditional houses. The cards in addition to describing the condition of the property-framing and context. The development of procedures related to the graphic representation of woodworking technology useful for the development of systems analysis, with the individuation of the potentiality of point cloud in karelian villages and landscapes design and planning for implementing integrated graphic systems are the more interesting aspects that we would like to improve.
Technological systems such as laser scanner or the like are becoming more expensive, require staff with specific knowledge and updated software are essential for performing rework of point clouds produced. For this reason, aware of this system of tools and technologies, I would like to deepen those systems of survey defined fast-survey precisely for the execution speed (as in the case of photographic campaigns of detail), specialized in the field of capacity and cheaper if we consider the of renting a laser scanner.
Although research starts from the study of ancient wooden construction systems, this type of investigation has, however, in order to get closer to the architecture of wood in general. Increasingly, in fact, even in matters related to the bio-building, bio-architecture, realization of homes with zero impact on the environment has reopened the debate on the build realised in wood. Studying then the old systems with the aim to preserve, but also to know the rules on the primary static and wood technology is a useful activity to ex novo design and contemporary architecture and buildings that use the technology of the wood.
Career plans:
During the period supported by funding of the European Project the project activities were organized into three distinct phases:
- Survey activities and documentation of case studies of ancient wooden structures or newer in Russian Carelia through the methodologies and experiments described above. Will be studied architectures related to constructive techniques of Finnish Karelia, as well as other types such as churches, old buildings in urban centers, elements of different types such as covers, curtain structures, etc.
- Activities of archival research, through surveys and archive documentation provided in the main libraries of useful material to the themes addressed. The purpose is to associate to work on site, photographic campaigns and the creation of 2D and 3D drawings to date, a record of the literary sources for the construction of a state of the art which also includes a large part of verification of the principal writings.
- The benchmarking and definition of descriptive atlases useful for the understanding and classification of wooden architectural systems in Carelia and in the most inetersting areas related to the Northern part of Europe.
- Parallel activities investigation of the most recent and modern architectures to understand how the wooden traditions may have had on the findings of modern design and understand how even newer architectures can be documented and monitored for their protection and conservation without disfigure the original features.
