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Topic Review
Stone Construction Materials of the Vera Cruz Church
As part of the restoration project of the 13th century Vera Cruz Church (Segovia, Spain), a preliminary study of the stones used in its construction—dolostones of the Montejo de la Vega Fm of Santonian age (Upper Cretaceous)—and the possible location of the quarry of the provenance of these stones was carried out. For this purpose, a comparative analysis was performed between the currently active quarry of La Vera Cruz n° 88 and the historical quarry of Zamarramala. The samples were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach, combining X-ray diffraction (XRD), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and scanning electron microscopy with microanalysis (SEM-EDX). 
  • 786
  • 12 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Approaches to Sustainable Buildings and Cities
The assessment of the sustainability of buildings and cities is at the forefront of the environmental analysis of the built environment. Buildings are essential components of cities, where people spend a substantial part of their lives living, working, studying or relaxing. However, the same buildings and the whole construction industry are also responsible for considerable energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation. Sustainable development seeks to find “a balance between economic development, environmental protection and social improvement”, and the main aim of sustainable urban development is to create “beautiful, distinctive, secure, healthy and high-quality places for people to live and work in that foster a strong sense of community, pride, social equity, integration and identity”.
  • 699
  • 24 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Greenery-Covered Tall Buildings
The greenery-covered tall building, an innovative building typology that substantially integrates vegetation into the design, promises to transform urban landscapes into more sustainable and livable spaces.
  • 693
  • 12 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Indoor and Outdoor Residential Factors of High-Density Communities
Effective residence planning is crucial to encourage sustainable housing development. Residents in densely populated cities inevitably have negative residential experiences caused by compact land use. Still, this situation is improvable through optimizing the physical environment or increasing service facilities that cater to dwellers’ residential preferences.
  • 684
  • 12 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Design Element Preferences in Public Facilities
As an important part of street-level urban design combined with infrastructure, public facilities have the potential to enhance the quality of efficient and modern services. At the same time, public facilities show the characteristic cultural landscape of the local area, and as markers of citizens’ impressions of the area, they need to be both recognizable and symbolic, so their design aesthetics cannot be ignored.
  • 667
  • 26 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Urban Spatial Structures in Historic Cities
The role of culture in urban competitiveness is becoming increasingly important. How historic cities identify and protect the spatial structures formed since ancient times, which are the carriers of urban culture, has become an important issue.
  • 664
  • 26 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Exploring Sign System Design for a Medical Facility
The National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) is a significant institution in modern medicine in Taiwan. Its West Campus, the oldest medical center in the country, has been recognized as a municipal historic site due to its architectural and historical importance. However, visitors have faced navigation difficulties for a long time.
  • 650
  • 20 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Measuring the Soundscape Quality in Urban Spaces
The goals of a good soundscape are to create a sense of place, provide comfort to the users, and encourage intractability in a public space. At the same time, many public areas in cities are having problems due to the weakness in creating the opportunity for people to attend. 
  • 598
  • 17 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Immersive Co-Design
Virtual reality (VR) technology has the potential to revolutionize public engagement in the design of urban projects, leading to more sustainable and inclusive environments.
  • 584
  • 20 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Strengthening Resilient Built Environments in Post-COVID-19 Recovery
There are strong indications that the built environment has had a great influence on the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-disaster recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected both human and global development, while efforts to combat this menace call for an integrated human social capital index.
  • 570
  • 01 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Pedagogical Approaches for Developing Students' Three-Dimensional Thinking
The cultivation of spatial thinking in students encounters several challenges. Firstly, there is a notable lack of systematic methodologies and techniques specifically designed to effectively enhance this cognitive skill. Secondly, resources are often limited, including access to contemporary tools and technologies such as 3d modelling software and virtual reality platforms. Psychological barriers also contribute, as transitioning from two-dimensional to three-dimensional perception demands significant effort and time.
  • 286
  • 24 Apr 2025
Topic Review
A MIVES-Based Multi-Criteria Framework for Assessing Courtyard–Biophilic Integration
This study proposes a conceptual multi-criteria assessment framework based on the Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessment (MIVES) to evaluate the integration of courtyard architecture and biophilic design within sustainable architecture. Although both approaches have been extensively investigated, they have generally been treated as separate domains, and no comprehensive framework currently exists to assess their combined contribution to sustainability. Through a critical synthesis of the literature on courtyard performance, biophilic design, environmental psychology, and multi-criteria decision-making, the study develops a hierarchical structure consisting of requirements, criteria, indicators, weighting strategies, and value functions. The framework enables environmental, experiential, and functional dimensions to be integrated into a unified assessment model and provides a foundation for future empirical validation. By extending the application of MIVES to human-centered architectural evaluation, the study offers a structured approach for supporting design decision-making and comparing alternative courtyard-based solutions across different climatic and cultural contexts.
  • 6
  • 24 Jun 2026
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