The project raises the importance of knowledge and appreciation of the local traditional architecture in order to guarantee its protection. Its understanding and appreciation by users avoids its replacement by new buildings and encourages the development of activities aimed at its conservation. The projection of this architecture outside the municipality reinforces its appreciation by the local population and contributes to linking territories with nearby circumstances. For this preservation to take place in a compatible way, it is essential to provide owners with alternative techniques to the use of generic industrial materials which, like hollow brick or cement, do not correspond to the nature and character of traditional buildings. In this sense, the work of local craftsmen who are knowledgeable about traditional building techniques is key to bridging the gap between conservation theory and their day-to-day reality.
The work previously carried out in zone 1 has allowed the extensive study of the construction techniques present in the local traditional architecture, the analysis of the dynamics of intervention that affect it and the identification of craftsmen and construction professionals present in the area. The results have made it possible to identify a series of needs and opportunities:
- In general, there is a low appreciation of traditional architecture and a general lack of knowledge of traditional building techniques. This often leads to the systematic elimination of historical elements and their replacement by industrialised solutions that are often hidden behind a stereotypical rustic finish.
- At the start of projects, developers are often unaware of urban planning regulations and current heritage legislation, as well as the architectural requirements established by the administration to obtain a certificate of occupancy in the case of dwellings or an opening licence in the case of businesses.
- There are recurrent prejudices that favour replacement over repair and claim that restoring a building is more expensive than renovating it. This belief has little basis in fact, as the higher unit cost of restoration work is usually compensated by a smaller volume of work.
Based on the research and diagnostic work carried out to date, this project aims to develop tools and implement a programme of training and awareness-raising actions to help address the needs identified. In doing so, it aims to meet the following general objectives:
- To contribute to the valuation of traditional architecture in the area of influence of Aragonese Mudejar art, promoting the perception of the construction techniques present as solvent and sustainable systems, and of the buildings constructed with them as a valuable cultural heritage that must be preserved and protected.
- To highlight the work of construction craftsmen and contribute to an increase in the demand for craft trades, in order to facilitate the survival of the local construction culture and encourage the use of traditional construction techniques in interventions on the vernacular heritage.
- To promote the conservation, restoration and compatible rehabilitation of traditional architecture and encourage the regeneration of rural areas through their heritage, proposing alternative uses beyond the tourist sector and offering tools that allow the development of interventions that are compatible and respectful of the local cultural identity.
On the basis of these general objectives, it is possible to propose a series of specific objectives that this work aims to achieve:
- Helping developers to improve the compatibility of interventions in traditional architecture by developing accessible and user-friendly tools and offering personalised technical advice.
- Encourage the supply and demand of traditional trades, making visible the virtues and the real cost of these techniques and contributing to the formation of a professional network of territorial scope. Vernacular architecture in the Mudejar villages in the south of Zaragoza: Tools and networks for adaptive re-use and compatible intervention.
- Improve local communities’ knowledge of the area’s traditional architecture and reduce the perception of its conservation as wasteful. This objective will be developed through direct and indirect actions of dissemination and social participation.
- To project the vernacular heritage of the region and generate connections with other territories, making this traditional architecture visible and sharing experiences and resources with regions with similar problems.
LINE OF RESEARCH: Mudejar territory and cultural landscape; cultural heritage management.
AUTHORS: F. Javier Gómez Patrocinio Laura Villacampa Crespo









