2021 Fieldwork: Preventive urbanism

Preventive urbanism: Guidelines and tools for the protection of
traditional architecture in Mudejar towns from the perspective of urban planning.

This fieldwork stay proposes an analysis and comparative study of the urban planning regulations governing architectural interventions in various towns of Territorio Mudéjar. It does so by providing an overview of the degree of protection of traditional architecture derived from planning, identifying areas for improvement and proposing a framework document that can be used by both private promoters and municipal technicians to improve the compatibility of interventions in traditional constructions. This project continues the research on vernacular architecture initiated in the previous stays.
The work carried out is based on the following general objectives:

  1. To promote the appreciation of traditional architecture within the sphere of influence of Aragonese Mudejar art, bolstering that its construction techniques are perceived as a valuable cultural heritage that needs to be preserved and protected.

  2. To foster the preservation, restoration and compatible renovation of traditional architecture, offering tools that are adapted to the specific casuistry of the sphere of influence of the Aragonese Mudejar.

  3. To boost coordination between municipal administrations and private initiative for the development of interventions which are agile and focused on preservation.

  4. To promote the regeneration of the rural setting through its heritage, proposing alternative uses beyond the tourist sector and offering tools that allow for the development of compatible and respectful interventions with local cultural identity.
Based on these general objectives, a number of specific objectives have been proposed:

  1. To analyse the state of urban planning and its influence on traditional architecture in the towns that make up Territorio Mudéjar.

  2. To create documentation that serves as a reference, in the form of guidelines and preservation objectives that can be used by the local councils in order to encourage and promote compatible intervention and preventive conservation of local traditional architecture.

  3. To boost social involvement with preventive conservation tools and their appropriation by the community by means of citizen participation actions.

  4. To raise awareness of the value of traditional architecture through dissemination activities that emphasise the irreplaceable nature of this architecture and the importance of its preservation.

  5. To encourage the supply and demand of traditional trades, making the virtues and the real cost of these techniques visible and contributing to the creation of a territorial professional network.
The stay ends with conclusions and guidelines for the compatible intervention in the traditional architecture of the area, which will be disseminated among the different interested towns.
LINES OF RESEARCH: New perspectives on Mudejar art; management of cultural heritage.

THE AUTHOR: Laura Villacampa Crespo


COLLABORATORS: F. Javier Gómez Patrocinio, Ignacio Pérez Bailón.