Cultural Heritage Architecture and Climate Adaptation: A Socio-Environmental Analysis of Sustainable Building Techniques

Victoria Sanagustín-Fons (), Polina Stavrou, José Antonio Moseñe-Fierro, Francisco Escario Sierra, Guido Castrolla, Cândida Rocha and Ester Bazco Nogueras
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Victoria Sanagustín-Fons: Faculty of Business and Public Management, University of Zaragoza, 50630 Zaragoza, Spain
Polina Stavrou: CentreDot, Nicosia 2600, Cyprus
José Antonio Moseñe-Fierro: Faculty of Business and Public Management, University of Zaragoza, 50630 Zaragoza, Spain
Francisco Escario Sierra: Faculty of Business and Public Management, University of Zaragoza, 50630 Zaragoza, Spain
Guido Castrolla: GAR (Gruppo Archelogico Romano), 00162 Rome, Italy
Cândida Rocha: Faculty of Engineering, University of Lusófona, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Ester Bazco Nogueras: Faculty of Business and Public Management, University of Zaragoza, 50630 Zaragoza, Spain

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-28

Abstract: This research investigates how historical architectural practices offer valuable solutions for contemporary climate adaptation challenges. Through systematic documentary analysis, we examine how European builders across centuries developed sophisticated construction techniques to address climate variability—techniques that remain relevant as we face increasingly extreme climate conditions. Our study focuses mainly on La Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza, Spain, a remarkable 11th-century Islamic structure that exemplifies bioclimatic design principles. We analyze its ingenious architectural elements—strategic courtyards, thermal mass management, passive ventilation systems, and innovative water features—that collectively create comfortable interior environments despite the region’s harsh summer climate. Similar analyses were conducted on historical structures in Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Cyprus as part of the ClimAid European project. Our findings reveal that these ancestral building practices utilized locally available materials and passive design strategies that required minimal energy inputs while providing effective climate regulation. We conclude that modern architects, conservationists, and policymakers face a dual challenge: developing strategies to reduce the vulnerability of historical structures to current climate impacts while also learning from and adapting these time-tested techniques to contemporary sustainable design. This research demonstrates how cultural heritage can serve not merely as an object of preservation but as a valuable knowledge repository for addressing present-day environmental challenges.

Keywords: bioclimatic architecture; climate adaptation; cultural heritage; traditional building techniques; passive cooling systems (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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