This paper presents the design of an augmented reality application for the Gothic Silk Market Building called the “Lonja de la Seda” in Valencia (UNESCO Monument Heritage Site, 1996) and the results of the experiments carried out “in-situ” to observe its usability as an accessibility resource. The objective of this project has been to use and validate augmented reality (AR) as a tool to increase the accessibility to the architectural elements of this monumental setting. The AR application aims to resolve the perception issues derived from poor lighting, the distance in relation to the multiple details, access, etc. 145 individuals of different ages and diverse origin, making the visit to the monument with or without guide used the AR application. When visitors had used the application as they wished, interviews were conducted individually in order to receive their feedback about the AR experience. Users enjoyed identifying and selecting the motifs they were going to visualize with the AR tool. In general, the experience was very positively evaluated by participants, promoting a favourable and renewed image of the monumen

To reduce the energy consumption in buildings is necessary to analyze individual rooms and thermal zones, studying mathematical models and applying new control techniques. In this paper, the design, simulation and experimental evaluation of a sliding mode controller for regulating internal temperature in a thermal zone is presented. We propose an experiment with small physical dimensions, consisting of a closed wooden box with heat internal sources to stimulate temperature gradients through operating and shut down cycles.

Non-conventional thermal zones are low-cost and ecology friendly alternatives to the housing needs of populations in various situations, such as surviving natural disasters or addressing homelessness. However, it is necessary to guarantee thermal comfort for occupants, while aiming to minimize energy consumption and wastage in refrigeration systems. To reduce the cooling requirements in non-conventional thermal zones it is necessary to model the structure and analyze the principal factors contributing to internal temperature. In this paper, a geodesic dome is modellingusing the lumped parameter technique. This structure is composed of a wooden skeleton and wooden floor, with a canvas surface as its exterior. The mathematical model was tuned using experimental data, and its parameters were classified using Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis. The mathematical model was used to evaluate the impact on internal temperature and occupants’ comfort when two strategies are considered. The results obtained indicatee internal temperature reductions down to a range of 7% to 11%; this result is reflected directly in the energy used to refrigerate the thermal zone, contributing to the objective of providing houses with lower energy consumption.

Smart control systems and new technologies are necessary to reduce the energy consumption in buildings while achieving thermal comfort. In this work, we monitor the thermal evolution inside a scale reduced closed space whose exterior and/or interior wall faces have been painted with a coating solution. Based on the experimental data obtained under different environmental conditions, a simulator was developed and tuned to reproduce the thermodynamic behavior inside the spaces, with a relative error of less than 3:5%. This simulator lets us also estimate energy savings, temperature, and flux behavior under other conditions.