Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a model which can measure the effect of perception on the assessment of cultural heritage by analysing the façades of buildings for adaptive re-use and sustainable development strategy. Design/methodology/approach: This paper focusses on the correlation between adaptive re-use and sustainability of cultural heritage, by analysing the invisible social context which has an impact on the establishment of adaptive re-use strategies. The method adopted included literature review and applied experiments for extending the methodology of Langston on the adaptive re-use potential model in order to establish a new tool which can be applied to cultural heritage. The assessment process followed the integrated cultural heritage management approach to identify the indicators which can be implemented on cultural heritage, and, furthermore, for the sustainability of the environment. Findings: The results demonstrate that the perception of the society can rely on different indicators which affect people to assert an artefact as cultural heritage. Furthermore, these indicators can have an impact on the adaptive re-use strategies regarding the interaction with society. Societies’ perception should not be omitted, and they need to be integrated while evaluating and developing the strategy of adaptive re-use. Therefore, a holistic approach to this process can bring continuity and sustainability to the environment. Originality/value: No similar prior studies on the perception of cultural heritage as an approach to adaptive re-use strategies have been carried out. Therefore, it is hoped that this model can lead and guide, and, furthermore, be adopted in other similar situations in the assessment and decision-making process of adaptive re-use.

This paper is an attempt to analyse the correlation between the perception of people and their evaluation regarding contemporary interventions and changes on the façades of cultural heritage buildings, which might affect cultural sustainability. The paper uses two different experimental methods for the analysis of the building façades from various eras in the city centre of Kaunas, which experienced interventions that affected the appearance of the structures. The first experiment performed is a sociological survey, and the second one is a façade analysis conducted by the space syntax method. The paper follows the theory of Nikos Salingaros for measuring the properties of the size distribution on the façades and implements Bill Hillier’s methodology for symmetry index analysis. The research demonstrates some significant correlations between the results of Space Syntax modelling and the sociological survey answers, thus demonstrating the possibility of modelling and predicting changes in the perception of architectural transformations of the façades with potential usability in the monitoring of the transformation of cultural heritage objects, preservation of the cultural identity of a cityscape, etc.

Growing environmental awareness and emerging design and performance requirements related with the implementation of sustainability goals inevitably have an influence on construction, architecture, urban design and the development of our built environment in general. This influence is reflected both in the increasingly efficient ecological performance of built structures and the growing array of related technologies, and in the aesthetic expression of these environmentally conscious designs. The aesthetic expression of sustainability concept and values is sometimes referred to as sustainability aesthetics. The aim of this research is to develop and test a methodological framework for characterizing the sustainability aesthetics of the built environments. The elaborated methodological framework integrates biophilic design, sustainability aesthetics, regenerative design and genius loci as the most promising approaches, allowing the integration of human and environmental concerns. To test the framework, we selected historic built environments that reflect long-lasting sustainable co-existence between humans and their environment and represent hybrid characteristics of both architectural and urban space. One of the purposes selecting these environments for the case study was to determine the features of an organically evolved sustainability aesthetics that could become a valuable source of inspiration for architectural design and management of the built environments.

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to develop and present the methodology of the model which can predict the perception and assessment of cultural heritage by the point of view of the non-experts through analysing the façades of buildings for adaptive re-use and sustainable development strategy.Design/methodology/approach: This paper focuses on the improvement and validation of the original cultural heritage perception potential model (CHPP) by adding new indicators which can be used as a part of the model. The method adopted includes the explanation of the older (original) model and its limitations. The assessment process follows the Integrated Cultural Heritage Management Approach to identify the new indicators which can be implemented on understanding the cultural heritage from the user/observer perspective, furthermore, for the sustainability of the environment.Findings: The results demonstrate that the perception of the society regarding the perception of the built heritage can be affected by various indicators. When the indicators are well identified, it is possible to predict the potential of the buildings to be perceived as cultural heritage or not. The knowledge which is gained by the proposed model can assist the sustainability and continuity of both heritage objects and the environment by helping the adaptive re-use process and strategies.Originality/value: No similar prior studies on the perception of cultural heritage as an approach to adaptive re-use strategies have been carried out. Furthermore, the usage of eye-tracking technology in the field of cultural heritage is rare. Therefore, it is hoped that the experiments performed in this study and the model which is created can lead and guide further research.

The value of cultural heritage is a constantly evolving and debated issue in heritage theory. While primarily the focus was on tangible qualities, intangible values gained more importance in the twenty-first century. However, in some cases, it can be complicated to evaluate the intangible values of specific artefacts with politically disturbing associations, such as Soviet architecture in a post-Soviet context. Based on a Lithuanian case study, the paper contributes to the debate on the value of Soviet architecture, focusing not on individual buildings but on broader themes. By using framework analysis as a conceptual background, the article analyzes the legacy of the Soviet past not as physical objects but as cultural references. Interpreting “cultural references” as containers of social and cultural meanings that are much broader than just the embodiment of the ideological system, the paper suggests that dissonance should not lead to the uncompromising delisting and probably the destruction of the built heritage of troublesome past. Although the article focuses on the evaluation of Soviet architecture in a post-Soviet context, the conceptual approach can contribute to the broader debate on postcolonial heritage globally.

The massive modernist urbanization of the Soviet era in Lithuania had brought new urban lifestyle models, caused the expansion of built-up areas and affected previously organically developing urban structures. Hence, its analysis and understanding are essential for further sustainable urban development. The research presents an outline of methodology for complex analysis and evaluation of modernization of Lithuanian cities during the Soviet era and its influence on Lithuanian past and present urban development as a socio-spatial phenomenon.