Raw earth has useful applications in contemporary buildings as a sustainable and circular construction material. The present study aims to assess the environmental performance of several earth-based wall systems with similar thermal performance, through a life cycle thinking approach. In particular, a life cycle assessment is developed for (a) unstabilized rammed earth (produced in situ), (b) compressed earth blocks (prefabricated in the factory), (c) stabilized rammed earth and (d) light earth, all combined with biobased (natural fibers, e.g., lime hemp, cork) and/or conventional materials for building insulation. Results show benefits in terms of avoided carbon emission, water footprint and embodied energy throughout the production chain and highlight limits and potential improvements. In addition, the CO₂ offset by crops is also estimated based on carbon embedded in natural fibers. In particular, light earth wall systems are the most suitable to minimize environmental impacts, while massive constructive technologies (as unstabilized rammed earth) show a higher dynamic thermal performance for intended use in Mediterranean climates.

This article presents the results of an investigation on the building system of the Andalusian timber roof, which is widespread in northern Morocco. The structural behavior of the Andalusian timber roof structures surveyed in the medina of Chefchaouen is analyzed in depth. The analysis, carried out using finite-element models, allowed for assessment of the structural behavior of the structure but also highlighted some weaknesses that are inherent to this building system. These weaknesses are primarily due to the presence of unilateral connection elements that ensure efficiency only under specific stress conditions and also to the lack of efficiency of the connection between load-bearing elements of the roof and the surrounding walls. The detected horizontal displacement of supports explains the cracking pattern that is usually visible at the top of walls just under the level of the gutter. A parametric analysis was performed, revealing that the weaknesses of the system do not present specific criticalities in the geographic context in which the system is developed. Nevertheless, some crucial strengthening interventions are proven to be necessary for esuring that all timber elements can suitably contribute to the overall equilibrium of the structure in the case of an earthquake.

The increased concerns about climate change, diminishing natural resources, and environmental degradation call for deep research into new environmentally friendly building systems that use natural or recycled materials. The article presents an assessment of the environmental and climatic benefits associated with the construction of a tiny house made of quincha, a building system based on a wooden structure filled with locally sourced earth and straw. The tiny house is located in the Elqui Valley, in the Chilean region of Coquimbo, and it is designed to be compact, functional, comfortable, and efficient. The study uses a life cycle approach to assess the environmental impacts of building construction, maintenance, and end-of-life treatment, comparing the adopted quincha solution with four hypothetical scenarios using industrial, prefabricated, and/or synthetic construction materials currently adopted in the region. The thermal performance of all the analyzed solutions is also included in order to provide insights into the impact of the operational phase. This paper demonstrates that the quincha solution, in the face of lower thermal insulation compared to the other prefabricated solutions (the U-value of the quincha wall is 0.79 W/m²K while the U-value of the best prefabricated wall is 0.26 W/m²K), has higher thermal inertia (time lag (TL) and decrement factor (DF) are, respectively, 6.97 h and 0.60, while other systems have a TL below 4 h and DF higher than 0.81). For a quantitative environmental evaluation, the carbon footprint (global warming potential), water footprint, and embodied energy indicators are assessed through LCA, which takes into account the mass of the materials and their emission factors. The effectiveness of the quincha solution is also reflected in environmental terms; in fact, it is found to have the lowest carbon footprint (2635.47 kgCO₂eq) and embodied energy (42.7 GJ) and the second-lowest water footprint (2303.7 m³). Moreover, carbon sequestration values, which are assessed by estimating the carbon contained in building systems using wood and straw, demonstrate that the quincha tiny house is the only solution that can theoretically reach carbon neutrality (with its carbon storage value at −5670.21 kgCO₂eq).

Vernacular architecture offers valuable technological and typological solutions rooted in knowledge systems that connect environmental, social, economic, and cultural contexts. This paper introduces the Heritage for People Platform, a collaborative digital tool developed under the VerSus+ project (Creative Europe Program), aimed at organising and disseminating vernacular architectural knowledge with a focus on sustainable practices that are both culturally and environmentally conscious. The platform builds upon lessons learned from similar projects, offering key improvements such as the adoption of a Case-Based Reasoning methodology, which organises examples by geographic location, materials, and intervention types. A structured classification system based on sustainability principles and strategies enables cross-disciplinary research and comparison. The design process was highly participatory, incorporating user feedback at every stage to ensure the platform is accessible to a wide range of users, including designers, scholars, craftspeople, and the general public. A cross-device, user-centered approach further broadens its accessibility. The platform provides a public, web-based geospatial repository where users can create, update, and explore a dynamic collection of artefacts, design models, people, and institutions from across the globe. This tool marks a significant advance in promoting and preserving both physical and intangible heritage, with strong educational and practical applications for sustainable architecture. The paper details the theoretical framework and real-world potential of the platform as a critical resource for promoting sustainability in the built environment.

The Berber roof is a vernacular structure consisting of timber members, exploited for covering residential buildings or craft shops, characterized by a carpentry that was mostly developed in the Tangeri-Tétouan-Al Hoceima Region northern Morocco. The simplest structural scheme consists of sloping common rafters supported by a ridge beam and the peripheral walls in such a way as to form a double pitched roof. However, in the case of wider rooms, a variation to the scheme often occurs, aided by intermediate ‘supporting structures’, placed at a very limited spacing through the roof, built in such a way as to reduce the bending deflection of the ridge beam and the roof pitches. These supporting structures are composed of king post truss shaped timber members; nevertheless, both in the choice of the member cross sections and in the connection joints, they look absolutely like original constructions. The solutions adopted by the local master builders have been analysed and verified by using FEM models, that have highlighted criticalities and pointed out the reason why these structures are very deformed nowadays. Lastly, a reinforcing system compatible with the local resources and techniques, used to preserve the surveyed Berber structures, has been devised.

Purpose: This article aims to raising awareness on the potential of the application of the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) methodology – developed by ICOMOS in 2011 – with a focus on UNESCO World Heritage sites that are characterized by a widespread presence of vernacular architecture, one of the most vulnerable and fragile typologies of heritage.Design/methodology/approach: Starting from a theoretical introduction about the recognition of vernacular heritage into the international non-governmental panorama, and the dynamics that are mostly affecting it, the present contribution focuses on the case study of the Chora of Patmos (Greece), a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999. The research has been carried out as follows: (1) comparative analysis of selected literature for the theoretical part; (2) field research; (3) interdisciplinary research for understanding the features of the site and assessing potential risks; (4) project design and assessments of the potential impacts.Findings: The pivotal application of the HIA method on the case study of Patmos highlighted the importance of the methodology as an essential tool for facilitating management and safeguarding WH sites from possible threats due to development projects on vernacular architecture.Originality/value: The originality of the research presented here lies in the connection between three different topics: vernacular architecture, Heritage Impact Assessment and Sustainable World Heritage Management. In fact, its goal is to bring cultural heritage management and sustainable development closer together, by emphasizing that HIA should not be used as a tool to hinder development, but as a practice for shaping and evaluating projects that might alter or compromise the integrity and authenticity of WH sites in a sustainable and balanced way.