Aura Strategy, of the SOLAR DECATHLON-U.S. TEAM,in rehabilitation of obsolete neighborhoods, Seville
The housing typology of the 1960s differs from the needs of contemporary living, a situation that renders the dwellings obsolete. This situation is detrimental to child development and the quality of life of older adults. The U.S. Solar Decathlon interdisciplinary team, along with the student community, San Pablo District authorities and neighbors, have worked together to develop and implement sustainable initiatives that improve housing comfort and health.
Regional
Spain
Seville
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As an individual in partnership with other persons
First name: Rafael Last name: Herrera-Limones Gender: Male Nationality: Spain If relevant, please select your other nationality: Spain Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Superior Technical School of Architecture of Seville. Avenue de la Reina Mercedes Nº 2, Town: Seville Postal code: 41012 Country: Spain Direct Tel:+34 954 55 98 93 E-mail:herrera@us.es Website:https://investigacion.us.es/sisius/sis_showpub.php?idpers=5485
The "Aura Strategy" project of the DECATHLON - U.S. SOLAR TEAM, in the rehabilitation of obsolete Andalusian neighborhoods, will be launched in 2022 in the San Pablo polygon in Seville. In the future, the results will allow a sustainable extrapolation to similar environments in the autonomous region. The collaboration of neighbors, municipal authorities and the Academy, together with the student community, was decisive in developing the project. Citizen participation has played a fundamental role in making the proposed rehabilitation strategies affordable and sustainable over time. Given the obsolescence of the habitat, and the fact that its condition differs from the needs of contemporary living, children and the elderly have become vulnerable groups.
The municipal authorities were involved in the participatory workshops with the neighbors and listened to the considerations expressed, so that they can be taken into account in future rehabilitation processes in the neighborhood. The participatory workshops were enriching for the neighbors, the municipal authorities and the academy. In the first workshop, they expressed their interest in recognizing the existence of historic resources in their neighborhood that should be protected. In a second workshop, the participants indicated situations related to the obsolescence of their homes and the urban environment, showing an interest in issues such as comfort and health in their homes, as well as in issues related to air conditioning and energy.
the academy, together with the student community, became involved through the subjects Energy and Sustainability in Architecture, Environmental Construction. The students were involved in the reality surrounding the urban fabric built in the 1960s. The rehabilitation strategies for this obsolete neighborhood are based on the four lines of action of the "Aura Strategy": comfort and health; materiality; cultural identity and accessibility; as well as conditioning and energy.
Comfort and health
Energy poverty
Cultural Identity
Emerging heritage
Citizen participation
The rehabilitation of obsolete neighborhoods brings with it the opportunity to develop sustainable strategies. Due to the historical and cultural uniqueness and the housing typology of the 1960s, the solutions proposed for the San Pablo neighborhood were intended to be sustainable over time.
The lines of action of the "Aura Strategy" were grouped according to the field study carried out by the Academy and the students. The field work was carried out during the academic year 2021/2022, and the subjects "Energy and Sustainability in Architecture; and Environmental Construction and Sustainable Technologies".
In the development of sustainable strategies, the first block was defined by the area related to comfort and health; as well as conditioning and energy together with materiality. This thematic category of strategies took on a priority role, derived from the need to respond to the lack of habitability associated with the obsolescence of the housing typology. In order to propose sustainable solutions, the following activities were carried out: Review of materials used in construction and their current state to determine their influence on the health of the inhabitants; Direct inspection by team members of the different types of housing and their environment: state of conservation, climatic adaptation suffered since its construction, soundproofing, hours of natural light, humidity; Survey addressed to the occupants of the dwellings structured in sections concerning comfort and health: current situation.
The inclusion of the neighbors through citizen participation has been decisive, since through their voice, their knowledge and memories they seek to enhance the value of the resources associated with social identity. To this end, the following activities were carried out: Concretization and analysis of the object of study from historical, cultural and urban-landscape perspectives; Heritage characterization from the recognition of historical, identity, urban value
In order to involve citizens in this process, a series of participatory workshops were organized to create a space for dialogue where neighbors could express their positive and negative opinions on urban regeneration projects.
The aim of the workshops was to obtain first-hand information from the residents. This made it possible to achieve objectives such as the definition and analysis of the object of study from historical, cultural and urban-landscape perspectives; the establishment of the socioeconomic parameters that characterize its population evolution and subsequent analysis; as well as the characterization of its heritage from the recognition of historical, identity, urban and cultural values.
Participatory workshop: Cultural Identity. Participatory workshop held on May 13, 2022 at the Centro de Mayores Alfonso de Cossío, in the neighborhood of Polygon San Pablo.
In order to involve citizens in this process, a workshop was organized in the neighborhood, a space for dialogue in which to identify those elements that need to be safeguarded and protected.
Four activities were carried out in which the academy and the students guided the participants in each process to identify the resources or elements that are most significant to them.
Participatory workshop: Health and Comfort, held on June 10, 2022 at the Alfonso de Cossío Senior Center, in the Polygon San Pablo neighborhood.
First, a technical study was developed to identify key aspects that relate energy vulnerability, comfort and health in obsolete neighborhoods. Subsequently, with the development of the participatory workshop, the opinion of the population has been incorporated into the analysis through different citizen consultation tools.
In order to incorporate children's participation, a survey was conducted through the parents of the children attending Miguel Hernández School, through the Director and the teachers, in which different aspects of the children's development were recorded.
The project Direct application of "Aura Strategy" of the SOLAR DECATHLON-U.S. TEAM, in rehabilitation of obsolete Andalusian neighborhoods, was carried out through the Call for 2020 for the granting of subsidies, on a competitive basis, aimed at Andalusian Public Universities for the development of research projects in the fields of housing, rehabilitation and architecture.
Subsequently, the work team presented itself to the people in charge of the District, as well as to the people in charge of the Senior Citizens' Center, with the aim of explaining to them the interest of involving the local society in this project. This made it possible to jointly develop the activities of citizen participation, seeking that the participation of the neighbors be intergenerational.
Through the implementation of this academic project, it is intended that the proposed initiatives can be transferred to the neighbors of the San Pablo neighborhood. Through the return of the participatory workshops, the academy will promote the voice of the participating society before the District authorities, showing what are the current needs, and possible solutions, considering the benefit of the population.
Originally, this proposal sought a transfer to the local society, the Aura team, from the beginning, approached the municipal authorities of the District, and the Senior Center. Throughout the year 2021-2022, the students together with the teaching staff carried out field work, interviewing the local population, seeking to obtain an interdisciplinary database, which would reflect intergenerational information. This information was considered for the proposals made in the different subjects. District managers are aware of the hard work between academia and the local population. At the District level, the information obtained will be taken into account in future neighborhood rehabilitations, so that the initiatives will be sustainable and the population will feel part of the improvement of their neighborhood.
In the workshops, the participating society showed gratitude and enthusiasm. The workshops were held at the Senior Citizens' Center, which is attended by the original residents of the neighborhood, who have seen the urban evolution and know the real needs of the population that is most vulnerable to housing obsolescence.
The first workshop, culture and heritage, was the central theme. Through collective memory and social roots, it was made clear that there are material and immaterial elements in the neighborhood that deserve to be considered for their safeguarding.
In the second workshop, the population was interested in learning about sustainable alternatives to help improve comfort conditions inside the houses, particularly in the months of extreme temperatures. The obsolescence of housing prevents the maintenance of indoor thermal comfort, which increases the use of electrical appliances and the high bills to be paid; but, above all, it has an impact on the health of the most vulnerable.
At the autonomous (regional) level, the Ministry of Development, Infrastructures and Territorial Planning of the Andalusian Regional Government, promotes the Call for 2020 for the granting of subsidies, on a competitive basis, to Andalusian Public Universities for the development of research projects in the fields of housing, rehabilitation and architecture. This allowed the project Direct application of "Aura Strategy" of the SOLAR DECATHLON-U.S. TEAM, in rehabilitation of obsolete Andalusian neighborhoods, to be selected for its development 09/09/2021 - 09/12/2022.
At the local level, the municipality, through the District Center, showed empathy and willingness for the development of the project. At the same level, it is important to highlight the collaboration of the staff of the Alfonso de Cossio Senior Center, the staff of the San Pablo District Health Center, as well as the collaboration of the Director of the Miguel Hernández School. Without them, it would not be possible to have a better picture of the population of the San Pablo neighborhood.
From the Academy, the group of professors that make up the Aura Team, together with doctoral students committed to the project, have decided to extend the action to the neighboring neighborhoods, replicating the methodology developed for the first neighborhoods of San Pablo. It should be noted that this continuation of the project has no financial subsidy.
The Aura team stands out for being interdisciplinary, with the collaboration of specialists in the fields of Architecture, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Medicine, Heritage, Acoustics and Physics. This multifaceted knowledge was decisive for the proposals that were carried out together with the local population to be truly inclusive and sustainable. In addition to these experts, the participatory role of undergraduate, master's and doctoral students was also important.
D. students of the HUM965 Research Group: Transhumanities: Habitat, Health, Heritage, Technology and Art, have been involved in the development and application of the activities developed during the project process. This experience will be transferred to different doctoral theses. In addition to this, the students who between 2021 - 2022 took the courses "Energy and Sustainability in Architecture; and Environmental Construction and Sustainable Technologies". Involvement in projects where they live with reality, has allowed these students to know the reality and for whom the solutions are designed and proposed. This experience has allowed them to recognize the importance of working in the field, and to be inclusive, participatory and resilient.
Inclusive. Incorporating different voices in the development of the project brought learning for all parties involved. In the same project we were able to give a voice to the staff of the Health Center, the Director of the Miguel Hernández School, those responsible for the Alfonso de Cossio Senior Center, the municipal representatives of the District, and the population of the San Pablo neighborhood.
Sustainability. The core of the project is sustainability, not only from an economic point of view, but also for its continuation over time. We understand that for an initiative to be continued over time, it must come from the local society, therefore, their participation brought learning, and they felt part of the possible solutions that will benefit the quality of life of the inhabitants of the neighborhood.
Collaborative. The collaboration between agents at different levels is part of the innovative aspect of this initiative, moving from paper to reality. The creation of spaces where the different agents involved could dialogue brought the academy to mediate as the agent that would listen to the different voices and translate them into different solutions.
Knowledge transfer. From the beginning, the project considered it important not to leave the results of this project only in a summary report, as it considers that the transfer of this knowledge is fundamental to enrich the experience and strengthen it for its continuity. To meet this objective, 2 participatory workshops were held in the neighborhood under study, 2 international congresses have been presented, 3 publications in high impact scientific journals and 1 book summarizing the work carried out in this project. This experience will be transferred to a greater or lesser extent in four doctoral theses.
The proposal includes a plan for the transfer and dissemination of the results and learning obtained. According to the target audience, three actions are established:
- Scientific articles. Three articles which reflect the results obtained have been produced and submitted to high impact journals. Specifically, one article has been generated for each of the three lines of action of the project, i.e. health and comfort (i), sustainability and materiality (ii) and energy saving and conditioning (iii). In this way, the aim is to disseminate the methodology used and the results obtained among the scientific community and academia.
- Book. A final document has been drawn up that compiles the trajectory over the years of the US Solar Decathlon Team, including the experience in the San Pablo neighbourhood (Seville) where the Aura Strategy has been applied and tested. The aim of this document is to disseminate the results among the educational community and architecture and construction professionals.
- Outreach conference. Finally, a conference is organised to present the book mentioned in the previous point. This space also served to promote similar experiences in the future. The event, aimed at society in general, is attended by students, teachers, researchers, etc.
The methodology aims to systematise the implementation of the Aura Strategy in obsolete neighbourhoods, in order to elaborate a pilot intervention guideline manual on which to build a future intervention project. The methodology is structured in three phases:
PHASE 1. It focuses on a global approach to the neighbourhood and its buildings from which to define the intervention criteria. The following stages have been developed:
1.1. Documentation of the object of study, in order to analyse the state prior to the intervention.
1.2. Architectural and urban planning study of the previous and current state of the neighbourhood, including different approaches.
1.3. Study concerning the comfort and health of the object of study, relating both to the state of the buildings and the urban environment.
1.4. Study on the constructive and structural area, the area of fittings and installations and, finally, the area of sustainability and accessibility of the neighbourhood under study.
PHASE 2. Application of the "Aura Strategy" in the San Pablo neighbourhood in Seville.
It will consist of the development of the proposal for the implementation of the Aura Strategy with the aim of carrying out a global rehabilitation in a selected area. Action is proposed on four levels: architectural and urban planning, construction, energy and comfort and health conditions. To this end, two participative workshops have been organised with the citizens of the San Pablo neighbourhood. The first workshop focused on analysing the heritage and those elements that produce wellbeing or discomfort among the population. The second workshop focused on the situation of comfort, health and energy poverty in the neighbourhood.
PHASE 3. Knowledge transfer through publications. As explained in the previous point, three types of productions or actions have been generated: scientific articles, a book with all the documentation generated and the organisation of informative conferences.
The proposed project could unequivocally constitute a clear example of direct practical application and immediate transfer in sustainable regeneration and rehabilitation in social housing. In this way, it aims to contribute to the construction of sustainable, resilient, safe and inclusive cities to address the impacts of the climate crisis and the major social inequalities in urban areas.
The project therefore contributes to several of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda. Specifically, the intervention is aligned with SDG 7 Affordable and clean energy and SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities.
Among the main strategic lines included in the project, the following should be highlighted:
- New materials for rehabilitation.
- Methodological innovation to improve knowledge of the residential and housing system.
- Public intervention on housing and its relationship with the welfare state.
- Quality of life in cities through interaction with public spaces, urban rehabilitation, sustainable mobility and ICT.
- Social innovation aimed at reducing exclusion and residential vulnerability.
The project is obtaining good results on the population of the neighbourhood under study, specifically on the vulnerable population living in the dwellings that were built between the 1950s and 1970s. These dwellings were built with scarce resources and, at present, have led to a serious situation of obsolescence, understood as the lack of adaptation to current requirements.
The direct application of the Aura Strategy to Andalusia's obsolete neighbourhoods should unequivocally lead to an improvement in the habitability of these urban environments, together with an increase in the comfort and health conditions of the residents, which should directly influence an increase in their quality of life.
With regard to the Phases described in the previous sections:
PHASE 1. The different studies and analyses have already been carried out, including different points of view: construction, heritage, energy, etc.
PHASE 2. The two planned participatory workshops were held. These spaces for meeting with the citizens have been key to identify the main problems and potentialities of the housing and urban environment. In addition, different actors participated in these spaces: students and teaching staff from the University of Seville, third sector organisations, local officials, etc. In this way, the vision of citizens has been transmitted to other spheres that can have a direct impact on the well-being of the population.
PHASE 3. Three scientific articles have been developed and are being proposed in different high impact journals. Likewise, the book containing the project documentation is currently being finalised.
As set out in the GreenComp framework, a key aspect for advancing sustainability in the EU is to incorporate competences in education that promote a critical vision among students and foster knowledge in the different areas of sustainability (social, environmental and economic).
In this context, universities play a fundamental role in the training of students and in the transfer of knowledge and good practices. Regarding the area of problem solving, this intervention promotes the inclusion of students in real interventions, promoting education through project-based learning. This proposal is also aligned with the competence that focuses on the identifying needs and technological responses.
The project also responds to competences covered by the "Safety" area. Specifically, the proposed actions seek to improve the comfort and well-being of vulnerable populations living in obsolete neighbourhoods (in line with "Protecting health and well-being"). To this end, the rehabilitation of buildings (as opposed to new constructions) using sustainable technologies (in line with "Protecting the environment") is proposed.
