People interested in architecture evolution will find in this book an opportunity to verify the advances and transformations that have occurred in this area, based on a compromise between form and function, between aesthetics and pragmatic judgement, which accepts scientific truth only in function of practical application, but in the other hand, in the search of harmonic balance between both tendencies.

Within the Mediterranean construction tradition, sacred architecture has always played a very prominent role, giving rise to the most numerous and best preserved historical buildings prior to the 18th century that have survived. Throughout 5,000 years the visual plot has been shown as the systematic alphabet that Mediterranean cultures have used to write multiple architectural accounts of a sacred and ceremonial nature. We will begin this memory — a true travel notebook — by presenting what the Christian temples of discipline have taught us. Then we travel to Egypt, Rome and finally to Malta and Gozo. The systematicity and similarities in the crystallization of the ideological discourse were incredible and we invite the reader to verify those teachings. To facilitate this, the text includes more than 360 sketches and 300 images of more than 200 buildings belonging to 17 countries.

Successful interaction with products, tools and technologies depends on usable designs and accommodating the needs of potential users without requiring costly training. In this context, this book is concerned with emerging ergonomics in design concepts, theories and applications of human factors knowledge focusing on the discovery, design and understanding of human interaction and usability issues with products and systems for their improvement. This book will be of special value to a large variety of professionals, researchers and students in the broad field of human modeling and performance who are interested in feedback of devices’ interfaces (visual and haptic), user-centered design, and design for special populations, particularly the elderly. We hope this book is informative, but even more - that it is thought provoking. We hope it inspires, leading the reader to contemplate other questions, applications, and potential solutions in creating good designs for all.

This set of essays challenge interpretations of the development of modernist architecture in Third World countries during the Cold War. The topics look at modernism’s part in the transnational development of building technologies and the construction of national and cultural identity.

Containing the proceedings of the second International Conference on Defence Sites, Heritage and Future this book promotes the knowledge of the scale, design and functions of defence sites. It brings a better understanding of the issues raised by their redundancy and the implications of different disposal processes for the land. Redundant defence sites offer a range of opportunities to planners, architects and local communities to redevelop large areas, bringing new life to often neglected parts of towns. These opportunities are common to many countries and the papers in this book stress this common feature and help to share experiences of the transformation of defence sites to civilian uses around the world. The re-use of defence sites also raises questions regarding the need to recover brownfields and contaminated land which can have far-reaching legal responsibilities and environmental consequences. Achieving the sustainable development of these sites involves issues related to maintenance and conservation, as well as built and natural environmental controls, while also responding to the needs and aspirations of the community. Topics covered include: Military heritage history; Castles and fortresses; Fortified cities; Case studies; Transition from military to civilian life; Community involvement; Economic analysis; Risk assessment; Simulation and modelling; Funding and legal requirements.

The third volume in the Andean Archaeology series, this book focuses on the marked cultural differences between the northern and southern regions of the Central Andes, and considers the conditions under which these differences evolved, grew pronounced, and diminished. This book continues the dynamic, current problem-oriented approach to the field of Andean Archaeology that began with Andean Archaeology I and Andean Archaeology II. Combines up-to-date research, diverse theoretical platforms, and far-reaching interpretations to draw provocative and thoughtful conclusions.

Latin American Modern Architectures: Ambiguous Territories has thirteen new essays from a range of distinguished architectural historians to help you understand the region’s rich and varied architecture. It will also introduce you to major projects that have not been written about in English. A foreword by historian Kenneth Frampton sets the stage for essays on well-known architects, such as Lucio Costa and Félix Candela, which will show you unfamiliar aspects of their work, and for essays on the work of little-known figures, such as Uruguayan architect Carlos Gómez Gavazzo and Peruvian architect and politician Fernando Belaúnde Terry. Covering urban and territorial histories from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, along with detailed building analyses, this book is your best source for historical and critical essays on a sampling of Latin America's diverse architecture, providing much-needed information on key case studies. Contributors include Noemí Adagio, Pedro Ignacio Alonso, Luis Castañeda, Viviana d’Auria, George F. Flaherty, María González Pendás, Cristina López Uribe, Hugo Mondragón López, Jorge Nudelman Blejwas, Hugo Palmarola Sagredo, Gaia Piccarolo, Claudia Shmidt, Daniel Talesnik, and Paulo Tavares.