Subject
Linking Urban Ecology and Heritage Revitalization: The Cases of Arequipa (Peru), Salvador (Brazil) and Beijing
Speaker
Dr. José Manuel Almodóvar
Senior Professor at the School of Architecture, University of Seville, Spain
Moderator
Dihua Li
Associate Professor at the College of Architecture and Landscape of Peking University
Deputy Director at WHITR-AP Beijing
Time
2025.12.9 10:30am-12:30am
Venue
Ground Floor Lecture Hall, College of Architecture and Landscape of Peking University
Organizers
College of Architecture and Landscape of Peking University
WHITR-AP Beijing
Speaker bio
Dr. José Manuel Almodóvar is a Full Professor and Chair at the School of Architecture, University of Seville (Spain). He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture and Computer Simulation applied to historic settlements (2000), an M.Sc. in Renewable Energy (1999), and a B.Sc. in Architecture (1997). He has led research projects funded by the European Union and in collaboration with Ibero-American universities (Mexico, Brazil, Peru). He has also been a Visiting Scholar at several institutions worldwide, including Tsinghua University, Tongji University, Nanjing University, Kobe Design, Columbia University, UCLA, Cal Poly Pomona, and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. He is the author/co-author of eight books and more than forty peer-reviewed papers in the fields of urban ecology, passive solar design, the built environment, and architectural heritage. He received the City of Seville Award in the Architecture and Energy category.
Lecture abstract
Traditional concepts and techniques are increasingly considered by urban planners as valuable sources of knowledge and inspiration for developing ecological design strategies that simultaneously preserve and revitalize cultural heritage. It is essential to recognize that settlements of cultural or historical significance are not merely collections of picturesque buildings forming an attractive landscape. Rather, they constitute complex systems in which built structures interact with the environment, relying on the limited resources available at particular historical moments and geographic locations. This lecture, adopting an ecological analytical framework supported by scientific tools, examines ways to preserve and revitalize the ecological benefits embedded in traditional practices across three UNESCO World Heritage cities situated in distinct climatic and cultural contexts.
