Abstract:

This paper presents the research work within the international Consortium Alliance "Universitas Montium" (UNITA) according one of many UNITA’s Research Projects: the Portuguese Project CH-RESILIENCE “Cultural Heritage: Resilience of Built Heritage and Built Environment” at the University of Beira Interior (UBI) within Universitas Montium Aliance which is included in UNITA's Research & lnnovation Cartography WP4, concerning Cultural Heritage. and soon to be included in the consortium RE-UNITA (UNITA 2.0). Within this research line two international PhD cotutelle were achieved, but also two other PhD thesis are being prepared within CH-RESILIENCE. The Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DECA), of the University of Beira Interior (UBI), has developed, a concern regarding Built Heritage, ln fact, over the last two decades there has been a cross-interdisciplinary interest, which has allowed a transdisciplinary research, based on the Architectural Heritage, Built Heritage, thus Cultural Heritage. Dissertation themes have focused on traditional aspects of Portuguese Architecture and Traditional Building Technologies, but also doctoral Thesis and Research Projects with competitively-based contests with funding (as The ORFEUS project which was one of the highlights of this line of research). In fact Building Culture encompasses existing buildings, monuments, and other elements of Cultural Heritage, as well as the design and construction of contemporary buildings, infrastructures, public spaces, and landscapes. The actual technical requirements are not always compatible with older buildings. Regular maintenance of these buildings may include preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction, refurbishment, adaptation, and interpretation of existing buildings and their environment. ln fact, this research lays on the Resilience of Built and Cultural Heritage. UNITA’s Research and innovation is centred in the needs of rural and mountain territories regarding, not only Cultural Heritage, but also Renewable Energy and Circular Economy. This paper presents four case study of international research based on the UNITA’s Alliance and interconnected with CH Resilience Project: “The Art of Place”, Cotutelle (UBI -Portugal / UNIZAR-SPAIN); “The involvement of local museums with their territorial and historical environment”, Cotutelle (UNIZAR-SPAIN / UBI -Portugal); Corbelled Dome Constructions: architectural elements of a vernacular Identity in Beira Baixa (Portugal); Resilience and Sustainability: Monastic Spaces of Cistercian origins in contemporary times. Besides these four cases it is highlighted, a fifth which is the first project, within the CH Resilience research group, in collaboration with other institutions with affinity to the theme and in the borderline of UNITA Alliance. This is the ongoing PhD thesis “Theory, Design and Construction of the Bulwark Defensive System in the Minho River Valley. From the Reign of King Philip III to the End of the Seven Years' War, 1621-1763”. Consequently, this paper will bring to discussion these specific case studies and its relationship with UNITA's Alliance. This is, through Cultural heritage it will be brought to debate methods, objectives, experiences, outputs, and discussions which allow the formation of wider networks for research and resources exchange.

Keywords:

Research, Architecture, Cotutelle, UNITA, Network, History of Architecture, Construction.