BUILDING TYPE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN THE SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE Analysis of spatial perception of historical heritage in small urban contexts

The analysis of the close relationship between the built environment, nature and human activity confronts us with what is defined as the cultural landscape, a place influenced by human action, steeped in history and social, economic and cultural values, a landscape that has become a mirror of the evolution of the settlements and human society that have inhabited it over time, becoming a testimony to the human-nature relationship. The complexity of analysing such space requires an interdisciplinary study capable of analysing different factors and strategically studying a common methodology for representing and visualising such places. As part of the iNEST (Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem) project, this study is part of the digitisation of the built heritage and surrounding landscape of north-eastern Italy, acting as a tool for analysis and conservation, using new technologies to analyse the relationship that individuals have with the environment that surrounds them, whether built or natural, how they have been influenced by it, and how they have modified it according to their needs. Two small Alpine and pre-Alpine villages in Friuli Venezia Giulia were chosen as case studies for this research, due to their characteristic co-presence of natural and artificial (built) elements and the value of their spontaneous architecture, a palimpsest of historical experiences based on functional, natural reasoning and the socio-cultural context of the place. This research aims to represent and enhance not only the physical environment of the chosen case studies but also the inhabitants’ perception of the space they inhabit, with the aim of developing a critical analysis methodology that takes into account multiple factors. The study is therefore set in a context of collaboration between various disciplines and aims to question the perception of this space and its representation. The preaplinic landscape of Sauris, Friuli, is analysed on the basis of previous morphological studies and on the basis of field surveys and 2D and 3D data processing (e.g. BIM Heritage). Using a methodology that combines traditional research methods with digital tools and solutions, this study aims to strategically visualise the cultural landscape in order to understand the benefits that individuals can experience living in an urban context with its own history and identity, immersed in a natural environment.