Structural Appraisal of the Florentine Gothic Construction System

The nave of Santa Maria Novella, a Dominican church in Florence Italy is representative of a Florentine Gothic system of construction. This system, consisting of domical rib vaults on square nave bays, high side aisles, and crypto-buttressing, differs substantially from the French high Gothic system of even-level-crown rib vaults on rectangular bays, with flying buttresses over relatively low aisles. An investigation into the structural aspects of the Florentine Gothic construction system reveals that the domical vaults increase the longitudinal thrust and reduce the transverse thrust, which may require additional precautions to be taken during construction, but entails a less elaborate buttressing system. The domical vaults are found to perform well structurally, with an absence of tensile stresses, and are more suitable for a square bay. In general, the structural system of the nave of Santa Maria Novella is found to be the product of carefully considered structural design, which may be accepted as an alternative to the French Gothic construction system.     

新浦江城规划设计优劣分析

文章通过对上海“新浦江城”首期项目的介绍，分析了意大利设计在该项目应用中的独特之处，同时指出了存在的一些问题。指出国外设计应结合中国国情，符合社会发展的需要。     

Occurrence patterns of alien freshwater turtles in a large urban pond ‘Archipelago’ (Rome,Italy): Suggesting hypotheses on root causes

The patterns of the occurrence and distribution of alien freshwater turtle species in an urban pond archipelago (Rome, Italy) were analysed, with the aim of exploring the role of a set of factors (type of ponds, landscape context, size area, distance from the nearest road) with a generalized linear model approach. A total of 311 ponds subdivided in three types (fountains, small basins, lakes) embedded in different landscape contexts (public parks, private parks, urban areas) at differing distances from the nearest road were sampled. Six non‐native freshwater turtle species in 31 sites were recorded (9.97%). Lakes exhibited the highest occurrence rates of alien freshwater turtles, compared to small basins and fountains. Freshwater turtle species in urbanized areas were only observed in parks (both public and private). In both the public and private parks, the lakes exhibited the highest percentage of occupied sites, with fountains being the lowest. A direct and significant relationship was observed between pond size and species richness. The distance from the nearest road did not appear to affect species richness. A first interpretation of the data from this study facilitated the postulation of two a posteriori hypotheses that should be tested, as follows: (i) the causal process of turtle release is random, and the rate of extinction (and recapture) is higher in smaller ponds, thus producing the observed pattern; and (ii) the turtle release is not random, and people actively select the ponds they consider more suitable for their pet animals. In this study, it appears the lakes were perceived by those who abandon their pets as the most ecologically suitable habitats among other pond types to accommodate the different species of turtles. Knowledge of people's attitudes in regard to releasing pet animals also might assist managers of public green spaces to develop strategies aimed to preserve local biodiversity, and to educate the public about the conservation issue represented by the alien species.     

中国传统标识图形审美意象

"意象"是中国传统美学的一个十分重要的范畴,意象美贯穿了中国传统美学的始终,是中国文化不可或缺的重要组成部分,也是人类文化的共同财富。中国传统标识图形可谓源远流长,从原始的图腾,商周太极八卦,秦汉的篆刻印章,明清的吉祥符号等等,无不体现出意象之美。这种独特的宇宙观与生命情调在艺术设计的美学领域中具有极高的借鉴、赏析价值,主要表现在:一、天地之道;二、吉祥之意;三、完美之象;四、灵空之势。现代标志设计在探寻中国传统文化和审美意识精髓的同时,也要充分认识来自现代西方的各种设计思潮,兼收并蓄,融会贯通,寻找传统与现代的契合点,让现代标志设计既具有民族个性,又具有时代感。     

Replacement of Pontesei Bridge, Italy

Pontesei Dam is a major concrete dam built after World War II across the canyon of Maè Creek (Valle di Zoldo) in the Italian Eastern Alps. Just upstream from the dam, a gully discharges water from steep mountains. The only road serving the dam and the entire valley upstream of the dam runs along the mountainside and crosses the gully. In 1959, an exceptionally rainy season caused a flood, which destroyed the bridge. A temporary Bailey bridge was subsequently built by the army, but in 1990 it was decided to design a new bridge. The main challenges posed to the designer included building the new deck and the abutments underneath the Bailey bridge without disrupting traffic, hoisting the deck just to the bottom of the Bailey bridge, and finally substituting the new deck for the Bailey bridge in one day. Other problems included the instability of the rock mass at the abutments and the gravitative convergence of the two sides of the gully. This paper describes the design, construction, and testing of the bridge replacement and the bridge abutments.     

Renzo Piano: Poet of Technology

The architecture of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) is renowned internationally for the formal refinement of its components and detailing as well as for its sensitive responses to context, both in terms of its physical surroundings and local construction traditions. But, as architectural author and Piano specialist Peter Buchanan reminds us, the central concern of the practice remains focused on the original core impetus of expandingthe bounds of what technology and materials can achieve.     

Training,research, and technical assistance to improve the water resources management in Southern Italy — The experience of CSEI Catania

Water resources management may be improved through the activities of organizations devoted to practice-oriented research, continuing education, and technical assistance. The experience carried out in southern Italy by CSEI Catania during 13 years of activity is presented. Two main activities are discussed: the research and training program on regional pollution control plans and the development of a water data bank.     

Passive adaptation or active engagement? The challenges of Housing First internationally and in the Italian case

In recent years, a peculiar homelessness policy that goes under the name of ‘Housing First’ has become increasingly popular all over the world. Epitomising a quintessential case of policy-mobility, Housing First can today be considered an heterogeneous assemblage of experiences and approaches that sometimes have little in common with each other. Introducing and commenting upon this heterogeneity, the paper critically analyses why and how Housing First has become a planetary success and what are the issues at stake with its widespread implementation. If recent scholarship published in this journal has granted us a fine understanding of Housing First’s functioning in the US, this paper offers something currently absent from the debate: a nuanced and critical understanding of the ambiguities related to the international success of this policy, with specific references to the challenges associated to its translation in the Italian case.     

基于传统理念和创新意识的意大利城市桥梁

本文系统地介绍了笔者考察南欧国家一意大利期间,对罗马、威尼斯、米兰和佛罗伦萨等城市的城市桥梁建设的总体印象和分类考察情况,重点介绍了其古老桥梁和现代大跨径桥梁的建设概况,并得到了相关的感悟,希望相关内容能为同行们提供有借鉴意义的资料和启示。