A Citizen Science Approach to Build a Knowledge Base and Cadastre on Earth Buildings in the Weinviertel Region, Austria

Clay played a decisive role as a building material in the Austrian Weinviertel region. Its traditional use in vernacular architecture started to disappear in the 19th century, triggered, for example, by upcoming industrial processes to produce construction materials such as burnt bricks, and by maki...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Heritage 2021-01, Vol.4 (1), p.125-139
Main Authors: Schauppenlehner, Thomas, Eder, Renate, Ressar, Kim, Feiglstorfer, Hubert, Meingast, Roland, Ottner, Franz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural production
Architecture
Buildings
Citizen Science
clay
Cultural heritage
Data collection
earthen architectural heritage
Farm buildings
Global positioning systems
GPS
Information sharing
Knowledge
knowledge transfer
Rural areas
Science
web and mobile applications
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Clay played a decisive role as a building material in the Austrian Weinviertel region. Its traditional use in vernacular architecture started to disappear in the 19th century, triggered, for example, by upcoming industrial processes to produce construction materials such as burnt bricks, and by making them available as mass building products in course of the time—even for vernacular purpose and at remote places. Following a debate on ecological sustainability during the last decades, the striking advantages of clay as a building material have been rediscovered. However, to support restoration activities and develop new uses, a vital and profound knowledge of properties of the local clay and its traditional local use is required. It is therefore important to increase the knowledge of this unique heritage among the local population and the scientific community. This article aims to present the development of an earth building cadastre (Lehmbaukataster) based on an innovative Citizen Science approach using mobile technologies for activating and integrating the local population with specific local and historical knowledge of earth architecture in the Weinviertel. The results show that citizens can provide essential information to develop a cadastre on earth buildings. Supported by a web application with GPS location facilities, camera, and low entry barriers, citizens can contribute to the expansion of the scientific database. The research results are a strong impetus for the development of strategies for the valorization and protection of cultural heritage.
ISSN:2571-9408
2571-9408
DOI:10.3390/heritage4010007