SUSTAINABILITY AND HERITAGE CONSERVATION: ANALYSIS OF THE CONTINUITY OF DOMESTIC LIFE IN THE COURTYARD HOUSES OF IBARRA

SUSTENTABILIDADE E CONSERVAÇÃO DOPATRIMÔNIO: ANÁLISE DA CONTINUIDADEDA VIDA DOMÉSTICA NAS CASAS-PÁTIO DEIBARRA.

Abstract

Heritage buildings represent an opportunity to understand sustainability as a dynamic and continuous process. These structures have undergone successive transformations to adapt to evolving functional requirements. This research examines the endurance of the courtyard house typology, aiming to evaluate the alterations stemming from the infill or occupation of interior courtyards. The study accounts for the historical presence of this typology and its current condition, alongside the data collection and analysis of four case studies located in the historic center of Ibarra.

The findings reveal that while the interior courtyard is highly susceptible to transformations, it also demonstrates a remarkable temporal persistence, establishing itself as a pivotal element for both heritage conservation and the continuity of domestic life within these properties. When the morphological features of the courtyard, specifically its form and spatial configuration, are altered, significant impacts on the building’s conservation arise, such as the depletion of natural lighting, restricted ventilation, and indoor temperature fluctuations, ultimately compromising sustainability from a cultural perspective