Visual Impact Assessment Methodologies for Rural Building Design

The progressive decline in rural building architectural design seen in Italy since World War II has led to an increased interest in the study of how to make these constructions appropriately blend into the landscape. Considering these phenomena, this study deals with the definition and calibration of a structured methodological path aiming at identifying and comparing design solutions to be adopted as a framework for the most widespread building typologies in rural areas. Considering these general aims, the study has provided for several phases. A close investigation of the state of the art has been followed by a critical analysis of the main methodologies for visual project and landscape analysis, in order to work out a specific strategy. The authors developed a method that considers both landscape and agricultural characteristics, in order to investigate and compare different design variables that have significant consequences on the overall visual impact of the building, with reference to different landscape areas. This method allows the analysis of several design solutions, according to the environmental context, in an iterative revision process. Some particular phases of the above-mentioned path, which is part of a wider national research project, have been tested in detail, including the analysis of study cases.