NEWS

CALL FOR PAPERS:

We would like to kindly invite you to contribute an article to the Journal of Comparative Cultural Studies in Architecture (JCCS-a). JCCS-a is a comprehensive journal encompassing a wide range of topics within the fields of the built environment in the many regions and cultures around the world. JCCS-a is a peer-reviewed, multi-disciplinary journal that includes the fields of theory of architecture, urban design, building construction, bionics, history, town planning, ethnology, and many more, with an emphasis on the built environment. The journal is an interdisciplinary platform for the debate of comparing cultures from manifold perspectives, which is already a fixed element in the individual contributions.
The scale of research coverage ranges from studies drawn from vernacular forms in primitive societies as well as from advanced civilisations from all parts of the world. The coverage includes both, on a micro and a macro scale, design related behaviour, bionics in architecture, analysis of building constructions in the primitive world, ethnological studies that are related to the built environment, etc. Of particular interest is the relationship between social behaviour and a related physical environment.
Some of the issues the journal addresses are: analysis of compounds, villages and towns, comparison of urban design in developing and developed countries, local identities that is visible in the built environment, ethnological studies related to the built environment.

The very first JCCS-a issue has recently been successfully published and is fully and freely accessible online. Please feel welcome to revise its contents at: www.jccs-a.org. Each issue has a main topic, but additional papers will be accepted as well. The forthcoming issue will be dedicated to the following topic:

Issue 2: “Ephemeral Structures vs. Preservation of the Built Environment”

European cities and towns have a long tradition of preservation. Not only buildings as such, whole areas within cities and even villages are discussed, regenerated and even expanded by looking and preserving the cultural heritage. In the turn, cultural heritage is seen as a reflection of long ago epochs. Particularly in villages and towns with large parts built in past times it is hardly possible to create new environments in contemporary style.
However, in other regions of the worlds, such trains of thoughts are not known. Particularly in cultures with non-permanent or semi-permanent settlements all structures are regularly rebuilt.
Igloos of the Inuit, shabonos of the Yanomami in Amazonia, yurts of Mongolia or even adobe houses from around the world are hardly older than a few decades. However, people rebuild their homes and other structures according to the image conveyed mostly by word and passed down from generation to generation. As a matter of course, such a procedure leads to totally different understanding of and living in such settlements or towns than in Europe. In old Hawaii, for example, people said that each generation must be able to add their own ideas to the traditional temple structures. Therefore, temples were only used for a short time and rebuilt at a different location with different materials and even different in outlook. The large variety of Hawaiian temples can be observed today, since Hawaii nowadays is part of the USA and the conservation practice has expanded to these islands, too.
In a globalised world, where particularly European town planning and thus conversation practice is spread all over the world, it is important to rethink our own habits as well as reflect practice of ephemeral structures in town planning from other cultures. The question of how much preservation and how much ephemeral structures are needed will be the focus of the next issue of JCCS-a.

Issue 3: “Minimal homes – maximal city”

Minimal housing is todate among the key issues in architecture and town planning. The reasons are manifold and range from the wish for a change and renunciation from posh architecture for the rich and wealthy to the increasing problem of poverty even in developed countries such as in Europe. Not only luxury ample homes for the wealthy will be needed, but also good and affordable architecture for those who are lower middle class and below. Particularly when homes get smaller, it must be assumed that much time will be spent in the public open and thus good urban design will be more than ever important.

However, homes that are designed around and for the basic needs of people are found in many primitive and vernacular cultures. Therefore it seems to be important to analyse both, homes as well as the urban fabric of such villages, compounds and towns. This interplay that can be observed around the world will be the focus of this issue.

If you are interested in submitting a paper to one of the above outlined topics then kindly send me a short abstract (150 words) summarising the content of your proposed paper. For issue 2 the deadline for abstracts is 1/10/2008, for issue 3 1/2/2009. However, there is the possibility to submit papers with other topics than the main theme of the issues. If you are interested in submitting an article then an abstract (150 words) along with the expected date of submission and the list of co-authors (if any), preferably by email to office@jccs-a.org or alternatively to bornberg@iras.uni-hannover.de so that I may assess its suitability for publication in the journal.

Please note that the submission of a manuscript is not a guarantee for publication in the journal, was all manuscripts will be subjected to peer reviewing. The jounral’s Web site is located at www.jccs-a.org, which provides the journal’s relevant information such as Aims and Scope, Instructions to Authors and Editorial Board page.

Keenly looking forward to your positive response

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely

Dr. Renate Bornberg
Editor-in-Chief