Throughout the last century, Europe's traditional architecture has been affected by a severe and widespread trend of decline and abandonment. These are the result of worldwide cultural, social and technological modifications which have noticeably changed society, lifestyle and economy. These transformations are reflected directly in built heritage and places, often struggling to adapt to the new habits and needs and thus prone to disuse and destruction. The same processes and phenomena also affect intangible culture, such as traditional construction know-how, causing the loss of another essential part of the population's heritage and identity. Spain is no exception. Due to industrial advances and the rural crisis which brought about major changes in lifestyle, culture and population, the country is now facing various critical situations connected to this trend. These include depopulation, overpopulation, tourist exploitation, and social discredit, which are a stark warning to the conservation of its traditional architecture, now in jeopardy. The following paper focuses on identifying the most important social phenomena within Spain in relation to the transformation, abandonment, and destruction of traditional architecture. Through this analysis, the study aims to provide an initial evaluation of their effects on Spanish earthen traditional constructions and so highlight the crucial aspects to be considered for the formulation of proper and effective strategies for conservation, management and valorisation.

The First Industrial Revolution brought about the attraction to the cities of much labor force coming from the countryside. In Spain, this migratory phenomenon accelerated during the period of development of the 1960s. Today, even it seems not to have reached bottom: there are already many deserted areas in the so called "empty Spain" and more the nuclei that will disappear in the coming years if nothing remedies. This territorial imbalance has led, on the one hand, to the pollution and overpopulation of large metropolitan areas, often located on the coast, and on the other, to the progressive extinction of an ancestral way of life that has been maintaining a tight balance with the natural environment through agricultural exploitation.It is in this context that the Empty Spain teaching initiative arises, applicable to several subjects of the degree in Fundamentals of Architecture taught at the ETS of Architecture (Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain), and encouraged by the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda promoted by United Nations, especially with regard to No. 10 "Reduce inequality", No. 11 "Sustainable cities and communities", and No. 12: "Responsible production and consumption". A team of professors with a long teaching and research career linked to the course on Architectural Restoration promotes this idea.The experience was developed in two phases: learning and dissemination. In order to undertake the learning phase, a triple challenge was proposed: raising awareness of the seriousness of the problem and the urgency of finding viable solutions; fostering knowledge of vernacular architecture, predominant in the affected area; and acting through an incipient architectural project applied to a traditional building. In short, knowing vernacular architecture and learning from it.For its part, the dissemination phase is being deployed in parallel through several channels. A temporary exhibition is organized with a selection of the most suggestive works aimed at the students and teachers of the School. This strategy is joined by participation in two international congresses, one on research and the other on teaching.

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La arquitectura de tierra constituye una expresión constructiva fundamental dentro del término municipal de Valencia. El crecimiento demográfico sufrido por la ciudad en los últimos 100 años tuvo consecuencias relevantes en su desarrollo urbano y arquitectónico, especialmente en un territorio que, durante muchos siglos, había mantenido una vocación agrícola. Además, la evolución técnica y cultural ha contribuido ulteriormente a cambios destacados en la estructura social y antropológica, con resultados significativos en el uso de la arquitectura. El presente trabajo aspira a evaluar cómo la conservación de la arquitectura de tierra se ve afectada en situaciones de superpoblación a través del caso de Valencia. Para presentar el contexto y sus características, en un primer momento se introducirá brevemente el crecimiento urbano del último siglo y también las técnicas de tierra tradicionalmente empleadas en la ciudad. Posteriormente, el trabajo se ocupará de destacar las situaciones de abandono y deterioros más relevantes, analizando las causas de tipo social y antropológico. En las conclusiones, se comentará el estado actual de la arquitectura de tierra y se propondrán algunas indicaciones básicas para mejorar su conservación.