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Over the past century, monumental architecture has been at the center of attention of heritage professionals, stakeholders, and the public. On the contrary, vernacular architecture, which constitutes the majority of our built heritage, especially at rural sites in the provinces of Greece and other Mediterranean countries, has been mostly neglected and often has fallen into disarray. As a result, we now witness the severe degradation of several important settlements, which are threatened due to long exposure to the elements and lack of conservation, maintenance, and management plans. Since 2015, the Architectural Conservation Laboratory, University of West Attica, organizes a field-training program at the Minoan sites of Mochlos and Pseira on East Crete, aimed at addressing the challenges of vernacular architecture and raising awareness. The program provides on-the-job training opportunities to heritage professionals in surveying, assessing, and documenting the condition of architectural remains and finally establishing the conservation priorities. This paper discusses the approaches and the goals of the program, as well as the potential for the integration of cost-effective digital documentation techniques, such as photogrammetry, into the systematic monitoring of archaeological sites under threat. The preliminary results of the condition survey of Pseira and the challenges in the application of image-based 3D modeling on site are also reported.

In Greece, the appreciation of industrial buildings is relatively recent, with the legal authorities having recognized their historical value by listing them as monuments. Nineteenth century industrial buildings can be identified as cultural monuments of the past, as well as assist in the reconstruction of urban landscapes. Additionally, individual initiatives, organized by volunteers, present the necessity for documentation through relevant research projects. The reuse of industrial buildings for cultural activities has lately become a common practice. In Athens, a large number of buildings dated to the industrial revolution and that present historical and architectural features worthy of being preserved have been recorded. Following the philosophy of smart cities, this paper presents a digital inventory of the industrial buildings located in the historical center of Athens; many of which have recently been adapted to host cultural activities. Τhe use of smart technology, by creating a digital application for smart phones, will provide access to a continuously enriched registry, via interactive maps. This initiative will promote the buildings’ past and present use and, moreover, the creative concept of their multiple functions. The suggested model of cultural management is applicable to every industrial building in Athens.

In 2008, a late-12th-century merchant ship was discovered off the commercial port of Rhodes. The vessel caught fire before sinking and thus numerous hull timbers were found charred. Three main degrees of charring have been recorded that presented major chemical differences which indicated different conservation requirements. This study investigated the correlation between the chemistry of the waterlogged timbers and their physico-mechanical properties, to assist in the development of an appropriate conservation strategy. Scanning electron microscopy documented the morphology of charred, semi-charred and uncharred samples. Moisture content and density were measured gravimetrically, while porosity was evaluated using mercury intrusion porosimetry. Hardness was assessed using a modified Janka test and a penetrometer. The results obtained showed that differences in chemistry were highly correlated to the physico-mechanical properties of the timbers. The charred wood presented the lowest moisture content, shrinkage and porosity among the three charring conditions and it also had the highest density, Janka hardness and resistance to penetration. The exact reverse properties were recorded for the uncharred material, which was typical of badly preserved, waterlogged wood. The semi-charred wood presented transitional features. These results indicate that the uncharred wood is in need of consolidation, in contrast to the charred and semi-charred material, which may be left to air-dry untreated.

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