Architectural, Constructional and Structural Analysis of a Historic School Building in the Municipality of Agia, Greece

Abstract

Historic school buildings, erected during the end of the 19th–beginning of the 20th century, represent a specific constructional type that should be encountered as part of the common European built heritage. They present various similarities, especially in the regions of S. Europe, even though they were mainly built with local materials following the traditional constructional principles of each area. Due to their constant function as educational units, there is an increased interest on their structural and energy integration, without, however, following the principles of restoration of historic structures. To this extent, the acknowledgement of the tangible and intangible values they encompass is crucial, as well as their enlistment in order to be treated as heritage assets. In this study, an effort has been made to testify the characteristics (historic, architectural, constructional) of the historic school buildings located in the Municipality of Agia, region of Thessaly, central Greece. A case study was selected, concerning the old elementary school of Megalovrysso, where a detailed investigation was implemented, including onsite inspection, architectural overview, determination of constructional materials and types, investigation of the preservation state, as well as structural analysis through the three-dimensional finite element model. All research data were comparatively evaluated in order to determine the principles governing the construction of the studied school buildings and establish the significance of this unrecognized part of European built heritage that should be further assessed.