Preventive conservation of earthen buildings: multidisciplinary integration of risk assessment forms

Earthen vernacular architecture is the successful result of centuries of progressive improvements and adaptations to local construction culture in response to environmental conditions, the availability of local resources, and social constraints. Unfortunately, nowadays, this heritage is threatened with extinction everywhere. Preserving and transmitting material evidence, as well as technical knowledge, are the fundamental actions needed to safeguard the vernacular constructive culture and its values of civilisation. The Enhance VERnacular EARThen Heritage (EVER EARTH) project intends to use a multidisciplinary approach to analyse the situation in Piedmont region 20 years after the adoption of the Law 2/2006 enacted to foster conservation and recovery of earthen vernacular heritage. The project aims to evaluate the results of the measures implemented and capitalise on them. It also aims to thoroughly study the risks to which earthen heritage is exposed, and outline strategies that can contribute to the effective protection and enhancement of vernacular architecture and the rural landscape. This paper discusses the issues that emerged during the analysis of natural and anthropogenic risks in earthen buildings, identified during field surveys and data processing. Furthermore, it proposes an integration of existing risk assessment forms to consider both natural and anthropogenic risks, along with specific characteristics of earthen buildings.