Ordinary Modern Housing Between Operational Frameworks and Heritage Recognition

Abstract

The process of renewal of ordinary modern residential housing represents a challenge in contemporary cities, where a substantial proportion of the post-war housing stock is reaching technological and functional obsolescence. Such buildings are often regarded as standardised systems, yet their primary motivation was the pressing need for housing rather than monumental or representational ambitions. Their future raises questions of cultural recognition, technological performance, and the definition of appropriate and sustainable renewal strategies. The present paper addresses these issues through two complementary research trajectories on modern residential heritage. The first draws on research on Rome’s first social housing programme, where prefabricated estates – now approaching seventy years of age – are increasingly recognised as carriers of technical, social, and design-related values. In this context, the adoption of a one-size-fits-all approach to renewal is ill-advised. Instead, typological and technological criteria are needed to guide scenarios based on recurring construction features and performance conditions. The second trajectory examines Chinese regulatory and technical frameworks for the assessment and renovation of modern and contemporary buildings. The focus is on value-based classification systems, the identification of architectural–technological elements subject to protection, and the role of prescriptive handbooks in defining graduated degrees of intervention, ranging from conservation-oriented renewal to controlled reconstruction and expansion. Rather than proposing a direct comparison, the paper highlights a shared methodological convergence: moving from case-by-case actions toward structured yet adaptive frameworks for managing large modern housing stocks. It argues that operational tools are pivotal in balancing cultural recognition, technological upgrading, and long-term urban sustainability.