Digitization of Roca’s work, archiving images, sketches, models, and technical drawings to preserve his legacy. © Authors’ elaboration.
Digitizing Modernist Heritage

Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Conservation of Miguel Ángel Roca’s Architecture

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52200/docomomo.74.08

Keywords:

Community engagement, digital archive, interdisciplinarity collaboration, Latin American architecture, Miguel Ángel Roca

Abstract

This study investigates the vulnerability of modernist architectural heritage and the multifaceted challenges it faces in contemporary society. The analysis focuses on the inherent difficulties of conserving these structures, considering their cultural and historical significance alongside the need for adaptation to current social, functional, and regulatory requirements. Through the lens of a key case study, the architectural legacy of the distinguished Argentine architect Miguel Ángel Roca, the research examines how digitization can address these challenges by generating multi-scale and multi-resolution models that support detailed analysis and conservation strategies. The research stems from an interdisciplinary collaboration among the National University of Córdoba in Argentina, the University of Salerno, and Federico II University of Naples in Italy. It showcases the potential of digital tools for modernist heritage conservation, providing innovative solutions for its management, enhancing community engagement, and establishing a comprehensive digital archive. This archive ensures the long-term preservation and dissemination of Roca’s work, contributing to future research and educational initiatives. By integrating digital technologies, the study addresses the technical, social, and economic challenges associated with heritage conservation. The creation of detailed digital archives offers a sustainable framework for managing modernist architecture, ensuring its adaptability to contemporary demands while preserving its historical integrity. Furthermore, this research aligns with the objectives of the journal’s special issue, Imperfect Modernism, by exploring how changing social and political conditions across different countries shape contemporary attitudes toward modern architecture. It explores weaknesses in preservation and protection practices that can affect its legacy, and the challenges and solutions inherent in its conservation, and highlights how the interdisciplinary and digital methodologies introduced set new standards for the sustainable management of architectural heritage, promoting a balance between conservation and the need for modernization in response to evolving societal needs.

How to Cite

Ferraris, V., Ferreyra, C., Sanseverino, A., & Smeragliuolo Perrotta, L. (2025). Digitizing Modernist Heritage: Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Conservation of Miguel Ángel Roca’s Architecture. Docomomo Journal, (74), 76–85. https://doi.org/10.52200/docomomo.74.08

Published

2025-11-26

Issue

No. 74 (2025): Imperfect Modernism

Section

Essays

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Copyright (c) 2025 Victoria Ferraris, Carla Ferreyra, Anna Sanseverino, Luisa Smeragliuolo Perrotta

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Author Biographies

Victoria Ferraris

is a South African-born Argentine professional architect and professor. She studied architecture at the Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Design of the National University of Córdoba, where she graduated in 2007. Victoria lectures on several subjects related to representation systems and graphic expression in architecture. She has been a visiting professor at the Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa and the University of Salerno in Italy, where she participated in different research projects. Victoria is also a driving force behind international exchanges and research collaborations between Argentina, South Africa, and Italy, dating back nearly 20 years.

Carla Ferreyra, University of Salerno

is a researcher at the University of Salerno, specializes in the digital conservation of cultural heritage, developing innovative projects for its preservation and transmission. A visiting researcher since 2020 at the University of Bamberg, the Pontifical Bolivarian University, and the University Institute of Lisbon. In 2016, she earned a double master’s degree in building engineering and architecture from the National University of Córdoba and the University of Salerno, collaborating with Tshwane University of Technology. Carla has worked with leading architecture and engineering firms and frequently delivers seminars and workshops on art, architecture, and engineering topics.

Anna Sanseverino, University of Naples Federico II

is a researcher at the University of Naples Federico II. Previously a research fellow at the University of Pavia, she obtained the double title of Doctor Europaeus between the University of Salerno and the University of Castilla-La Mancha. She is involved in structural parametric-informative modeling applied to artifacts of cultural value. She graduated with honors, obtaining a double degree in both Italy and Argentina. She also obtained a “Máster BIM en diseño y dirección de proyecto”. Over the years, Anna has participated in national and international research projects on the topics of surveying and architectural modeling.

Luisa Smeragliuolo Perrotta, University of Salerno

is a researcher of Architectural and Urban Design at the University of Salerno. She graduated in Architecture at the SUN Faculty of Architecture “cum laude and dignity of the press”. She holds a PhD from the University of Salerno with a thesis on the measure in architectural design. She participated in various design workshops and competitions on the topics of urban and architectural design and landscape. Her research topics explore the relationships between theory and architectural design. Her approach unites theoretical and architectural design issues with a critical reading of the design project.

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