Anima Wall

Anima Wall names the study of replacing Wn005, the central wall, with a new element continuous from foundation to roof. The priority is to retain the perimeter masonry and study new floors and a roof. Continuity, position, returns and openings remain to be designed.

The proposed support arrangement involves both the core and the perimeter walls. Vertical load paths, local reactions and horizontal force transfer must be reconstructed. Diaphragm stiffness, mass distribution and torsion belong to the complete system; inserting a wall alone does not resolve them.

The prospective benefit is a designed load path coordinated with new floors while seeking to retain the stone fabric. The trade-off is added mass, stiffness and new demands on joints and foundations. Concentrated stiffness could alter force distribution and torsion: any benefit must be assessed for the whole building, alongside local interventions in the perimeter walls.

A new reinforced-concrete return and a connection to stone masonry are distinct problems. The former needs designed structural continuity. The latter needs an assigned function: vertical support, in-plane shear, out-of-plane restraint or movement compatibility. Shape and contact are insufficient.

Bond pattern, leaves, voids, mortar and damage determine the actual substrate. An anchor may remain intact while the surrounding masonry fails. The work must include investigations, joint details, movement compatibility and relevant tests. Interactions with the neighbouring building must be established before assigning support or connection functions.

An anchor in rock involves the geological mass; a wall connection involves stones, joints and masonry leaves. They are different substrates.

The presence of rock is an observation reported by the owner. Geometry, continuity, fractures, weathering, water and the relationship with existing foundations require geological and geotechnical investigation. A resistance usable for design has not been established.

The new structure changes mass, stiffness and demands on the ground. If it also retains soil, the study must include earth, water and drainage. Perimeter-wall foundations remain part of the problem: retaining a wall does not remove the loads it continues to carry.

For possible rock anchors, the FHWA reference addresses tension, bond and interface shear along tendon–grout–rock, blocks and discontinuities. Fracture investigations, durability and relevant load–displacement tests are needed. A tension anchor does not automatically resolve foundation shear.

The comparison starts from the same survey, uses and actions for every alternative. Masonry and ground are characterised, floors and connections are defined, then global response, local mechanisms, deformations and sensitivity to assumptions are studied. Missing inputs remain explicitly unresolved.

Stability during alterations must be designed alongside the final condition. The current dossier contains literature research and geometric comparison; it contains no finite-element analysis results or adopted structural sizing. The 2D architectural review precedes publication of 3D interiors; the proposal model remains distinct from the existing condition.