“The continuity of history” appears in the project report written by Ignazio Gardella for the monument built in 1984 at the Vantiniano cemetery in Brescia. The Vantiniano stands out as the first monumental cemetery in Italy (1815). The architectural layout, the relationship it establishes with the city and the unified composition of the project by Rodolfo Vantini will constitute a model for many 19th-century Italian cemeteries, such as the one designed by G. Barbieri in Verona (1829). The paper traces the research in progress about the Vantiniano site from the historical-architectural and symbolic point of view, focusing on Gardella’s Monument to the Fallen of the Partisan Struggle and the Victims of Piazza Loggia, and introducing a study of its architectural features and symbolic aspects. We propose to consider the cemetery not as a set of buildings and monuments placed within a perimeter (the city of memory separated from the city of the living people) but as a spatial system which must have a relationship with the city. This relationship is applied in Gardella’s project. The analysis and the survey of the monument demonstrate this link and highlight this architecture as a “continuity of history” symbol. Gardella’s monument embodies the theme of the external envelope and the relationship with the context. Its geometry and the brick façades give a modern touch to the cemetery and create an intense dialogue with the roughness of the brick walls of neighboring industrial sites.
The Symbiosis of the Arts in the Technological Elements of Building Facades
This contribution analyses the existing correlations between the formal aspects and the technological and structural elements by operating a “synthesis of the Arts”, herein intended as an absolute fusion following the cultural climate in the 1950s in Italy. In this context, the main references are two examples of architectural facades built in Messina in that period. These works were selected because of interpretations appropriately identified and assumed according to the specific peculiarities of the external configuration, namely for the characterisations deriving from using specific materials on the facade and the geometries underlying the definition of the shape. The survey activity allows to clarify the representativeness of the meanings inherent in the selected works, highlighting the articulation of the external configurations as “spaces” of emotional relationship between the architecture and the context.
Built forms and underlying geometries in 20th century architecture: Muuratsalo House and Leicester Engineering Department Building
By starting from the notions of rhythm, rule, and the analogy between architecture and music, the research focuses on the analysis and the representation of architecture and, in particular, of facades by comparing two case studies: Muuratsalo House by Alvar Aalto (1952-53) and the Leicester Engineering Department Building by James Stirling and James Gowan (1959-63). The methodology is based on the comparison among some specific facade categories: texture, basic compositional signs (connection to the ground, windows, connection to the sky), and geometries. The operating methodology follows these phases: i) the analysis of project drawings and photographic documentation; ii) two-dimensional reconstruction in CAD of plans, fronts, and sections; iii) NURBS modeling. By analyzing Muuratsalo House’s facades through 2D representations and 3D models, the research highlights the proportional and compositional relationship between walls and openings as a leading principle. The study on the patio’s fronts shows how this association gets more complex because the textures, rhythm, and geometry of the materials become the main elements in the compositional grammar of the house. In the case of the Leicester Engineering Department, the model allows the understanding of the general volumetric articulation. The whole configuration is characterized by the juxtaposition of multiple volumes, which impacts the facades, whose openings direct rhythms, textures, and geometries.
De vliesgevel in the Netherlands between construction and representation. Past and present-day experiences in social housing
The crisis of the contemporary urban landscape (meant to convey cultural and social values) is evidenced by the upsurge of self-referential architectural artifacts whose ephemeral features manifest how unsuitable their project-based approach is since it tries to attain spectacular architectural shapes even when dealing with housing. This alarming trend is also present in the Netherlands, even if a relevant tradition regarding the construction of urban spaces by means of facade-prospects is present there.
The lack of regard for the cultural and social values of residential collective housing is evidenced nowadays by the ephemeral facades of many Dutch quarters, where the values of traditional collective housing seem to have been lost. In this way, the all-encompassing feature of globalization gets confirmed: identical buildings appear in different cities and places.
This work focuses on project-based experiences of social housing implemented in some meaningful periods in the development of Dutch housing culture. Such projects are deeply rooted in their sites, and though they do not neglect to produce buildings that meet contemporary requirements, they keep the connections, ensuring continuity with the shapes and construction traditions of the past. In particular, the features of facades – thanks to their formal and construction-related developments – clearly manifest the choice to regard the project as a well-devised blend of past, present, and future.
This work relates the results of broader research regarding the urban role of residential collective buildings within the landscape of Dutch architectural culture in the early XX century.
Hierarchies and Panoramic Aspects of Anne Tyng’s Urban Projects and the Contemporary Vision of the City
This article focuses on Anne Tyng’s Urban Hierarchy proposal considering the geometric reasoning, namely the helical structure and intrinsic progressions, as well as some coeval experiences and assumptions, especially regarding the developed visions revising urban standards and images. Starting from these two complementary paths, it is possible to fully comprehend the image of the formulated project, which is essentially based on the configuration of the helical megastructure and the infinite possibilities provided by the application of modularity and aggregation principles. Through the virtual reconstruction of this structure, combining clusters of houses and multiple hierarchical levels of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, it is possible to create different images. This process starts from the traditional terraced house to the multilevel panoramic vision (bilateral unit and its helicoidal aggregation), up to the view of the aggregate of the various units (spiral) in a potentially infinite arrangement based on the Divine Proportion.
Between Memory and Reason: The Brick Wall
Architecture responds to the social dynamics of uses, articulating the nature of the environment in which it is projected with the complex nature of human needs. In the present case, the culture handed down is based on the tectonic ingenuity and creativity of the designer who interprets and merges the concept of resistance (effective) with that of enveloping (affective) in the case study. The embrici we find on the domes of Vietri (Italy), or the architectural completion elements mentioned in this article, are examples that anticipate the adaptation of brickwork. The result is an unprecedented correlation between place, form, and material. This article describes the path from the survey of the Solimene façade to the governing of some acquired parameters. The pair of Vitruvian memory decor/distributio proposes a methodological approach for the geometric-compositional reconfiguration of the same typological family of brick infill walls. In continuity with the development of local tradition, the modification of the wall texture is managed to meet local needs and provide customised functional and aesthetic solutions.
When decorations have a function. Technology and aesthetics in contemporary facades
This paper, starting from a reflection on the role of decoration and ornament in history, their evolution in the cultural debate, and some significant case studies, discusses the relation between function and decoration in the artistic and architectural discussion from the 20th century until nowadays. The representational function of architecture has always been based on the ornamental and decorative elements, which allow the readability of the building and the transmission of meanings and information. This function is even paradoxically performed in works conceived as manifestos of anti-decorativism. In light of the most recent trends, architecture reclaims this communicative function, manifesting the tendency to be an image, primarily through the design of the external surfaces and envelopes on which the semantics and iconicity of the new languages of contemporary architecture are based. The architectural object becomes an image – an image of itself, its designer, the context and the culture that generated it – precisely thanks to its ornamental and decorative dimension, which is discussed and analysed in this article.
Representation of the surface in architecture: from the Western solutions to the Eastern case studies of solid development
Architecture is usually represented in two dimensions through codified representation methods, such as plan, elevation, and section. An elevation and its represented façade refer solely to the framed side of the building, preventing an overall understanding of it if decontextualized from the other elevations. To cope with this problem, various architects have developed methods of representation that would allow a total development of the architecture’s exterior (or interior) surface to be depicted. The focus is on drawings that, with different assumptions and references, succeeded in the same intent: a total representation, developed in the plan, of all the interior or exterior façades of a given architecture. The Western examples resulting from Robin Evans’ studies, which he called Developed Surface, introduce us to a kind of representation that would later be employed, with similar or lesser intentions, by numerous Japanese architects of the 1970s and 1980s. Each architect depicted architecture’s interior or exterior surface for different reasons, but the starting reference was often a traditional Japanese paper model called Okoshi-ezu.
The paper aims to expand the knowledge of the Developed Surface drawings through the analysis of case studies of geometrical applications and by investigating the implications of a type of representation that allows for a novel perspective on the façades that make up architecture.
The presence of the past: analysis & representation of the Strada Novissima
This article aims to take an in-depth look at the first Venice Architecture Biennale of 1980, entitled “The Presence of the Past”, from a contemporary perspective. That means from two points of view: one is broad and testifies to the moment of conflict between an exhausted modern movement and new – and varied – positions that attempt to explore several disciplinary arguments, of which the exhibition is at least a partial reflection; the other is intrinsic to the exhibition and has the Strada Novissima installation as its most faithful interpreter. Along its twenty façades, the ideas of those architects who, according to the curators, are the most representative of this particular moment in time are expressed in projects – or representation of projects – that walk the line between architecture, sculpture, scenography, and painting.
Understanding and documenting decorated façades of the Coquimbo Region in Chile
The present contribution aims at documenting decorated earthen architecture in the Coquimbo Region of Chile, in the provinces of Limarì and Elqui, specifically in Tulahuèn and Pisco Elqui. The peculiarity of these decorated façades is their rich ornamental composition, resulting in interesting patterns and textural realizations. These decorated façades witness the significance of Chilean earthen heritage and thus deserve an in-depth investigation.
The vernacular buildings observed in the Limarì Valley present irregular and non-formal geometric decorations and graphic representation, engraved motifs and tiling, and wavy patterns, creatively interpreting the façade as the owner’s canvas. The earthen architecture of Pisco Elqui shows a formal façade decorative composition, which could be associated with the presence of a school of masters and artisans with decorative expertise. The latter façades present classical features and stuccoes combined with geometrically composed pattern textures and engraved elements. The vernacular decorations of Limarì buildings’ façades enclose immaterial values and express themselves through the anonymous touch of the inhabitants, revealing intimate stories and ancient local memories.
The present paper also promotes the possibility of reviving this decorative tradition as a tool for contemporary projects for the renovation of earthen houses at the urban scale, enhancing the importance of using local and sustainable materials.
On site data gathering by a collaborative network to assess durability, reliability, service life, and maintenance performance
Any maintenance service could benefit from automatic and intelligent fault detection and diagnostics (intelligent AFDDs) to monitor building systems. Here, a system for FCUs (fan coils) is tailor-made to take full advantage of Collaborative Networking 4.0. Big data is collected by interconnected Internet of Things sensors and transferred to the cloud after local intelligence has identified which data is really significant for cloud transmission: to avoid network overload, anomaly detection and fault diagnostics are entrusted to local intelligence, cloud sending only out-of-range data and a very low-frequency sampling for standard data.
By feeding the network with only the relevant processed data and sharing the information at each level, the resulting AFDD system becomes a collaborative network capable of extending the diagnostic process to the entire building, making it accessible through integration into an appropriate BIM model.
Real-time data monitoring is vital to managing the facility maintenance service sustainably, but collecting big data on a wide scale enables other possibilities. For example, component service life rating (to support a procurement service) and maintenance effectiveness by comparing the after-service values with the data recorded at the component’s acceptance.
Managing people’s flows in cultural heritage to face pandemics: identification and evaluation of combined measures in an Italian arena
The management of people’s health and safety in cultural buildings has been drastically changed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combined effects of crowding levels and people’s flows are now associated not only with emergency conditions (i.e., evacuation) but also with ordinary fruition issues, given the possible spreading of the virus. Cultural buildings, particularly cultural heritage, are critical scenarios for emergency and fruition issues because of their specific geometric and technical features. They suffered from COVID-19 restrictions mainly due to physical distancing measures. Protocols have been developed during the last two years to manage pandemics in such contexts, and the increasing number of vaccinated people is also pushing toward a full return to pre-pandemic rules. However, they should be carefully evaluated and tailored depending on cultural heritage conditions. This work identifies and evaluates combined measures to manage people’s flows (access, movement, queue) depending on boundary conditions at the overall (building capacity) and individual levels (face mask; vaccinated/recovered; “green pass”). The effectiveness evaluation is performed by using a simulation model that jointly represents the virus spreading and the people’s flow. An Italian historical arena is selected as a significant case study. Results show that a higher occupants’ number can multiply the contagion spreading. Still, a more significant impact on its limitation can be achieved by controlling infectors’ access (supporting body temperature control with rapid tests) and occupants’ movement during queues and pauses. The methodology can help decision-makers to balance a proper combined application of management measures.
A genetic algorithm-based approach for the time, cost, and quality trade-off problem for construction projects
Quality identifies the overall level of performance of the desired building facility or civil infrastructure. Quality can include safety and sustainability requirements, and planning the desired quality level is paramount in construction projects. Nevertheless, two other significant project management Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) must be considered in construction project management: time and cost. Project Managers always perform a trade-off between these three KPIs, but it is known that the relationship between these three indicators can be difficult to understand. Therefore, a multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (GA) has been proposed to develop a comprehensive approach to optimize project performance in construction. The proposed multi-objective GA can be used as a decision support system for the detailed design stage of a construction project to detect better and alternative detailed design and construction solutions. A GA is an Artificial Intelligence application (AI) that develops an evolutionary learning optimization process that discards worse solutions and re-introduces better solutions with an iterative process. Therefore, the most suitable solution can be found by performing a trade-off between the three indicators. The research aims to demonstrate the availability of AI applications to understand and perform the Time-Cost-Quality trade-off for construction projects. The developed procedure has been tested on a simple pilot study of a building renovation project, and the best-found optimized results have been detected with Solver® and discussed. Future research work will be aimed at improving the procedure’s efficiency so that it can be implemented in larger projects.
Construction Productivity Graph: a comprehensive methodology based on BIM and AI techniques to enhance productivity and safety on construction sites
The construction sector is characterised by distinctive issues, such as product uniqueness, the reluctance to introduce innovation, player fragmentation leading to a low productivity level and a related high level of risk intended due to the increased likelihood of damages and injuries, and the consequences on construction productivity. The common European Union regulatory framework provides strict regulations about on-site working activities, but there is still no standard for the environmental and social sustainability of construction sites. Productivity assumes a crucial role in reducing the environmental impact of construction and positively influences workers’ safety due to higher levels of organisation, reducing time, costs, resource consumption and wasted time. This paper presents a methodology developed by augmenting BIM systems capabilities using Agent-based simulation techniques to simulate and optimise on-site work. The augmented BIM model allows analysis of site conditions in terms of space utilisation and resource allocation, resulting in the ‘Construction Productivity Graph – CPG’. This graphic representation synthesises the results obtained, making it possible to visualise the work progression in different working areas with the resources employed, allowing for the management of productivity rates and the verification of work safety conditions.
Virtual reality as a new frontier for energy behavioural research in buildings: tests validation in a virtual immersive office environment
Occupants’ behaviour and strategies to encourage behavioural changes need to be addressed in workplaces to reduce energy consumption. In this study, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was integrated for the first time with an office virtual environment (VE) to investigate the adequacy of the VE in the comfort and behaviour domain, while understanding its effect in predicting individuals’ energy-related intention of interaction with the building systems. 104 One hundred four participants, randomly divided into two groups, were recruited to answer questionnaires (TPB, comfort, interactions, sense of presence and cybersickness). Two test sessions were conducted at a constant indoor air temperature: an in-situ experiment was compared with the virtual counterpart. Findings revealed an excellent level of presence and immersivity and the absence of high disorder levels. A good agreement between the two environments was highlighted in terms of thermal comfort, number, and type of interactions (one interaction focused on window opening for 71-81% of subjects). Moreover, no differences were discovered between the results of a multiple regression model in both real and virtual environments. In particular, the analysis identified the knowledge of energy consumption as the main predictor of behaviour because it accounted for about 12% of the variation in the intention of interaction in both tested environments. Thus, the suitability of the virtual environment could offer an effective tool for decision-makers and researchers to develop strategies aimed to design more comfortable and less energy-consuming buildings.
Green roof as a passive cooling technique for the Mediterranean climate: An experimental study
Urban areas are undergoing increasing growth and land consumption. Through sustainable design and strategies, the built environment can contribute to mitigating the pressure on urban systems. To this aim, passive strategies can be integrated into buildings to improve their performance and that of the entire urban infrastructure system. Green roofs are among the most encouraged passive strategies, which can be added to both new and existing buildings. Green roofs reduce the Urban Heat Island effect, keeping the building and the city cooler; contribute to the stormwater management system, reducing runoff-flooding risk. However, while these advantages have been studied extensively, the actual cooling potential from evapotranspiration of green roofs has not been the subject of many studies. This work investigates the passive cooling potential of green roofs by evaporation through preliminary experimental studies on two green roofs. In greater detail, we aim to disentangle the substrate layer’s peculiar role, without vegetation, during both a simulated extreme rainfall event and regular irrigation regime, and we compare it to the performance of a gravel-composed reference roof, whose performance with respect to cooling is already good. Results demonstrated that the green roof without vegetation can cool down the roof, and the intense rainfall event was the one that provided the highest thermal performance to the roof.
Greenery as a mitigation strategy to urban heat and air pollution: a comparative simulation-based study in a densely built environment
The urban heat island and the urban air pollution concentration are two major climate-change-related phenomena affecting the built environment worldwide. This paper aims to verify the potential effect of different mitigation measures through a simulation study. In detail the present study focuses on the analysis of the environmental impacts of urban vegetation, such as green facades, vertical greenery, and green pavements. After an extensive screening of the literature review, an investigation of the impact of the most common built environment design variables in a defined case study led to the definition of a typical urban canyon was tested. The results show that the presence of trees in a street canyon could reduce the air temperature peaks by 5-10 °C, while the high-level vegetation canopies can lead to a deterioration in air quality with a PM concentration increasing by 1.2-1.5%. Instead, using low-level green infrastructure improves the air quality conditions on the sidewalk, reducing the NOx in the range of 10-20%. The analyzed high-level greenery generated an air temperature reduction effect on a street level ranging from 8 to 12°C. The present work contributes to clarifying the potential mitigation effect of green infrastructure in a densely built environment, where the risk of increasing temperatures and air pollutants is foreseen to be more intense in the coming years.
Architecture and civic engagement. An ethical balance between social, architectural, structural, and energy issues in the redevelopment of existing building stock
Contemporary architectural criticism is characterised by a dichotomy that could be described as of an ethical nature. On the one hand, the belief is that architecture is limited to the physical dimension of the building. On the other, the understanding of architecture as an expressly media event separated from reasons of physicality. This requires a rethinking of the role of architecture, of a discipline that, to preserve its scientific status, can understand the new demands of cultural and technical interdisciplinarity that characterise the contemporary context. The design practice of AdESA (Adeguamento Energetico, Sismico e Architettonico – Energy, Seismic and Architectural Adjustment) stems from these concepts, a path linked to the analysis of the building’s function, genesis, and history. The city, the context and the social aspects of a place are indispensable settings for choices through multidisciplinary contributions that are certainly part of technical choices but, at the same time, a synthesis of them in the public service. The case study of the Don Milani Gym in the Villaggio Badia in Brescia, where the AdESA project was realised, allowed us to enter into the life of the neighbourhood and, through architecture, to generate new relationships, gathering spaces and community dynamics. In doing so, architecture has once again assumed a pivotal role in the design process between the demands of a technical nature and those of responsibility in terms of social and environmental sustainability.
Beyond the appearance. Overwritten heritage communication
The knowledge of an urban space does not end with the collection of superficial information but requires a two-way relationship between subject and object. We are talking about an active process in which man has the opportunity to interact; man is the protagonist of an urban experience that leads him to formalize an image in his mind. If we think about the whole process, the goal is based on a research process, systematization of existing and new data, and, therefore, of all the analyses and studies carried out so far to access a deep knowledge capable of achieving the standardization of the acquisition process. It is intended to establish a codification of data (e.g., texts, bibliographies, maps, drawings, traditional and massive surveys, virtual reconstructions, etc.) in order to create a virtual environment (digital library) of heterogeneous digital models of cultural heritage, from large to small scale, but also of intangible data. From this paper’s specific point of view, this research presents a pilot experience that consists of structuring a protocol for documenting the eclectic historical heritage of the city of São Carlos, located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. In addition to developing the protocol, this research also proposes that its results can be accessed digitally and democratically by society. Thus, it is emphasized that this work is the beginning of a process that does not end in this article, but rather, it will serve for the consolidation and systematization of data with the municipal institutions of São Carlos in order to value the eclectic style, which for many years was placed on the fringes of architectural studies in schools in the country.
Digital representation strategies to reveal the cultural significance of Canadian Post-war Architecture
Considering the growing attention on the architecture of the second half of the 20th century and the rising issue of its documentation and interpretation, an operative methodology is presented to support knowledge production activities and conservation. Post-war architectural lexicon materialized spatial narratives from the ’50s up to the present. These spatial narratives can be visualized through analogic or digital drawing to gain in-depth knowledge and support interpretation and analysis.
The proposed documentation strategy emphasizes the opportunities for digital representation in revealing and interpreting the post-war architectural lexicon. The potential advantages of employing digital survey and representation techniques for information visualization and management are being discussed in relation to the Strutt House, designed by Canadian architect James W. Strutt between 1951 and 1957.
The study encompassed a thorough examination of primary and secondary sources, a comprehensive survey, and the experimentation with various modeling approaches in the SCAN to BIM procedure, with the final aim of comprehending the significance, purpose, and cultural value of documented characteristics. The adopted approach exploits the opportunities of geometric 3D modeling to visualize complex structures and semantic enrichment in an HBIM environment to support the knowledge, interpretation, and preservation of this outstanding example of Canadian Post-war architecture.
Autarky metal roofing at the Mecenate Paper Mill in Tivoli: an unseen application of Gino Covre’s patents
In 1887, the Papermill Mecenate settled at the Sanctuary of Hercules the Victor in Tivoli, thanks to the construction of the Canevari Canal. The papermill represented, for decades, the largest industrial plant placed on the former religious site, which had already housed various manufacturing functions. The phases of greatest overlap occurred in the 1930s and 1950s by engineer Emo Salvati, who designed many reinforced concrete structures. In 1938, he and Marco Segrè, the factory owner, approached Gino Covre to make lightweight metal roofing. Arrived in Rome in 1935, Covre was already working steadily with the Antonio Badoni firm in Lecco. In Rome, he registered many patents, including the one for “Vaulted arch, composed or constituted with frame elements” (1936). The paper presents the historical-constructional investigation, supported by digital information modeling, of two unpublished applications made by Covre that were lost in the late 20th century. Covre’s Rome period is under-explored, and the case study raises important questions about those early years. The loss of vaults gives greater emphasis to existing traces-photographic, documentary-that can provide insights into the lost built object. Gino Covre’s experimentation in the autarkic phase with metal structures by means of a significantly reduced use of material appears to be an exceptional issue, and the application of Tivoli tests the system later used at the Palace of Congress at E42 designed by Adalberto Libera.
Compressed-air foundations in Italy: HBIM-aided study of the Tiber River embankments (1876-1900)
The paper focuses on using compressed-air foundations technology in Italy in the last three decades of the 19th century. The case study of the Tiber River embankments in Rome (1876-1900) reveals the significant application of the technique to construct retaining walls, exploiting iron caissons as excavation chambers. Furthermore, the case study discloses the transfer of knowledge in Italy and the innovative contribution of Italian construction companies and engineers to the international development of the technique. In this framework, applying the so-called ‘demountable caissons’ marked a significant step in perfecting the attempts conducted since the late 1850s to recover the iron used for constructing the caissons for future use. The study exploits the original design documents of the foundations of the Tiber retaining wall, conserved in the Archive of the Genio Civile of Rome, and an HBIM, functioning as an investigation tool and digital archive for educational purposes.
Knowledge and science on building technologies. Means, instruments and models
Surfaces of 20th century facades: reflections 1 on their archaeological awareness
The archaeological approach to the study of elevations is applied here to 20th-century architecture. In particular, post-World War II facades are examined through several case studies. This research uses the method of the archaeology of architecture: the meticulous attention to materials, workmanship, and technological devices, the examination of the socio-economic context, and the analysis of the motivations behind specific choices. These elements contribute to discovering the history of an artefact in a given period of time as completely as possible. The archaeology of architecture has been widely experimented on historical buildings since the 1970s; very rare has been the application to the study of contemporary buildings. The authors, on the basis of the research already started in 2018, at this stage of the study seek to further develop the topic under investigation, also with comparisons on a broader national and international scale. The architectural surfaces of the second half of the 20th century are analyzed here by studying individual components on the facades: the colour and texture of the plaster, any tile, wood, or stone coverings, or the exposed concrete work. The final aim is to develop an overall method of investigation that considers the specificity of the period examined and the possible adaptation of analysis tools that can help in the archaeological study of these contemporary architectures.
Preventing COVID-19 spread in school buildings using Building Information Modelling: a case study
During the last years, many studies focused on automated processes for compliance checking intended to replace the current design verification practices. So far, the verification of projects in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation industry has largely consisted of manual processes, which result in laborious, costly, and error-prone. The compliance checking process addresses the project’s whole life cycle, from the design phase to the end of life. Previous researches show the applications of a Building Information Model Checking referring to the compliance with several national and international normative to meet standards requirements. This paper proposes an innovative approach to evaluate the compliance of school buildings with the measures to prevent and control the spread of Coronavirus, one of the most significant pandemics. A case study is then presented to validate the method. The school building is modelled using Revit software. Dynamo is employed as a visual scripting tool to customize the mathematical formulations of each safety rule from different standards for COVID-19 prevention. Revit and Dynamo are coupled to conduct the compliance checking. The methodology herein proposed allows for verifying the school environments showing their compliance with safety standards. Although the World is coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, this approach could be used to face other waves or different types of pandemics.
Authors contribution
C. Cavalliere: data curation, formal analysis, investigation, project administration, software, supervision, validation, visualization, writing. G.R. Dell’Osso: conceptualization, formal analysis, investigation, project administration, supervision, validation, writing. F. Iannone: formal analysis, investigation, project administration, supervision, validation, writing. V. Milizia: conceptualization, data curation, investigation, software, writing.
Digitization of building systems using IFC to support performance analysis and code checking: standard limits and technological barriers. A case study on fire safety
The study presented in this paper is part of a digitization project developed for the University of Padua. It aims at demonstrating how IFC (Internet Foundation Classes) ISO Standard can be used as a reliable data model to support Performance Analysis (PA) and code checking for construction disciplines. Fire Safety Engineering (FSE) is analyzed as a challenging test field because it highly affects different building aspects and highlights interoperability issues. The methodology proposed in the study consists in checking a digital approach to PA based on information classes that can express both users’ requirements and performance specification of technical elements to develop computational code checking. This method is developed by creating virtual classes representing built systems and using relation classes and performance attributes to check if technical elements fulfil users’ requirements. By forcing the model to be based on standardized information classes, the study verifies if IFC, as an ISO standard, can be used as a universal and scalable reference model for performance analysis and code checking. More specifically, the study focuses on the availability of IFC’s information classes and attributes that define a PA model. This research verifies the achievement of the proposed goals for FSE (Section 2) and then highlights the interoperability limits that affect an IFC-based approach to computational FSE code checking (Section 3). Finally, the technical feasibility of the methodology’s market implementation is presented (Section 4). The study’s innovative approach is related to the fact that IFC is often analyzed as an information exchange format, not as a data model, where standardized relations between building ontologies can be simulated. Digital ontologies of relational aspects are experimented with by following this approach. These reports support code conformance analyses of the technical element performance specification. The study then indicates how the information modelling discipline could be shaped to encourage standardized code checking better.
Acknowledgments
The research is part of UniONE: a project for the digitization of the built Asset of the University of Padua.
Authors contribution
M.G. Donatiello: analysis on IFC data model in relation to spatial containment, functional systems and relation classes. A. Gabbanoto: analysis on FSE code checking based on IFC classes. C. Zanchetta: definition of IFC based procedures, text editing. R. Paparella: project coordinator, text revision.
Funding
Internal funds of the University of Padua.
Testing and comparison of an active dry wall with PCM against a traditional dry wall in a relevant operational environment
As the building stock plays an essential role in meeting Europe’s climate target, suitable strategies are necessary for the sector transition. This paper compares two dry-multi-layer walls characterized by different compositions: one applies heat reflective insulation with Phase Change Materials (PCM), while the second uses traditional glass wool batt. The experimental tests were conducted in a retrofitted building, the VELUXlab, a multi-testing laboratory located at Politecnico di Milano University (Italy), as one of the main outputs of the TEPORE project granted by the Lombardy Region. The temperatures and Heat Flux were measured through sensors between the inner and outer surfaces of the traditional wall (Dry Wall) and the false-wall with PCM (Active Dry Wall). The goal was to compare the two technologies evaluating the performance during daytime and nighttime in the winter season. Outcomes showed the advantages of the PCM application on space heating energy needs, revealing that their integration into the false-wall decreases the temperature by 1°C for a 30-40% thermal savings in the building envelope heat losses per week during cold seasons compared to the traditional wall. The study reveals that the PCM layer reduced the peak Heat Flux by 2.67 W/m2 during the accumulation and release period.
Acknowledgments
Smart Living and TEPORE project (project ID 379389) are funded by Regione Lombardia DGR X/5520 of 02/08/2016 supplemented by DGR X/6811 of 30/06/2017.
The authors would like to thank Regione Lombardia for founding the project and Plasmati E., Vecchi C., Borzone M., Simone R. for the data collection.
Authors contribution
M. Imperadori: conceptualization, funding acquisition, methodology, project administration, resources, supervision. N. Di Santo: data curation, formal analysis, investigation, visualization, writing original draft. M. Cucuzza: data curation, formal analysis, investigation, visualization, writing original draft. G. Salvalai: conceptualization, methodology, project administration, supervision, validation. R. Scoccia: conceptualization, data curation, validation. A.Vanossi: conceptualization, data curation, funding acquisition.
Funding
Regione Lombardia for the TEPORE project (project ID 379389).
Ecological transition for the built environment: natural insulating materials in green building rating systems
The regenerative concept of design and construction is gaining relevance, as it is changing the sustainability paradigm toward the ecological transition for the built environment, representing a track on which economic and financial support policies are currently being routed. One of the ways to achieve ecological transition is to use sustainable insulating materials in buildings. In addition, certification systems have been developed to actualize and renovate the concept of sustainability. The literature review showed that no studies deal with the influence of different insulating materials on green building rating systems. This research applies ITACA and LEED protocols to quantify the impact of insulating materials on certification levels. Starting from the comparison between these protocols and the analysis of credits related to sustainable building materials within LEED, the rating systems were applied to an existing multi-story residential building by varying the insulating materials for the building envelope, such as glass wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and two types of natural materials (e.g., mineralized wood fiber and kenaf). The results showed that every envelope configuration obtained the certification in both protocols, except EPS, which did not obtain the certification in LEED. However, although kenaf and mineralized wood fiber can be considered sustainable materials, they do not reach the maximum achievable category score influenced by the insulating material choice.
Building energy consumption under occupants’ behavior uncertainty in pre and post-renovation scenarios: a case study in Italy
In Europe, the energy renovation of the existing building stock is a great opportunity to significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reach the European sustainability targets. In this framework, building energy simulations (BES) tools are very useful in verifying energy retrofit measures’ effectiveness and compliance with national standards. However, an inaccurate numerical prediction, the so-called “performance gap” between measured and numerical performance, is often obtained, mainly due to the inherent uncertainty of model input. Due to its stochastic nature, the occupants’ behavior (OB) is considered among the key contributors to this gap. However, the most recent Building Energy Model (BEM) approaches adopt deterministic hourly-defined profiles for characterizing OB, thus neglecting the related uncertainty. In this work, the impact of OB uncertainties on energy consumption (EC) prediction is evaluated by adopting a Karhunen-Loève Expansion sampling technique, used to randomly perturb OB profiles such as heating setpoint (HS), internal thermal loads (IL), and windows opening (NV). Two BEMs of a typical Italian residential building in pre- and post-renovation scenarios are considered and calibrated on real EC data. The results demonstrated that HS uncertainty has the highest impact on EC in all scenarios. Moreover, the higher the energy performance of the building, the higher the impact of OB, especially for IL and NV patterns.
Fostering the consensus: a BERT-based Multi-label Text Classifier to support agreement in public design call for tenders
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a branch of Artificial Intelligence (AI) concerned with allowing computers to process natural human language. NLP is applied to solve several tasks in the design and construction process. However, in scientific literature, no applications are related to the pre-design phase and the processing of quality objectives and needs. The pre-design phase aims to reach a consensus between the stakeholders’ quality demands and the design solution, relying on written natural language. Human language is the most pervasive and richest form of human knowledge representation and communication; however, at the same time, it is ambiguous, prone to misinterpretations, and hardly machine computable. Moreover, the mandatory procedural steps of the public tender procedure exacerbate the risk of misinterpretations inherent in using natural language. The study provides a methodology to design, assess, and evaluate an NLP tool based on the latest language model (i.e., BERT) to translate quality demands sentences into an evaluation grid in the Italian public tender context. The methodology is validated against a case study of an educational facility tender. The first results show good accuracy and capability of the NLP system to translate natural language into a numerical grid to support communication and foster consensus among actors, clarifying the appointing party and end-user’s objectives to be reached via the design proposals.
Towards a technical sentiment lexicon for the maintenance of human-centred buildings
Following the “Cognitive Building” concept, in a few years, building automation systems were drastically improved to collect a large amount of user data. However, despite this evolution and the research efforts in the field, human-building interaction remained one of the least mature fields of building science due to the occupants’ complexity and diversity. Collecting data became simple and cheap, but transforming collected “data” into valuable “information” able to create an effective interaction between buildings and occupants remains complex.
This work contributes by proposing a method to translate unstructured data, coming from Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), into information useful to improve the interactions between occupants and buildings in the management of the maintenance process. End-users’ maintenance requests, collected through a CMMS, were used to create a technical sentiment lexicon able to predict the priority of an intervention based on an inverted naïve Bayes approach. Sentiment lexicons are part of sentiment analysis, an interesting research field introduced to study people’s opinions, sentiments, emotions, and attitudes through Natural Language Processing (NLP). The technical lexicon is useful to immediately perform the priority assessment of contemporary end-users’ maintenance requests, thus being more rapid than traditional Machine Learning methods.
COVID-19, design and social needs: an investigation of emerging issues
The global public health crisis generated by the spread of COVID-19 has revealed – and is still showing – the strong correlation between two apparently disparate fields of research: built environment and health. Although in this time of emergency, the science of architecture could offer a remarkable contribution to rethinking new living and working spaces, the ongoing pandemic has, in terms of people’s well-being, disclosed the weaknesses of a vast number of architectural design choices implemented until now. Hence, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the users’ space fulfilment has been herein explored and analysed through a systematic literature review process for collecting data and exploring gaps and opportunities revealed in this period. The COVID-19 pandemic and especially the quarantine constrictions have revealed a high level of dissatisfaction with the quality of living space as well as the lack of flexibility and adaptability. This study has outlined the main critical aspects to be considered for shaping and re-building new ways of living in a post-COVID-19 society. Thus, rather than focusing on specific future solutions, this study aims to collect the main issues and planning opportunities by showing the need for a valuable transdisciplinary approach that could address people’s demands, especially from a sociological, anthropological, psychological and health perspective.
Innovation and knowledge-based growth for low carbon transitions in the built environment. Challenges and open research questions
Humanity faces global challenges in climate change mitigation, water sustainability, and other areas. In order to address these challenges, radical innovation is needed to accelerate multiple “sustainability transitions” and create dynamism. Transitions research has focused on small niches and scales where empirical analysis can be done effectively. Niches and bottom-up initiatives for low carbon transitions in the built environment can help adjust policies and reconcile grand visions (top-down perspective) with ground implementation experiences (bottom-up perspective). Multiple factors can contribute to the creation of effective policies, and digitalisation and AI/ML applications, in the context of increasing automation, can be an opportunity to create new prosperity in a knowledge-based growth perspective, considering, however, the underlying critical assumptions, limitations and threats. Ten research questions deemed relevant for low carbon transitions from a bottom-up perspective have been proposed to generate multiple hypotheses for field testing.
Environmental ethics and sustainability of techniques. From hyper-specialisation to multifunctionality for a resilient inhabitable space
Crises represent crucial global dynamics events, which were predictable and have been with us for some time. In the new context caused by epidemic and pathogenic conditions, not only must it be reaffirmed that planetary society is an integral part of nature, but that the production processes of anthropogenic metabolism are part of the more general metabolism of nature. Climate change, a significant element of the contemporary environmental crisis, will orient living conditions within the global ecological crisis in a different way.
The concept of habitable space, which is, above all, a space of correlation between society and the environment, considers technology as a factor in the reconstitution of a process that is symbiotic and no longer of exploitation of environmental resources. Recently, there has been a renewed awareness of place consciousness and of inhabitants/producers who, through a co-evolutionary principle, are called upon to develop “neo-ecosystems” according to a territorial identity principle.
Rather than representing levels of identity that nevertheless express borders, the “local” category constitutes what is discussed and argued in common through a measure of involvement and intensity. So, the relationship between transition cities and urban resilience is part of the governance of the new phenomena of non-linearity. In metropolitan areas, the spread of new urban polarities evolves the concept of resilience towards a multi-scalar and multi-sectoral condition of adaptation and mitigation of anthropogenic and environmental risks.
Inside this scenario, hyper-specialisation still represents the tendency of a technical character that induces the development of deep competencies but loses the critical sense of technique in its ethical and socio-economic interactions. Inhabiting and building evolved scenarios of society need a multifunctional thought that can develop and critically manage the choices and uses of technology in a design scenario capable of coherently integrating its contributions.
The ecological transition of cities
The ecological transition of cities is crucial for the ecological transition of the entire world. This transition goes through the transformation of the current linear urban metabolism into a circular metabolism that mimics the functioning of ecosystems. A metabolism aiming to the minimisation of material inputs (products, water, food) in order to minimise both the withdrawal of resources from the environment and waste production. This goal can be achieved by adopting the principles of the circular economy, maximising the use of renewable sources and energy efficiency, and redesigning urban services, such as mobility and water-and-waste cycles.
In order to bring about this transformation, it is not enough to work on technologies and techniques because citizens’ behaviour, lifestyles and cultural values are affected. Furthermore, treating the city as a living organism, i.e., as a complex system, requires an appropriate design and governance method underpinned by a systemic vision.
Towards a New Ethics in Building
Wide-span timber trusses in the area of Bologna: a case study analysis and comparison
This paper summarizes a larger research project that used an innovative method to study several timber roofs structures in Bologna. The research was focused on developing a support tool for analyzing the geometry and the structural behavior of these structural systems, utilizing Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) and point cloud geometric information via visual programming generative algorithms. In addition, the method has been developed to collect and trace data on various types of timber trusses and function as an information system. Specialized literature frequently oversimplifies the comprehension of these structural systems by basing its theories on structural analysis methods originated in the nineteenth century. This approach typically needs a thorough understanding of material properties and structure deformations, which cannot be obtained so easily.Innovative methods of research, as well as typological construction investigations, can be helpful to gain a thorough understanding of these objects. Such knowledge is essential for the conscious conservation of these amazing construction systems. This paper presents a comparative analysis of five types of timber trusses from the roofs of noticeable buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, associating their typological and construction characteristics with the geometric and deformative information gathered in the previous research. The entire study provides a deeper understanding of these objects in the Italian context by highlighting some critical issues.
Learning from tradition: a case study of the diagnosis, dendrochronological dating, and intervention on a 16th-century timber roof structure in the western Italian Alps
The paper presents a significant case study: the Church of San Giovanni Battista in Salbertrand dates back to the 16th century and constitutes one of the most interesting examples of religious architecture in the Susa Valley of the western Italian Alps.
Its historic timber roof structure was once at risk of demolition, but in 2000 finally became the object of necessary preservation and reinforcement works. Here, the interdisciplinary studies carried out for the diagnosis and assessment of the state of conservation are presented, starting with the identification of the wood species used, the geometrical survey, the visual and NDT diagnosis of the timber elements, and the structural evaluation. A special section is dedicated to the dendrochronological analysis, with a comparison of different case studies regarding larch roof structures of other historic architectures located in the northwest of Italy. The tree-ring sequences obtained from the buildings presented have also been used to define a larch chronology of the Susa Valley in Piedmont.
Following the first assessment phase, a second phase involved defining the restoration and reinforcement interventions. The reinterpretation of historic craftsmanship rules and traditions, which already contemplated the use of steel devices, attempted to offer alternative design solutions. This reinterpretation constituted the basis of the reinforcement interventions carried out in Salbertrand in the early 2000s. This paper highlights the importance of learning from historical treatises, showing how, even in modern reinforcement interventions, the application of traditional carpentry rules can achieve the aims of preservation and structural efficiency with overall cost-effectiveness and durability, resulting in a favorable balance between tradition and innovation.
Acknowledgements
Dr. Nadia Faure, Director of the “Gran Bosco di Salbertrand” Natural Park is gratefully acknowledged.
The medieval carpentry of the Basilica of St Anthony in Padua
Attics are often the most interesting rooms where to investigate historical construction techniques. Above the eight domes of the medieval Basilica of St Anthony in Padua, lightweight timber structures attest to the use of rather archaic frameworks. The ongoing research on the domed roofs confirmed the preservation of their 13th-century configuration and the perpetuation of this model during later interventions until the 18th century.
Based on onsite measurements, study of archival material and dendro-dating, this paper aims at shedding light on the constructing techniques and dating of the timber domes of St Anthony. Results from the dendro-sampling campaigns provide evidences of 13th-century elements still in place. Moreover, cross-references between on-site findings and archival materials enable the tracing of the dendro-provenance of replacements from the 16th century. Finally, a short comparison with the timber domes of St Mark in Venice and St Justine in Padua enhances the importance of the ancient timber structures of St Anthony.
Acknowledgements
The research team thanks the community of the Basilica of St. Anthony for their hospitality during the surveys, as well as the Pontifical Delegation and the Presidency of the Veneranda Arca for permission to investigate the monument.
Authors contribution
The resources, the investigation, and the text conception and writing were made by M. Diaz. L. Vandenabeele reviewed the manuscript and supported the onsite investigations. S. Holzer reviewed the manuscript and acquired the financial support. All photos and drawings are by M. Diaz (except those for which specific attribution has been provided).
Funding
The research project is funded by SNF.
Reinforcement methodologies of timber elements in historic timber roofs
This paper aims to present a comprehensive review on the reinforcement of historic timber roofs, focusing on their main characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, which would help professionals select and define the design of reinforcement solutions. Cultural heritage issues are taken into consideration. Reinforcement can be done via different methods – traditional and modern – using simple or sophisticated techniques. An overview of the main materials and the techniques used for selected case studies are presented, illustrating how various reinforcement methods are implemented in practice.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the positive contributions and discussions made within the TC 245 RTE from RILEM.
Authors contribution
Filipa S. Serino, writing, investigation and editing; Eleftheria Tsakanika, conceptualization, methodology, writing and review, supervision; Jorge M. Branco, conceptualization, methodology, writing and review, supervision; Paulo B. Lourenço, conceptualization, supervision.
The roof structure of the Men’s Oratory of the Albergo dei Poveri in Genoa
The Genoese roof structures are characterised by the originality of their construction and technological solutions compared to other cultural and geographical areas, including neighbouring ones, and, in particular, by the unique connection with the underlying wall structures, by their thrusting nature and by the scarce or non-existent presence of trusses.
From the second half of the 16th Century, in the roofs of large spaces such as churches and assembly halls, the wooden elements of the main roof structure are supported by solid brick pillars resting on arches or on the ribs of the underlying vaulted structures.
This paper describes the building features, the state of preservation and the restoration and consolidation project of the roof and of the underlying vault with timber ribs and plastered reed mats on the intrados of the Men’s Oratory of the Albergo dei Poveri in Genoa, one of the largest still preserved in the monumental complex and one of the most imposing among those still present in the city.
Authors contribution
Section 1, 7: M. Casanova, S.F. Musso and S. Podestà; Section 2: S.F. Musso; Section 3, 4: M. Casanova; Section 5, 6: S. Podestà.
The timber roof structure of Chapel XVI at Sacro Monte of Orta: an example of conservative strengthening work
The principles of conservation of existing structures (like evidence of regional construction techniques) pose a significant challenge in the general field of structural safety, increasingly claimed by the new technical codes. The restoration building site of the Chapel XVI at Sacro Monte of Orta San Giulio (Italy) testifies to a respectful design approach to enhance the timber elements still recoverable without distorting the original static scheme. The preliminary knowledge phase allowed to correctly interpret the historical construction phases (including analysis of archival documents and diagnostic investigations), the vulnerabilities of the roof structure and the peculiarity of the stone roof covering as a construction technique to be preserved and improved. The recovery project has exploited the potential of the laser scanner and micro-invasive diagnostic techniques to move towards limited replacement choices of wood elements that can no longer be recovered. The recovery of the roof of the XVI Chapel, as a pilot building site of an international research project on the maintenance of historical sites (INTERREG ITA-CH “Main10Ance”), is evidence of a fruitful multidisciplinary comparison aimed at improving the methodological approach to the strengthening work of historical structures.
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge Studio eng. Vercelli for fruitful dialogue; the staff of Ente di Gestione dei Sacri Monti for the logistic support and historical materials for consultation; director Dr. Defilippis; prof. Andrea Lingua and his team at Politecnico di Torino, for survey campaigns.
Authors contribution
Conceptualisation, MZ, AG, SF, GV; methodology, MZ, AG, SF; software and structural modeling, AG and GV; validation, MZ; investigation, AG, MZ, GV, SF; technical solution for strengthening AG, GV; writing – original draft preparation, AG; writing – review and editing, MZ, AG, SF; supervision, MZ.
Funding
This article refers to Italy-Switzerland Cooperation Programme 2014-2020, that deals with the enhancement of traditional building knowledge and the use of local materials and workers, also through the study of the monumental complexes of the Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Canton Ticino. ID 473472, “Main10ance”.
Historic timber roofs, a knowledge-based approach to strengthening: the case study of a Renaissance palace in Ferrara
To preserve timber roof structures for their historical and architectural value and to plan strengthening intervention, knowledge is essential since it allows to fully understand their cultural significance and actual structural behavior. This paper presents the case study of Palazzo Costabili, in Ferrara, Italy, to propose a method to plan architectural strengthening intervention on historical timber roof structures based on a detailed knowledge of the structures’ features and state. The palace object of this study is characterized by historical timber structures, an expression of traditional local building techniques, which were partially damaged in the 2012 earthquake. An in-depth and careful study of the structure was therefore carried out to identify specific parts that needed to be reinforced. A strengthening of the roof structure was thus designed considering the performances of the timber components and their historical-cultural value. More specifically, the timber roof was first assessed to identify the main wood species, the constructive types and their related vulnerabilities, while the parts that showed consistent signs of structural stress were later evaluated by specialists using visual and instrumental analysis. Finally, data collected were critically analyzed to better plan the strengthening intervention, considering both the stress state of the single components and their specific weaknesses, in full compliance with preservation criteria and needs.
Acknowledgements
The author acknowledges Prof. Eva Coïsson for coordinating the study, the Suprintendence officers arch. Sardo and arch. Manara for managing the preservation activity and the CNR-IVALSA experts Nicola Macchioni, Elisa Pecoraro, Benedetto Pizzo for performing on-site assessment.
Funding
The study is part of a wider research aimed at studying the vulnerabilities of Palazzo Costabili for the definition of restoration and seismic improvement proposals, funded by the Regional Secretariat for Emilia-Romagna (MiBACT).
The roofing structures of the Gothic age in France
The structural solution calledchevrons formant fermeis a typical invention of the FrenchGothic age. In this paper, the structural functioning of such a kind of structures is consideredand analyzed, referring to the two original different structures of the roof of Notre Dameof Paris, destroyed by the fire of 2019. The results show the great skill of the builders ofthe Middle Ages in designing very effective timber structures and how these structures wereconceived to respond to criteria of different nature.
Remarkable historic timber roofs. Knowledge and conservation practice – Part 2. Investigation, analysis, and interventions
Application of adhesive technology to a new type of glazed panel for curtain walls with an integrated frame
The adhesive technology offers several advantages over traditional joints, allowing the assembly of construction elements with a reduced number of components. The use of large glazed surfaces is a distinctive feature of modern architecture and is reflected in the curtain walls. In traditional applications, glazed panels simply transfer the stress to the substructure (frame), not assuming a structural role. This article reports the results of an experimental campaign on a new type of wooden panels for windows and curtain walls (patent application No. 1020000023128 and European patent 3071775) which provides for the structural collaboration between the frame and glass panels using adhesives. This solution (glazed panels adhesively bonded to the wooden frame) adequately responds to the performance requirements of the highest class of resistance to wind load for windows (C5 – UNI EN 12207), limiting the maximum displacement within 1 mm (maximum deflection of the order of 1/1500).
Author Contribution
Experiments, writing, conceptualization and revision, F.M.; writing, revision, R.A.; supervision, conceptualization, P.M.
SLICE – Solar Lightweight Intelligent Component for Envelopes: application for the ICARO pavilion
In the ongoing race to reduce polluting emissions, a significant contribution is made by the introduction of intelligent building management systems. The European directive 2002/91 on energy performance in buildings already invited us to look at a new generation of almost zero energy buildings. Research in the field of multifunctional facades offers the opportunity to provide an immediate response to improving air quality and, at the same time, optimizing the use of resources. In fact, adaptive facades can be traced to one of the most effective strategies to efficiently manage the interactions between external and internal environments to maximize winter heating, summer shading and natural ventilation, sound insulation, daylight transfer, glare-free, and interior comfort for the occupants. Nowadays, adaptive enclosures are not only able to interact with the environment and the user but allow the energy needs of buildings to be reduced by integrating technologies to produce energy from renewable sources.
The contribution will present the latest developments of an innovative kinetic device for architecture, carried out by the University of Catania; it is the result of a multidisciplinary research project involving important local industrial companies. The component consists of a composite material substrate with integrated high-efficiency photovoltaic technology. The results shown below made it possible to evaluate the use of the designed component in light and stand-alone architectures, representing a valid solution to reduce the impact on the territory even in fragile contexts.
Acknowledgements
Thanks also to Meridionale Impianti S.p.A., and in particular to Eng. Antonio Astuti, for support in making the prototypes and the charging systems. Thanks to Eng. Serafino Risiglione for monitoring and collecting test data, and to NTET S.p.A. for the folding experiments of the composite fabric.
Funding
This research was funded by the project “eWAS – An early WArning System for cultural heritage—PON ARS01_00926 PNR2015-2020” by the Ministry of University and Research.
Author Contribution
Conceptualization, A.M. and G.R.; data curation, A.G.; formal analysis, A.M.; funding acquisition, V.S.; investigation, A.M. and G.R.; methodology, V.S. and A.G.; project administration, V.S. and G.R.; resources, V.S. and A.G.; supervision, V.S. and A.G.; validation, A.G.; visualization, A.M.; writing-original draft, A.M.; writing-review & and editing, G.R. and V.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Impact of modelling on the assessment of energy performance in existing buildings: the case of Concordia Sagittaria
Energy efficiency in existing building stock is a priority for achieving the decarbonization objectives imposed by the European Union. Several European projects have addressed the issue and suggested strategies. In particular, the TripleA-reno project has among its objectives the development of a web tool for the energy assessment of buildings so that users can simulate the economic and energy benefits of the renovation process. The paper aims to assess the impact of simplification in geometric, energetic and modelling input on the calculation of the energy performance of buildings. The study was conducted on a case study of the TripleA-reno project, located in Concordia Sagittaria (Venice).
The architectural configuration, the structural typology and the stratigraphies of the building and the interventions foreseen by the redevelopment project are described.
After defining the energy modelling software intended to be used, a detailed energy assessment was carried out, which was subsequently approximated by maintaining unchanged only the gross heated volume and the characteristics of the opaque and transparent elements. The different energy assessments were then analyzed to compare and evaluate the parameters most influenced by the simplification introduced and the variation of the S/V ratio.
Finally, the TripleA-reno platform was used to compare the results with both the detailed and the simplified model.
Funding
This paper has received funding from the European Union’s H2020 Framework program for coordination and support action under grant agreement No. 784972.
Orange peels as a potential ecological thermal insulation material for building application
Most of the national orange production, estimated at 900,000 tons per year, is processed in several cities in the south area of Italy. Half part of this amount corresponds to the peels, which are separated in the orange selection and processing plants. In this work, the possibility of using orange peels as raw material for the manufacture of building materials for the civil construction industry is studied. Recently, some attempts to reuse by-products derived from citrus waste have been proposed. For example, it was used as a source of nutrients in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries and as a source for energy production. There are precedents in the use of biomass residues in different building blocks, mainly with the aim of generating insulating materials. With this objective, insulating materials were obtained from agriculture by-products also manufactured without a binder. After a drying process, orange peels were characterized with electronic scanning analysis and thermal analysis in order to analyze the application in the building sector. The same by-products for the production of samples in the form of panels were used. In order to establish the best panel composition, physical and thermal properties, as well as mechanical and durability performances of the samples, were characterized.
The disused precious stone elements are not CDWaste. A digital management chain to save them
One of the most significant contributions to the circular economy that has emerged at EU level (EU Protocol 2016) is the optimised management of the entire construction and demolition waste (CDWaste) chain: from selective dismantling to reuse in the building process as materials/products/components. The aim of this study has been to contribute to this systematization process of the currently not converging but stimulating initiatives by proposing an investigation for the Valuable Stone Elements Waste (VSEWaste) chain, removed in the process of replacement operations. In particular, we note that they have a sort of added value that demolition does not cancel, both for the nobility of the raw material and the processing they received, which is not always replicable nowadays. So they deserve separate treatment in the broader field of advanced circular building design, capable of harnessing the full potential that this type of waste can still express.
On the basis of an analysis of the best practices pioneered in several EU pilot projects, the digitalisation of all the management phases of this CDWaste class has been undertaken: specifying the most suitable production chain; implementing analog cataloging based on shared but specific criteria; drawing up, using BIM tools, an inventory of waste, to be assessed on a representative sample; identifying marketing systems for dismantled stone elements relevant to a given geographical area.
The marble envelope of the Casa delle Armi by Luigi Moretti: documentary and experimental knowledge finalized to digital modeling
The application of digital modeling for safeguarding the built heritage is a consolidated research field and carries substantial operational interest. The methodological aspects of this application are theoretically outlined but far from being commonly applied. In the perspective of delineating a more straightforward method for implementing these practices among the built heritage, modern Italian architectural production constitutes an ideal field of investigation, both for the significance of the built heritage and for the construction problems that characterize them. Indeed, in the case of stone cladding – which is typical of the Fascist period – the decay conditions and the peculiarity of the material make the investigation specific and paradigmatic of the implementation of the above-mentioned digital methodologies. The Casa delle Armi built heritage by Luigi Moretti in Rome, which has been the research subject of the Authors for years, features a marbled envelope detailed by the designer in every aspect, not only during the design phase but also during construction. This uniqueness makes the recovery of the envelope extremely challenging, as it should not alter its extremely complex nature, while today, the marble envelope is profoundly degraded by natural and anthropogenic factors. Digital modeling appears to be an optimal operational solution for guiding the recovery, but it presents many issues illustrated in this article and to which we have begun to give answers in this contribution. In particular, we delineate the knowledge of the case mentioned above study-built heritage, pursued through documentary analysis integrated by direct and instrumental observation on site.
Technological analysis of a prefabricated timber-based system for the integrated renovation of RC framed buildings
Most of the building stock in European seismic countries is highly energy-intensive and earthquake-prone since it was built before the enforcement of effective energy and seismic codes. Renovation actions that synergically integrate both energy-efficient and anti-seismic interventions are strongly needed in these countries. However, the implementation of such interventions is currently limited by barriers that are mostly related to the high cost and invasiveness of traditional seismic retrofit techniques.
A new holistic design approach to the building renovation is required to overcome these barriers. This should result in innovative and integrated retrofit interventions able to specifically meet the needs of cost-effectiveness, quick installation, reduced users’ disruption, and low environmental impact.
In this framework, the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) has been recently investigated for retrofit purposes in light of its good mechanical and physical performance.
In this research context, this paper illustrates a novel timber-based retrofit technology for RC framed buildings developed within the e-SAFE H2020 project. This technology consists of cladding the external building envelope with a new prefabricated timber-based shell that acts as seismic-resistant and energy-efficient skin, also contributing to renovating the architectural image of the building. The new skin combines structural CLT-based panels – equipped with novel devices for seismic energy dissipation – with non-structural wooden-framed panels.
Specifically, this paper presents a construction analysis of the proposed retrofit technology, investigating its technical feasibility, versatility, and potentialities, as well as possible application limits.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Dario Distefano, Giulia Fiore, Gianluca Rodonò and Bart Voortman for their precious support on the development of the proposed retrofit technology.
Funding
This paper was carried out in the framework of the Energy and Seismic AFfordable rEnovation solutions (e-SAFE) project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 893135. Neither the Executive Agency for Small-and-Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) nor the European Commission is in any way responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Author Contribution
Conceptualization, G.M. and C.T.; writing – original draft, C.T.; writing – review and editing G.M. and C.T.
Brick masonry staircases of the early 20th century: historical research, condition assessment and diagnostic investigation of a “transition” construction type
Staircases play a key role in the rehabilitation and retrofitting of historic public buildings in terms of respecting building regulations for fire protection, accessibility and seismic resistance. Assessing their construction materials and techniques, as well as their current condition and residual performances, are paramount in order to employ effective, compatible and low-intrusive conservation measures. In particular, staircases dating back to the early 20th century call for a comprehensive understanding of technical and technological solutions. This is because they were conceived in a “transition” phase from traditional masonry structures to modern systems based on the employment of metal elements. Thus, they show a variety of hybrid solutions, often depending on the local practice and the specific application. Consequently, historical research from technical handbooks of the time should help define the purposes and boundaries of the diagnostic investigation of characteristics and pathologies. Additionally, both documentary records and on-site/laboratory tests should support the identification of potential local failures, which are generally omitted in global analytic simulations. In the light of the above-mentioned issues, the paper provides an overview of the historical evolution of masonry staircases of the early 20th century, with a specific focus on brick structures in central-southern Italy. Based on the most documented systems and the most recurring pathologies, this research outlines a methodological framework for on-site and laboratory diagnostic investigation, aimed at the identification of construction materials and techniques, detection of decay patterns and characterisation of mechanical performance. The proposed framework is applied to a case study, the monumental staircase of a school building, and some insights into the operational procedures are also addressed.
Author Contribution
Conceptualization of the research, F.F.; conceptualization of the paper, M.D.; methodology, F.F., M.D.; historical research, F.F., M.D.; experiments, M.D.; validation, F.F., M.D.; writing, M.D.; supervision, F.F.
Proposal for a new housing model for the inland areas regeneration. The BioVillage 4.0
In addition to cities and metropolises, the European territory is made up of many small settlements, custodians of a vast material and immaterial heritage, very often of great historical, cultural and environmental value. In recent decades, these realities have undergone a significant demographic decline induced by the new requirements of contemporary life: the lack of job opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, and poor essential services have encouraged the population to move to the cities, starting a process of social, cultural and economic marginalisation of rural areas. However, the current environmental crisis and the problems of urban densification are encouraging the birth of a ‘new perspective’ that considers the enhancement of inland areas and small towns as a possible driver for the sustainable development of territories and the definition of a new city-countryside relationship. Therefore, recovering inland areas is becoming an increasingly important necessity, which is leading to the drafting of many plans and interventions aimed at reversing the demographic decline trend. Among the most representative projects, two European strategies are based on the Ecovillage and Smart Villages models. Both models emphasise the role of local communities in deciding what action should be carried out to valorise small towns. However, the modalities and nature of the interventions and their methodological approach are substantially different.
In view of the above, and starting from the analysis of some emblematic case studies, the paper investigates the peculiarities of the Ecovillage and Smart Villages models, with the aim of highlighting their main criticalities and potentials. From the comparison between the two strategies, a new model for the recovery and valorisation of small towns is proposed, which is called BioVillage 4.0.
Research perspectives in the domain of the built environment
Technique at the service of a new liturgical model: the timber roof of the church of Saints Marcellino and Pietro in Cremona
At the turn of the 17th century, the Jesuit order settled in the city of Cremona, where, thanks to the support of Bishop Speciano and some notable families, it started the construction of the church of Saints Marcellino and Pietro (1606-1620), the Schools and the College. The church model of the aisleless rectangular hall – large enough to accommodate a large number of faithful – forced the fathers to resort to unusual solutions for the area of Cremona, which, over the centuries, also led to instability and structural problems. The careful archival and bibliographic research made it possible to investigate the wooden roof with wide-span “Palladian” trusses (about 15.20 m), directing the diagnostic analyzes, identifying the peculiarities of the technical solutions adopted, in a continuous comparison between indirect sources and in situ investigations. The construction events of the trusses and secondary framing were investigated over a long period of time, to include the succession of minute maintenance and repairs, also carried out in the last two centuries; the complexity and stratification of works carried out in phases and singular interventions, linked to the chronological succession of events, is the basis for the interpretation of the current state of the structure, therefore for a restoration intervention aimed at protecting the building palimpsest.
Coffered ceilings in the churches of Rome, from the 15th to the 20th century
The contribution concerns the coffered ceilings in Roman churches, which have been built between the mid-fifteenth and the mid-twentieth century and represent ornamental components of great value. The coffered ceilings still visible today are approximately sixty; many others have been demolished or destroyed by calamities through the time.
The attention on the subject revived after the collapse in the church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami occurred in August 2018; the event highlighted the vulnerability of the coffered ceilings and a lack of historical and technological knowledge regarding individual cases.
Referring to the architectural treatises on the subject, this article focuses on the early-nineteenth-century texts by Jean-Baptiste Rondelet and Giuseppe Valadier, illustrating two different criteria in creating coffered ceilings.
In the first one, the coffered ceilings are directly connected to the roof trusses, providing for the lining of the tie beams.
In the second one, the coffered panels are nailed to wooden frames hanging from purlins placed over the tie beams. Both construction methods can be found in the coffered ceilings of Rome, but most of the cases refer to the second system. Thus, the contribution delves into the construction process in detail and focuses on the arrangement of the elements, reporting the analysis of some study cases, based on direct checks and surveys. In this regard, knowledge of the extrados of the ceilings is crucial foreseeing possible conservation works, allowing to avoid the risk of inappropriate restoration or replacement of original elements.
Lost roofs – a case study from Munich
The article presents the results of the author’s research on lost roofs in Munich. Together with the buildings significant roof structures were destroyed in the Second World War.
Munich always played a central role in Bavaria. The importance of the city grew continuously over the centuries. Talented master builders met demanding clients. This resulted in prestigious buildings that were also demanding in terms of construction technology. The study highlighted the most important objects. The aim was to reconstruct the destroyed roofs of these buildings on the basis of archival sources and building archaeological research on the remains. The results show a great variety, always reflecting the current developments in roof construction. Among them there are also quite experimental solutions. The results are presented as detailed scale models.
The models allow to get a lasting impression of the lost structures. They serve to illustrate this essay. Finally, special attention is given to some constructions that have a link to italian designs.
A review of Scandinavian research on medieval church roofs
The remarkable clusters of preserved high medieval church roofs in Scandinavia have been known since the early 20th century but surveys aimed at mapping and document these structures began first around 2000. The author reviews the State of Scandinavian research and presents recent and ongoing survey projects in Swedish dioceses. These cross-disciplinary projects have enhanced the value of historic timber structures as archaeological source material. A reading of craft techniques and tool marks provides insight into the work of the medieval carpenters. An example is presented of how a structured survey followed by moderate cleaning shaped a basis for maintenance and restoration in compliance with international principles.
Aknowledgements
Per Kristian Madsen, The National Museum, Copenhagen, for reading and giving valuable comments, especially concerning the Danish material.
Author contribution
Robin Gullbrandsson, Department of Conservation, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg (Sweden), Västergötlands museum, Skara (Sweden).
Ancient wooden roofs in the area of Genoa: an almost intact 17th century salt warehouse
The study on the wooden structure of the roof of the former Salt Warehouse in vico Malatti 13, in ancient Genoa port area, presented here, is part of a broader research plan including PRA (university research project) 2016 “The archeology of architecture in the restoration site” of DAD – Dipartimento Architettura e Design of Genoa (Italy) with Universidad del Pais Vasco – Facultad de Letras, Departamento de Geografia, Prehistoria y Arquelogia (Spain), PRA 2018 “Conservation and restoration: methods of analysis and strategies of monitoring” of DAD (Genoa-Italy) with CISAPSI – Coordinamento Intercomunale Studi e Analisi del Patrimonio Storico della Svizzera Italiana (Fado-Switzerland) and PRA 2019 “Conservation and restoration: methods of analysis and strategies for the maintenance of the material and restoration: strategies for a quality project” of DAD (Genoa-Italy). The roof under study has a special structure: the trestle structure. This building tehnique was very common in Genoese context between the 15th and 18th century. Nevertheless this technique had not yet been widely studied. Another very special feature, the roof remained almost intact since 17th century, when it was built. The difficulty of access and direct inspection of the roof structure, combined with the need for constant monitoring for its conservation, required a particular methodological effort, and an analysis procedure was identified making use of several sources and multiple tools. Beside the characterization and technological specificity of this roof, the methodological aspect is a very interesting one, as it could be adopted also in other similar contexts.
Acknowledgements
We thank prof. Giorgio Mor for technological analysis, arch. Gerolamo Stagno and arch. Linda Secondini for instrumental analysis and Dr. Riccardo Forte for supporting the archival part.
Author contribution
Paragraphs 2-4-5-6 are all to be attributed to G. Calvi and D. Pittaluga, paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7 to D. Pittaluga, all photos and drawings are by G. Calvi (except those for which specific attribution has been provided). Conceptualization, methodology: D. Pittaluga, Investigation: G.Calvi, Funding acquisition, resources: D. Pittaluga, Supervision: D. Pittaluga, Writing original draft: G.Calvi, D. Pittaluga, Writing-review&editing: D.Pittaluga
Funding
PRA 2016-(DAD)Department of Architecture and Design of Genoa (Italy) – Departamento de Geografia, Prehistoria y Arquelogia Universidad del Pais Vasco- Facultad de Letras and PRA 2018 DAD (Italy)- CISAPSI- Switzerland Italy, PRA 2019 DAD (Italy).
Ancient wooden roofs in the area of Genoa: the structure with a curvilinear profile of the parish church of Cogoleto
A particular roof is that of S.M.Maggiore church in Cogoleto. The 19th century church, in fact, has an upper two-pitches roof and a lower roofbelow with a curvilinear profile. Both of them insist on the same perimeter, but they have no direct connection between them as far as it is visible. The study, therefore, focused on the understanding of this part of the building. The understanding of the building was obtained thanks to the use of both indirect sources (archive and bibliographic research) and direct sources: archaeological analyses (stratigraphic, mensiochronological, mineralogical-petrographic and wall textures), thermographic and ultrasonic analyzes. A particular effort had to be made in studying the details and reading the stratigraphic signs on the wood (this aspect is usually little developed). It was necessary to extend the analysis to the entire building for a better understanding. This study highlights a sequence of interventions in the church over the past two centuries; previous structures were usually preserved; new elements and stratifications were added. The two structures were chronologically different: the upper one is the most recent but was designed to preserve the older one below. Another interesting fact that emerged is the particular shape of the lower structure: a wooden roof with a curvilinear profile. This form of coverage is not particularly widespread in this part of the Ligurian territory. In any case, it is unusual for the historical period in which it was built (19th century). The research, therefore, focused on the reasons for this particular choice and the study of the dynamics of the 1877-78 construction site. It also allowed us to understand better the functioning of this specific structure, its technology, and its relationship with the remaining parts of the complex. The historic curved profile roofs highlighted differences in material and installation technique.
Aknowledgements
Thanks to prof. G. Mor (tecnological system of the roofing structure), arch. G.Stagno for (instrumental analyzes), arch.R. Venturino (supporting the restoration site), dr. R.Cattani (supporting the archival part).
Author contribution
Conceptualization, methodology: D. Pittaluga, Investigation: C. Accomasso, Funding acquisition, resources: D. Pittaluga, Supervision: D. Pittaluga, Writing original draft: C. Accomasso, D. Pittaluga.
Writing-review&editing: D. Pittaluga
Authors of paragraphs 1,2,3,5 are C. Accomasso and D. Pittaluga, of paragraphs 4, 4.1, 6 and D. Pittaluga, photos and drawings are by C. Accomasso (except those for which specific attribution has been provided)
Funding
The research presented here was carried out thanks to a P.R.A. (University Research Project) 2019 entitled Conservation and restoration: methods of analysis and strategies for maintaining the tangible and intangible heritage of which Pittaluga Daniela is scientific director.
Historic timber roofs in Belgium: overview of materials and structures (1150-1960)
Belgium has a remarkable heritage of historic timber roofs that can be traced back to the 12th century. This contribution provides a review of 60 years of research on Belgian timber roofs and outlines their developments from 1150 to 1960. The focus is firstly put on wood resources, a crucial parameter for roof construction in a scarcely forested landscape. Then, the evolution of structural concepts over 800 years is discussed based on illustrations of remarkable roofs. Moreover, this broad overview raises several questions that open up new prospects for future investigations.
The genesis of Timber Trusses: “Unexpected” Affinities between Roofs Carpentry in Etruria and Phrygia during the Antiquity
The genesis of wooden trusses is a very controversial issue as the archaeological data, scarce and incomplete, are not very explicit.
Indirect pieces of evidence of roof carpentry organized according to a truss system seem to have been found, at least from the Iron Age, in the Mediterranean basin. However, these are isolated cases that probably did not have a decisive influence on the evolution of the roofs of the immediately following eras.
Full awareness of the potential and a systematization occurred in the Roman scope, and only in the Late Antiquity, there was a notable widespread, especially in the basilicas, of such an organization of the roof structure.
In the concept process of the trusses, a considerable contribution is to be recognized to the Etruscan and Phrygian civilizations. Besides having in common an advanced development of timber structures, these cultures show diverse “coincidences” in material culture. In fact, for both peoples, relying on the iconography of figurative products, the articulation of the roof carpentry widely used in Antiquity is comparable, at least in the essential members and in their arrangement, to a truss.
The contribution also provides data, with particular regard to those of a constructive nature, about the oldest existing wooden carpentry, dating back to the Early Phrygian period and belonging to the roof of the burial chamber of the “MM” tomb of the ancient city of Gordion (present-day Yassıhöyük village, in Anatolia).
Historic hanging partitions: analysis of a relevant application in Palermo
This paper describes historic technical solutions used to suspend lightweight partitions from timber trusses in one of the most relevant aristocratic residences in Palermo. The study examines part of the building, namely a masonry box 24-m long and 10-m wide. This large space, articulated in two storeys, was divided into rooms by lightweight walls and ceilings. The construction analysis of these partitions and the above roof trusses was carried out through an observational study during the recent restoration of the building. The main focus of this paper is a complex system of reinforcements and load-bearing elements – made of timber and wrought iron – used on the second floor to suspend a couple of tiled brick partitions and the related timber vaulted ceiling from the corresponding roof trusses. This solution, realized between the late 19th and early 20th century, employs a series of timber rafters, one timber trussed beam, and three groups of single or paired iron tie-roads. While analyzing the technical details of this system, the study contributes to documenting the use of suspended building components in the historic construction of Sicily.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Francesca and Massimo Valsecchi for their hospitality. Special thanks are extended to the restoration managers, arch. Giovanni Cappelletti and eng. Marco Giammona, for their support and to arch. Dario De Benedictis for his constant assistance.
Authors contributions
Enrico Genova: conceptualization, data curation, investigation, methodology, writing
Giovanni Fatta: conceptualization, supervision, writing
Wooden structures of the Clock Tower in Castle Bruntál
The article deals with the timber structures of the Clock Tower in Castle Bruntál (Czech Republic). In the text, the development of the Clock Tower is explained, and timber structures are described and classified. Presented knowledge is based on the partial historic building investigation of the roof truss of the castle and the Clock Tower, and it was achieved with the help of art history and architecture methods. The constructional solution is explained in the context of towers built at a similar time and the purpose of which was similar as well.
Remarkable historic timber roofs. Knowledge and conservation practice – Part 1. Construction history and survey of historic timber roofs
Cultural heritage sustainability restoration: a quantitative method for the reversibility assessment of interventions on historical timber floor
Abstract
Restoration technology has different characteristics from mechanical, chemical, and industrial technologies. In fact, it concerns objects recognised as cultural heritage as evidence of historical, cultural, aesthetic values, which the intervention has to preserve. The observation of the damages caused by wrong restoration interventions has led to the formulation of guidelines to limit the risks of such interventions. One of the basic principles of these guidelines is reversibility: since degradation is an inevitable process, construction works will likely require restoration and functional adaptation over time. The historical timber floor is the technology system that embodies and tells the history of a building in a more reliable way: it is the most evident testimony of the technological-cultural-economic characteristics that have conditioned the design and construction of a given building in history.
In accordance with the need to preserve these historical testimonies, the study aimed to develop an innovative method for the quantitative evaluation of reversibility in the restoration and static consolidation of timber floors. The method aims to evaluate the most reversible intervention, i.e., more sustainable in terms of future revision and modification.
Immersive Virtual vs. Real Environment: a validation field-study to assess occupants’ work productivity and comfort
Abstract
In order to maximise occupants’ well-being and work efficiency, keep satisfying environmental conditions, and minimise costs and impact related to the operative and energy use, a “human-centric” approach is more and more pursued in buildings’ design and performance assessment. In this context, the use of Virtual Reality (VR) is emerging due to its advantages (low cost, repeatability, and speed of execution) compared to physical study settings. However, in Immersive Virtual Environments (IVE), it is important to ensure that data represented and collected faithfully replicate the physical environments. In order to provide a further contribution in terms of IVE validation process in the building field, this research presents results from an experimental study, where subjects’ performance tests and comfort assessments were compared in real and virtual office settings under three different walls colour layouts and two air temperature levels. “Internal”, “ecological” and “construct” validity of the IVE have been demonstrated. Findings revealed no statistically significant differences in productivity and sensation votes and in the impact of colour and temperature variables. Results then highlight a strong agreement of the two tested environments, revealing that VR is a potentially reliable tool to measure its real counterparts in terms of occupants’ productivity, perception, and behaviour under different test conditions.
Accessibility and valorisation of historical universities through digital inclusive solutions: the case study of the University of Pavia (Italy)
Abstract
The University of Pavia, established in 1361, is well known for its historical and cultural importance, also reflected in the value of its architectural heritage. It includes several ancient structures, most of which are located in the city centre. The Palazzo Centrale is the main building: its architectural complexity is due to its big dimensions and composite configuration, the result of an expansion process during several centuries. Moreover, it is one of the rare examples of “passing architecture” allowing people to cross the building from the cardo of the Roman grid of Pavia, Corso Strada Nuova, towards the eastern part of the city centre.
For these reasons, Palazzo Centrale presents several difficulties of accessibility and orientation for students, visiting academics and cultural tourists, but most of all for people with blindness or low vision.
To tackle this problem, the research team is developing a pilot project in collaboration with a specialised NGO for the installation of vocal aids helping the orientation through selected paths. The project is aimed at providing a smartphone APP able to intercept the signals emitted by small e-beacons and to receive voice information enabling users to move easily and independently through a selected accessible path. The vocal aids will use the architectural elements to characterise and describe the space, underlining not only the obstacles to be avoided but also the points of interest for historical, architectural, and academic reasons.
Once tested, this solution could be widespread also to other University buildings, creating more accessible, inclusive, and thus sustainable environments for students and tourists, in compliance with the international standards.
Methodological approach and comparative analyses for smart envelopes assessment in three different temperate climates
Abstract
Recently, innovative and responsive technologies applied to building envelopes have drawn the attention of researchers to reduce energy consumption and improve indoor environmental quality. The main feature of these systems is to react to external environmental stimuli and adapt themselves to improve the overall building performance. The spread of these technologies has promptly led to a wide range of very different new devices that have added a further degree of complexity in the energy efficiency field. This study is part of this research topic and proposes a comparison of four different responsive technologies applied to glazed surfaces of an office model located in three different Italian cities to compare their advantages and disadvantages in different contexts. This comparison is conducted from both technological and energy points of view on the following selected technologies: i) electrochromic windows, ii) Phase Change Material windows, iii) dynamic automated external shadings, and iv) windows with variable thermal transmittance. The first part of this study focuses on the technology comparison – with reference to users’ control, building integration, cost, and maintenance – to highlight the main strengths and disadvantages of these systems. Hence, starting from an office reference model located in Brindisi, Rome, and Milan, dynamic energy analyses are conducted in EnergyPlus to compare the responsive systems with reference static envelopes obtaining as the final output the savings comparison between different technologies, exposures, and climates.
Demolish or Rebuild? Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Maintenance Plan for the Pro-Get-One Case Study
Abstract
It is well known that a large part of the existing Italian and European building stock needs to improve its seismic and energy performances through deep renovation projects. Both seismic safety renovation and energy rehabilitation projects have high initial costs; therefore, owners and property developers often prefer the strategy of a complete demolition and reconstruction of the building. Perhaps this can be the easiest choice, but sustainability must be assessed from an environmental, social, and economic point of view. A Life Cycle Analysis using the Global Cost method, considering initial, operating, maintenance, and end-of-life costs, can provide important information to help key players identify the best intervention strategy for the selected case.
Therefore, a strategic feasibility analysis is needed for each deep renovation building construction project to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed alternative approaches, i.e., deep renovation or demolition and reconstruction, in terms of cost and building sustainability. With the Life Cycle Cost analysis (LCC) technique, the two project alternatives have been evaluated, also with the aim of optimizing detailed design choices to minimize Life Cycle Cost. The LCC minimization plays a fundamental role in the strategic planning of the project approach, and the Cost Breakdown Structure of building maintenance activities detects the most significant elements, termed central elements, that have a major impact on maintenance costs. The optimization of maintenance costs of central elements can increase the economic sustainability of the deep – renovation or reconstruction alternative projects.
The case study of the “ProGETonE – Proactive Synergy of Integrated Efficient Technologies on Buildings’ Envelopes” has been analyzed. ProGETone is a European research project concerning a deep renovation of an existing university building via the construction of a prefabricated steel exoskeleton.
A survey form for the characterization of the historical built environment prone to multi-risks
Abstract
The historical built environment (HBE) is constantly prone to many risks causing sudden (e.g., earthquakes and terrorist attacks) or slow (e.g., climate change-related and environmental pollution) onset of emergency conditions. Morphological, physical, and constructive characteristics are critically linked to system vulnerability and users’ exposure. In particular, open spaces (OSs) in the HBE represent typical attractors for the community in urban areas for leisure and touristic purposes and critical scenarios in case of a disaster. In fact, besides daily and hourly temporalities in everyday use, OSs also play a pivotal role in the immediate disaster response phases, considering sudden-onset events. Understanding which scenarios characterize OSs is critical to evaluate them from a multi-risk perspective and to propose effective mitigation strategies in multiple critical situations. To this end, this work offers a survey form template of the OS within the HBE according to a holistic but quick-to-apply approach. Placed in the context of the Project of Relevant National Interest (PRIN) BE S2ECURe, the survey form assesses the relationships between frontier elements and those contained in the OSs, focusing on literature-based identification of vulnerability, exposure, and hazard factors affecting risk. These factors are organized into five sections as the basis for classification criteria of OSs: (1) morpho-typological, (2) geometrical-spatial, (3) constructive, (4) use, and (5) context. The application to eight case studies contributes to the validation of the survey, showing its ability to trace both the level of complexity and the main characteristics of the analyzed scenario. Furthermore, the survey form can be properly and quickly applied by non-specialized technicians, such as local authorities, thus representing the first step to support planners in data collection and risk assessment of historical OSs.
Carbonia 1937- 41. The Worksite of Autarchic Architecture
Abstract
Carbonia is one of the examples of Italian autarchy before the beginning of World War II. Some of the main national construction companies and high-level designers, of which came from the previous experiences of Fascist foundation towns, focused on the new capital of the coal district. Carbonia is the last phase of this experiment, the most important in terms of size and strategic relevance.
Carbonia’s urban scene is clearly characterized by two dominant approaches: Pulitzer’s central European modernism, which features the “First Carbonia”, and Montuori’s Mediterranean rationalism, which features the next phase of the “Great Carbonia”. Peripherality and lack of infrastructure, lack of supplies and delays in procurement, unavailability of manpower, and technical adjustments due to unforeseen events constant afflict the emergency autarchy construction site.
And while the Great Serbariu mine concentrates cutting-edge technologies at an international level, the company town continues to be built in conditions of extreme cost containment. The two parallel construction sites express technological osmosis and the driving role of innovation that the mine yard exercises over that of the city. Our long-term work commitment to reconstructing the history of the autarchic building sites through archival and field research, also documents the refined strategies of some of the most important designers of that period. They adapted their working methods to lead the process towards a unitary and high-quality outcome.
Design strategies for the recovery and enhancement of lighthouse: some case studies of the Ligurian Sea
Abstract
This paper presents the first results of ongoing research analysing some coastal lighthouses in the territorial jurisdiction of the Northern Maritime Command of La Spezia, located between the Island of Elba and the Gulf of La Spezia. The research is inspired by the “Valore Paese – Fari” initiative, launched in 2015 by the Agenzia del Demanio, with Difesa Servizi S.p.a, to promote in the real-estate market several currently disused lighthouses by granting them to overcome the management and maintenance problems. Some of the lighthouses on the Italian coasts are now affected by a gradual abandonment caused by the spread of current geo-localisation technologies and remote control and management systems. The research aims to highlight the historical and cultural importance of lighthouses, identifying possible valorisation strategies and development potential in terms of flexibility and ability to adapt to a radical functional transformation. The article firstly outlines a typological atlas of lighthouses and highlights their technical constructional characteristics. Subsequently, the design strategies of the lighthouses under study are defined for their recovery and valorisation in compliance with architectural and economic requirements. Starting from an organic and systematic classification that filled the great lack and fragmentation of available information, a detailed survey was carried out using HBIM throughout the knowledge phase, and the Value Analysis method was used to define design solutions that meet pre-established financial requirements and limits. In summary, the research shows how the lighthouse architectures are linked to the coastal context area, especially to the construction techniques concerning the different local cultures, and can lead to interesting economic and social revitalisation processes of the surrounding areas.
Digital Twinning processes for the built heritage construction site: opportunities and implementation scenarios
Abstract
This work investigates the introduction of concepts, processes, and methods of digital twinning to construction sites in the field of built heritage construction sites, analyzing the related opportunities and proposing an initial applicative framework. The presented architecture is conceived to face both the complexity of the artefact – in terms of its historical evolution, its configuration, the presence of values related to traditional construction methods, etc. – and of the activities and operations performed on its construction site, including the production, elaboration, and use of information in the different decision processes.
This paper aims to provide a theoretical, methodological, and technical base to support the design and implementation of a digital twin for a construction site within the built heritage field.
Traditional Chinese architecture: the transmission of technical knowledge for the development of building heritage
Abstract
The contribution outlines the typical elements of Chinese architecture, which combines the sophistication of technical and aesthetic details, and provides rules and criteria for the sizing and assembling standardized construction of different classes of buildings. These building elements are described in detail, through text and images, in the ancient manuals of Chinese architecture. The most significant document for its completeness and excellent state of preservation is entitled Yingzao Fashi: it was written by Li Chieh and published in 1103, after about thirty years of changes and integrations, and has been reissued several times over the centuries by different authors. This manual includes part of the contents of other earlier manuscripts, written since 700. It contains a set of guidelines resulting from the fusion of knowledge related to the theory and practice of building, respectively, transferred through theoretical texts and practical experiences. The contents of this important text were further developed and increasingly refined in other subsequent manuals (e.g., the Gongcheng Zuofa Zeli of 1734 and the Qing Shi Yingzao Zeli – Yingzao Suanli of 1934). The technical knowledge contained in these manuals allows the dissemination of down-handed practices to support the architects, artisans, and carpenters’ activity for constructing traditional works based on a wooden frame structure. The collection of drawings, tables, and rules elaborated over the centuries allows today a deeper comprehension of the genesis and evolution of the main construction elements of traditional Chinese buildings (foundations, beams, pillars, bracketing systems, roofing systems), enabling their analysis, recovery, and reconstruction.
A Modern “machine for living”. The Villa Girasole in Marcellise in Italy
Abstract
In the XX century, Italian architects experimented with the use of new European construction vanguards: concrete and steel materials for building frames, new cladding systems, and many other technologies for structures and envelopes. However, while other countries have imposed heavy economic sanctions on Italy, the Italian Government adopted an economic protection protocol to improve protectionist policies of self-production. This situation has led to the optimization of national resources and the creation of experimental models of architecture, often beyond the “limits of physics”. Villa Girasole in Marcellise (Verona, Italy) by Angelo Invernizzi is a current example of this innovation process, which has enhanced knowledge about construction techniques, domotics, and building energy systems. Villa Girasole has been described as a masterpiece of Italian Rationalism and Futurism architecture. In fact, the building can turn on itself with a revolving and circular rails system (as aeronautical engineering systems). With this movement, the building can follow the daily and seasonal orientation of the sun, improving the building’s energy performance. Moreover, the building adopted a futuristic cladding system (Alumàn), many insulating Italian materials (Eraclit), and important building systems like concrete framework (with Vierendeel beams) and steel frames. The construction and typological analysis of this masterpiece represent a necessary condition to improve the knowledge of the contemporary design process. In fact, from the heritage experience, the architects can design new building systems that follow the requirements of environmental sustainability and energy saving, with domotics systems and new building materials.
Conservation principles and structural performance of Modern heritage: the church of San Giovanni in Bosco in Bologna
Abstract
The knowledge of the design and construction practice of peculiar works that belong to the Modern heritage is an essential prerequisite for its conscious conservation.
In the transition phase between Modern Italian construction and the beginning of prefabrication in the late 1960s, a significant episode is the construction of the church of San Giovanni Bosco in Bologna between 1963 and 1969, one of the most recent, and the last Bolognese work, by the architect Giuseppe Vaccaro.
On the one hand, the church presents some technical features that confirm the construction practice consolidated during the Twentieth century in Italy, identifiable as a mixed construction. On the other, innovative elements were introduced to integrate three different structural technologies, such as load-bearing masonry walls, reinforced concrete frames and steel trusses.
The paper proposes the repertoire of the construction techniques of the church, which represents a condition of uniqueness within the local building heritage. This complexity and the particular combination of different load-bearing materials make the structural components invisible, being an obstacle for assessing the structural performance of the existing building according to traditional methods.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN THE ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE
An eco-sustainable parametric design process of bio-based polymers temporary structures
Abstract
The primary common goal of any resource processing intervention is environmental sustainability. It seeks practical collaboration in construction technology and innovation, whether intentionally used to increase eco-friendly energy savings or implicitly used to reduce the impact of construction projects on the global environment. Biopolymers are a promising field for growth because they combine high technological potential with environmental sustainability. A viable alternative to conventional, costly, and complicated construction systems is the employment of technologies that exploit environmental sustainability concepts to create temporary modular structures that maximize manufacturing times and costs.
The paper presents an innovative process for designing temporary structures for social, cultural, and exhibition use. The present paper aims at the following objectives: (i) to illustrate a parametric approach to the design of spaces for such proposes; (ii) to study a prefabricated construction system consisting of interlocking elements to be dry assembled; (iii) to propose the use of new bio-based material. The building system originated based on these research instances targets the requirements of: adaptability, flexibility, and reversibility of spaces; prefabrication, lightness, and speed of installation and assembly; environmental sustainability and recyclability of components employed. In particular, the modules that make up the final product, characterized by vaults, are conceived as small shelters for reading and social activities.
How do visitors perceive the Architectural Heritage? Eye-tracking technologies to promote sustainable fruition of an artistic-valued hypogeum
Abstract
Sustainable strategies for Architectural Heritage reuse rely on preserving built environment features and maximizing visitors’ engagement. Occupancy issues can cause the degradation of building materials and surfaces, especially in isolated built environments, like hypogeum. The visitors’ presence affects indoor hygrothermal loads. Acceptable fruition models could provide number and timing for visitors’ access, but behavioral patterns should be assessed to evaluate if conservation-based assumptions can provide adequate users’ engagement. This work adopts technologies for detecting users’ behaviors and perception, applying it to a hypogeum characterized by high-valued reliefs on sandstone surfaces. Visitors’ numbers and times are defined to guarantee that thermal conditions do not exceed hypogeum natural fluctuations. Given this fruition model, in-situ experiments are performed to assess visitor’s perception of high reliefs and fruition patterns. Perception is investigated through a wearable eye-tracking system to point out which artifacts attract more attention and how. Fruition patterns are assessed in terms of users’ paths and engagement time in the hypogeum areas. Results show that the users’ attention is focused on better conserved and lightened high reliefs, suggesting the importance of lighting-design strategies for hypogeum reuse. The proposed fruition model can ensure satisfactory users’ engagement while guaranteeing adequate hypogeum thermal conditions.
The synthetic thermal insulation production chain moving towards a circular model and a BIM management
Abstract
One of the most debated issues of sustainability in the last century concerned the insulation layer, placing it at the center of technological innovation with a primary role in the design of the building shell; this change has generated an increasingly complex functional model. Its nature, morphology, and location guided the most appropriate choice: vegetable, animal, mineral or synthetic; inconsistent, panel or mat; in external, of interspace or internal position; until now, the products selection has been based on energy savings during the management phase of the building and not looking at production and disposal. This study, expanding the look at the life cycle of thermal insulators, focused on the most controversial in terms of sustainability, those of “plastic” derivation to understand with a correlative method: the trends prepared by companies to reduce “from cradle to gate” the use of fossil resources, the carbon footprint, the amount of water and energy consumed; what are the resolutions adopted to respond, with a renewed “conscious” production, to the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM Italian acronym) required in the Green Public Procurement (extended by virtue of state incentives also to private construction); the opening of the production system to industry 4.0 which will require a BIM (Building Information Modelling) approach for any type of intervention. After an extensive exploration to select a sample of synthetic thermal insulators, emblematic of the recent path of sustainable innovation, three investigations were undertaken aimed at highlighting: the congruity of performance of the winter and summer thermo-hygrometric profile; compliance with CAM but more extensively the attestation of their bio-ecological vocation; the conception of BIM objects for immediate use in the professional field. The results, although not homogeneous, have highlighted a great ferment in the sector, with a very promising technological level of some production lines to resolve prejudices and closures towards the synthetic thermal insulators.
Setting an effective User Reporting procedure to assess the building performance
Abstract
The importance of acquiring information from users to support the phases of the building process (design, construction, management and dismantling) is widely recognized by the scientific and technical community. In addition, in the era of the “Digital Transition” in building construction, participatory-sensing systems leveraging smart devices offer unprecedented observational capacity at the scale of the individual. On the other hand, data acquired by the users are typically characterized by multiple actors, many and often conflicting values and views, a wealth of possible outcomes and high uncertainty. Despite the widespread use of “user data acquisition” techniques, there are no procedures and guidelines to create effective user reported-based data acquisition in the building construction sector.
This paper proposes eight steps to set an effective User Reporting and overcome the classical drawbacks of data acquired by users for the inspection of technical and factual features. In particular, steps 1-2 a priori identify clusters of stakeholders and users to improve data homogeneity; steps 3-4 select technological tools, questionnaires and guidelines to independently acquire data from different clusters of users; steps 5-8 define the information flow, the validation approach and diagnostics. In order to show the potentiality of the proposed approach, the User Re-porting is applied to the building diagnostics of 131 RC buildings located in the Valencian coast (Spain).
A novel seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry façades: framing and validation on Caldarola case study after 2016 Central Italy Earthquake
Abstract
An important portion of the historical built environment, which is characterized by un-reinforced masonry, is particularly vulnerable to collapse in case of earthquakes, as demonstrated by recent events. Strategies to target the facades of the most vulnerable buildings need to be tailored for retrofitting and emergency planning. In this research, a novel expeditious vulnerability assessment method, particularly suitable for historical masonry aggregates, is proposed. The method allows assessing the vulnerability index based on information available from external surveys on the building, thus facilitating and speeding up the investigation. If other more precise information (e.g., curbs and tie rods effectiveness) is available, the vulnerability estimation can be improved. The method focuses on out-of-plane mechanisms of the facade, which cause debris to fall on adjacent streets, impeding emergency response. The expeditious method is tailored starting from analytical methods applied on a large sample of historical buildings hit by earthquakes, and validated by means of comparison with kinematic analysis and observed damage state on a relevant case study, Caldarola (Macerata, Central Italy, which was struck by the earthquake in 2016). Results show a good agreement between the proposed method, the kinematic analysis, and the observed damage state of the considered case study, with 75% and 87.5% correspondence, and the method is especially precise for evaluating highly damaged facades.
Straw in the retrofitting existing buildings: surveys and prospects
Abstract
The article aims to investigate the feasibility of straw as an alternative to traditional construction materials, with particular reference to the retrofit of buildings. This paper is part of the international debate on environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and rehabilitation of the existing building heritage and reports the results of research carried out at the Department of Architecture and Design of the Politecnico di Torino. After initial research and classification of the main construction techniques that can be used to realize straw thermal coats, a survey was started to collect opinions on the use of straw in construction from professionals and potential users.
At the same time, one on-site measurement campaign was carried out to assess the thermal transmittance of the straw insulation coat.
The different investigations – literature research, surveys, experimentation – highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the use of straw and identified possible scenarios for its wider application in Italy.
Automated semantic and syntactic BIM Data Validation using Visual Programming Language
Abstract
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is part of a digitalization process that, in recent years, has been revolutionizing the way buildings and infrastructures are designed, built, and maintained. Compared to traditional processes, BIM enhances the production and the management of data related to buildings and infrastructures throughout their life cycle. It is founded on a three-dimensional graphical model based on the specificity of project goals following the “level of information need” defined in BIM procurement documents. In this framework, an automated process for checking information within a BIM model plays a role of fundamental importance. Although this increases the model’s reliability, on the other hand, it decreases the time of working. Therefore, this research aims to develop a working methodology based on Visual Programming Language (VPL) for an automated BIM Data Validation process. This workflow aims to meet the growing need of owners to centralize data relating to their real estate assets to always have the appropriate one at the operational level. This methodology has been tested in different case studies to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of using a standardization protocol in a large portfolio and complex buildings. This allows the huge amount of data from BIM models to be checked and summary reports to be produced, sharing with the various stakeholders involved in the knowledge process.
Digital georeferenced archives: analysis and mapping of residential construction in Bologna in the second half of the twentieth century
Abstract
The study is aimed to provide a detailed knowledge database of the housing sector in the period of real estate significant expansion in Bologna in the second half of the 20th century. The final objective is the definition of a digital archive that is accessible and searchable and also a tool for analyses before interventions. The first phase of this research has focused on consulting cartographies and archival documents. On the one hand, analyzing maps and aerial photos of Bologna has identified the urban sprawl in the reference period 1940-1970. On the other hand, the cataloguing from new building permits provides some relevant data about architectural and construction features of the housing sector in the same period. The data resulting from archival research are implemented with a municipal georeferenced database using GIS software. In this way, a direct link is created between building specificities, urban fabric, and localization, so that the shifting from the urban scale to the building one is always possible. Then, another purpose is the definition of an algorithm to identify a sample of residential lots suitable for replacement within the urban perimeter of the city up to 1970. An evaluation method is currently ongoing to assess the convenience of this intervention category, rather than restoration, and to define a protocol to support the decision-making process together with a management system in three areas (technical, social, and economic) respecting circularity.
Digital models for decision support in the field of energy improvement of university buildings
Abstract
According to the most recent provisions of the European Union, public buildings should play an exemplary role in sustainable development, adopting accelerated renovation rates aimed at improving their energy performance.
Within this category, university buildings are a case study of great interest to experiment with new approaches for energy refurbishment and sustain-able management of architectural assets. The research presents a work-flow that originates from easily available input data, to reach the definition of a multi-scale spatial database, founded on the synergy between GIS (Geographic Information System) and BIM (Building Information Mod-eling) and defined according to standard and shared data models. Tools of this kind are crucial for promoting efficient information management building assets, by organizing data into navigable three-dimensional mod-els. In addition to the clear benefits associated with structured archiving, the provision of a relational database makes it possible to capitalize on the already available knowledge and to activate decision support tools for comparative assessment of transformation scenarios. In particular, the use of the cost-optimal methodology is proposed: it is a multi-criteria assess-ment aimed at identifying a set of optimal energy refurbishment solutions concerning energy consumption and management costs. The paper pres-ents the methodological framework and examines its application at differ-ent scales, from the case of the University of Pavia real estate asset to the application to a single building complex.
Italian temporary prefabricated constructions (1933-1949). Projects, Patents and Prototypes
Abstract
The study considers solutions and systems for temporary and prefabricated constructions developed in Italy in the 1930s and 1940s. Companies such as L’Invulnerabile, Curtisa, Legnami Pasotti, Giuseppe Palini e Figli, Fratelli Ravelli proposed easy to assemble, changeable, and in many cases, dismountable buildings destined to the 1930s Italian and colonial markets. The survey aims to reconstruct different cases, highlighting both the premises that determined the vanguard of the post-war debate on building industrialization and the factors that constrained further developments of the pioneering phase analysed. The study starts with the V Triennale of Milan (1933) and develops in the colonial season in East Africa, enriched with applications in the Alpine areas, before finally considering some proposals that were presented at the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche exhibition on prefabricated houses in 1945 and the development of some patents by manufacturers specialised in this building sector. The buildings were intended for houses and offices of the Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazioni and the Azienda Mineraria Africa Orientale in the colonial areas, for bivouacs of the Club Alpino Italiano, and for prefabricated houses advanced in the Second post-World War period by Società Anonima Legnami Pasotti and by L’Invulnerabile. The study, based on the clients’ archives (Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazioni, Azienda Mineraria Africa Orientale, Club Alpino Italiano), technical documentation, and patents of the manufacturing companies, favours the examination of the production and assembly process.
New Horizons for Sustainable Architecture
Relationship between building type and construction technologies in the first Friuli Venezia Giulia hydroelectric plants
Abstract
The paper focuses on the hydroelectric plants in Friuli Venezia Giulia, especially those along the Cellina and Meduna rivers. The technological revolution of water exploitation to produce electricity led to the construction of these buildings between the 19th and 20th centuries; their different structural, technical, architectural, and engineering features became interesting case studies for such industrial heritage. The research analyzed the main features of the power plants built along the Cellina (Malnisio, Giais, Partidor, and San Foca) and Meduna (Meduno, Colle, Istrago, Chievolis, and Valina) rivers, from an architectural, formal, functional, and constructive point of view. The study of these iconic buildings, one infrastructure system related to the “waterways”, allows them to be placed within the logic of settlement and production phenomena, and by reinterpreting them in a modern key makes possible refurbishment strategies with actualized needs and functions.
Retrofitting detention buildings of historical-cultural interest. A case study in Italy
Abstract
Penitentiary buildings in Italy include many buildings of undoubted historical and architectural importance. These have been, or will soon be, subject to structural changes necessary to adapt their spaces to the current regulations of prisons.
The idea of punishment itself has changed over the centuries, so it is a physiological necessity to adapt existing buildings accordingly. When, however, such buildings date back centuries, they should not be considered a mere container but a historical testimony rich in meaning for the entire nation. The characteristics of the materials, distribution, and what these buildings have represented for the city should be the object of study and protection, whereas, at present, their historical-architectural qualities are often ignored and distorted with interventions that should often be better studied and evaluated. The article takes its cue from the description of the recovery of a Sicilian prison that was built in the early twentieth century and which is considered emblematic. The type of construction and its distribution reflect a multitude of historical meanings, as evidence of architecture too often underestimated, that of prisons. The aim of this illustrated paper is to study methods and propose solutions to safeguard these buildings that, while respecting current regulations on detention, can also let everyone in the future “read” the history of our civilization through this important architectural heritage.
Forest products in construction: a comparative life cycle assessment of an Italian case study
Abstract
This work aims to investigate the environmental consequences of using forest products as a replacement for conventional construction materials. A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was carried out to compare a semi-detached timber house located in Italy versus an equivalent building with conventional construction technologies (concrete and bricks). As a result, most of the ReCiPe environmental indicators resulted more favorable for timber alternative, which is mainly connected to replacing the reinforced concrete volume in the structure, while the pressure on the land resulted as a critical consequence for timber alternative.
The effects of mortar on the dynamic thermal performances of stone masonries
Abstract
In Italy, an important percentage of historical buildings was built with stone masonry. It is necessary to correctly understand its thermal behaviour in order to evaluate suitable retrofit interventions. Stone masonries can present very complex and variable thermal fields, due to the different geometry of stone blocks, to the various type of stones used and to the presence of mortar. Twelve samples are analysed with a Finite Element Modeller to investigate its effect on dynamic properties. The results show that mortar positively influences periodic thermal transmittance and decrement factor of stone walls.
Evolution of a patent work applied: formulation of sustainable mortars with a new natural hydraulic binder on site
Abstract
The present research study concerns the formulation of natural mortars with hydraulic behaviour, used for the restoration of the walls of historical buildings. The research aim – based on a patented procedure – is to provide an answer to the conservation of these buildings, often having archaeological and artistic interest. In accordance with Life Cycle Assessment principles, the production process of the mortar can also be carried out at the restoration site, involving a low environmental impact. Thanks to its characteristics, the natural mortar object of this research study can represent a valid alternative to Portland cement.
An interdisciplinary approach for the investigation and dating of Roman thermal buildings: the Indirizzo Baths at Catania, Sicily
Abstract
Roman baths are not only fascinating architectural structures but also provide many insights into the ancient culture. They represent an emblematic step in the process of civilization, indicative of the importance of cities or the families that had them built. Their heating systems exemplify the outstanding level of technological progress achieved by the Romans. A novel interdisciplinary methodological approach is present-ed to bridge the knowledge gap that often still concerns Roman baths. It integrates in-situ analyses, laser scanning surveys, thematic 3D models, computational fluid dynamics simulations, thermoluminescence, and optically stimulated luminescence dating, providing an in-depth investigation of the 3D spatiality, the functional layout, the construction techniques, the operation, and the diachronic development of thermal complexes. In this paper, the proposed approach is applied and validated on one of the best-preserved thermal buildings anywhere in the Roman Empire: the Indirizzo baths at Catania (Sicily). The dating campaign confirmed that the complex was built at the end of the IV century and stayed in operation until the VII century. The outcomes are a fundamental premise for future conservation and exploitation activities, while the proposed methodology constitutes a useful approach that can be effectively replicated to better understand and promote other Roman thermal complexes.
Planned maintenance for architectural heritage. Experiences in progress from 3D survey to intervention programmes through HBIM
Abstract
The continuous evolution of 3D surveying and modelling techniques, using increasingly high-performance tools and applications, highlights the added value of these methods in the field of urban and architectural survey. In the case study presented, attention is focused particularly on applications useful for the planned maintenance of cultural heritage (CH). These tools and methods have a significant impact on the phases of interpretation and “physical” knowledge. They can also bring a critical contribution to the completion of models that are not only geometric but also semantic and informative, supporting 360-degree planning of the maintenance of our historical architectural heritage.
This support for scheduled maintenance has been identified in the HBIM methodology, based on an integrated 3D metric survey.
A three-year research project on this topic (Interreg Italy-Switzerland “MAIN.10.ANCE”, 2019-2022), partnered by Politecnico di Torino, is currently in the central phase. The main focus of the project is a UNESCO heritage site: the “Sacri Monti” (Sacred Mountains) of Italy and those in Canton of Ticino (Switzerland), with the need for a common and shared conservation plan.
Representation and knowledge of historic construction: HBIM for structural use in the case of Villa Palma-Guazzaroni in Terni
Abstract
A validated method for the digital representation of historic construction through HBIM permits assessment of compliance with workmanlike practices and structural performance. The construction of an appropriate model is closely linked to survey methodology, to the integrated application of multiple techniques of direct and indirect survey and non-destructive tests. The paper specifically deals with the complementarity between photogrammetry based on UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) with TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanner). Finally, through this methodology, the HBIM model set for structural use allows the analysis of local mechanisms in order to verify the performance of the building. The methodological approach to the relationship between constructive survey and construction of the HBIM model to understand and evaluate the building organism from a structural point of view is exposed using Villa Palma-Guazzaroni in Terni as a case study. The Villa is representative of architectural heritage resulting from an original unitary intervention and subsequently affected by several modifications that, without obscuring many of the original values, have nevertheless altered the building and its architectural characteristics.
Discipline and research: borders and frontiers
I think that the research directions of our discipline, as they have been outlined in the last years starting from their historically determined framework, can be associated with two categories borrowed from Piero Zanini1, the “border” and the “frontier”. They become the organizing criteria through which we can reinterpret outcomes and development perspectives of these studies.
According to Zanini, the “border” “indicates a common limit, a separation between contiguous spaces; it is also a way to peacefully establish everyone’s right of ownership over a territory”. Thinking of a border and building a fence means inventing a field and enclosing it, highlighting its size, shape, and functions.
I believe the research that many of us are undertaking reveals the different ways of coping with the concept of border.
In a first interpretation, the border defines a known research field within which to explore its limits, always moving in a familiar territory that unequivocally leads back to a comfort zone. This confidence is a guarantee of a high level of knowledge of the field itself and reaffirms its “robustness”, even at the risk of falling into the cliché of déjà fait, déjà vu.
As the boundary becomes closer and closer, a second interpretation takes shape, leading to the perception of the border as too binding for the operational environment. As a result, this situation leads some researchers to go further, opening up gaps into neighboring disciplinary territories, thus facing the challenge – and the risk – of not always being relevant if they fail to “place all the information correctly” not only “in their own context” but also outside it2. The uncertain awareness with which the territories of complexity concerning this challenge are explored results in an adventure within different disciplinary fields. The scientific paradigm, entirely focused on the method, is not sufficient to guide this research; making the interweaving intelligible through the aid of simulations rather than experiments does not seem sufficient to restore its multiple facets and hybrid nature. This mainly happens when the attention is limited to topics whose scientific relevance should embrace the dimension of the exception – further accumulator of complexity3 – and not of the rule.
All this implies that research developed in several fields must start from here and bring a rethinking of the disciplinary field. A rethinking that introduces, in fact, a new condition of otherness able to cross our boundaries and at the same time preserve them from the risk of reaching a state of foreignness, trespassing, or ambivalence, which can also lead to the insidious misunderstanding of the “coexistence of two statements (I am this and that)”.
Then I would like to recall the Italian-French movie “La legge è legge” (The law is the law) starring Fernandel, in the role of an honest and responsible French customs officer and Totò in the role of a Neapolitan smuggler. The events, set on the French-Italian border in the imaginary town of Assola, show the character played by Fernandel as the victim of a comedy of misunderstanding: from being a respected French citizen, he first becomes an Italian outcast, and then a stateless person, and as such, unwanted by the authorities of both countries. However, the vicissitudes he goes through result from a deception: the old owner of the inn, in which the protagonist was born, is located precisely on the border itself. The innkeeper had arbitrarily moved the Italian borderline from one room to another to attract more tourists, thus transforming Fernandel, born in French land, into a fake Italian. The deception is revealed thanks to the smuggler Totò, who finds two bottles of wine of different vintages on whose labels are depicted the two different borderlines. At that point, the old innkeeper is scolded by the smuggler, who tells him: “are you crazy? Don’t you know that you can’t move the borders!”
The Neapolitan actor’s statement may be approved or not; however, I believe that moving a boundary is not always a legitimate operation and, in any case, complex.
The border, intended in the sense with which I proposed this kind of reasoning, can instead welcome the theme of ambivalence only in terms of reflection, of articulation of right questions, as Pascal4 himself reports. Considering that frequently what was true on one side of the Pyrenees was no longer true beyond them, he recognizes the need to know what there is in common between the two slopes of the same mountain system and, if anything, what it is and where is the truth that lies “beyond”.
It is necessary to introduce the concept of “frontier” to continue with the categories adopted by Piero Zanini. According to the architect, “the frontier represents the end of the Earth, the ultimate limit beyond which to venture”; to cross the frontier “means leaving a familiar, known, reassuring space and entering that of uncertainty”.
The frontier contains within itself the noun “fronte” (front). It refers in its etymology both to “affrontare” (facing), which implies the need to discuss with the other, and “fronteggiare” (confronting), which gives the possibility, in a challenging dimension, to overcome known boundaries, suggesting the direction and progression of change.
Unlike border, frontiers do not require being inside or outside a delineated territory, but instead occupying a strip of that extreme territory. In this unordered liminal space, everything often blurs and mixes without attribution of belonging to inside or outside categories; this is “the place where the norm, the rule that border establishes no longer applies, the land where everyone must take care of himself and everything becomes possible”.
The frontier is therefore not configured as a physical limit but as a meso-space with no name whose thickness is given by margins that are never clear, nor univocally definable, nor even impenetrable. A meso-space in which to operate, trying to redetermine the discipline’s operational fields through an osmotic potential identified each time. The condition of anomie leads to giving up the established system of rules. Therefore, the research methodologies must be reinvented with respect to tailor-made strategies and tactics.
In this perspective, “the problem is not to open the frontiers between disciplines, but to transform what generates these frontiers: the organizing principles of knowledge”. Investigating knowledge’s operational fields represents an impervious and elitist path, tackled only by a few who have accepted the challenge of moving in unfamiliar contexts, betting on trans-disciplinarity although being aware of the longer wait for the achievement of certain outcomes.
What stated so far highlights an interpretation aimed at provoking deep thought and, I hope, an open debate within our disciplinary field, on its roots and perspectives, in a framework of a significant change of society, in view of the ongoing transformations induced by the actual contingency events. The adoption of both debated categories of “border” and “frontier” seems, in fact, functional to describe their condition of crisis, with respect to the firmness of the border and the exploration possibilities of the frontiers. Both aspects exemplify the two risk scenarios in which researchers can incur: to remain closed in their enclosure or to be foreigners in the land of others.
Nevertheless, the scenario I have tried to outline and emerging from the territories of knowledge explored here represents the prerequisite for orienting towards serendipity. If, breaking away from the beaten paths, the research fields do not still find shared canons that can group them in an organic form, if “we are used to placing the sign ‘Various’ on them, it is precisely here that we must penetrate”5.
Therefore, I would like to leave the conclusion of this reflection open by quoting Piero Zanini once again. He stated: “borders and frontiers are cultural constructions that can take on many different meanings. They are at the same time the affirmation and the negation of themselves and of the dichotomies and ambiguities that they determine […] The ambiguity of the boundaries is all here, and the unpredictability of our behaviors in front of them requires us, perhaps, to play with them: the boundary is there, but it cannot be seen. At least as long as we are in the middle of it”. Staying in the middle, nowadays more than ever, implies at least one awareness: the oscillation of our actions has an amplitude whose points of inversion are, on the one hand, aesthetic capitalism and, on the other hand, scientific capitalism. Both of them are rules and not exceptions of a society that trusts in the myth of the circular economy to find a possible way of salvation.
Notes
1 Zanini P (1997) Significati del confine. I limiti naturali, storici, mentali. Mondadori, Milano
2 Morin E (1999) La tête bien faite, trans. Lazzari S (2000), La testa ben fatta. Riforma dell’insegnamento e riforma del pensiero. Raffaello Cortina, Milano
3 Ceruti M, Bellusci F (2020) Abitare la complessità. La sfida di un destino comune. Mimesis, Milano-Udine
4 Pascal B (1669) Pensées, trans. Allason B (1936), Pensieri. Utet, Torino
5 Debray R (2010) Éloge des frontières, trans. Favetto GL (2012), Elogio delle frontiere. ADD editore, Torino
Innovative construction materials: graphene-based smart composites
Abstract
Over the recent decades, the cement composites sector has been characterised by experimentation and production of the so-called intelligent concrete, that can adjust their characteristics by reacting to external stimuli. The ultimate evolution of the concrete performance has been achieved thanks to the use of multifunctional fillers, transforming a traditional concrete into a smart concrete. Graphene, a two-dimensional material, is opening new avenues for innovative applications in the construction sec-tor. This paper reports the first results of using pure crystalline few-layers graphene as an additive in cement composites.
