Research Lines

In the Department of Architecture, Built Environment, and Construction Engineering, research is organized into multidisciplinary groups, which are formed to tackle complex problems based on five strategic lines of research: Sustainability, Twin Transition, Well-Being, Advanced Products, and Conservation.

The Department has approximately 180 professors and researchers, divided into 21 Scientific Disciplinary Sectors, which can be grouped into four areas: science and technology for construction and the built environment; civil and construction engineering; architectural and technological design; history, protection, management, and enhancement of the built environment and landscape

Sustainability

Sustainability: decarbonised, resilient, adaptative and regenerative Built Environment

Development and application of life cycle-oriented and sustainability-driven project methodologies and evaluation tools
Development of systemic models and approaches for the resilience of the built environment and buildings
Development of circular systemic approaches (life cycle thinking) for regeneration and adaptive reuse of building systems and components
Development of new strategies for the energy and environmental requalification of building stocks
Innovative technologies for energy and environmental efficiency of building-systems and in order to meet comfort needs while minimizing resource consumption
Development of adaptive/regenerative envelope solutions for energy efficiency and comfort
Technologies for the exploitation and storage of renewable energies for buildings and communities (distributed generation, e.g.)
Analysis of residual building performance
Dynamic modeling and simulation of buildings and systems
Experimental monitoring of photovoltaic and hybrid (photovoltaic-thermal) components in an outdoor environment
Transfer of experimental settlement models for the sustainable development of urban areas
Monitoring of performance in real and semi-real environments (e.g. living lab) of innovative building components
Framing and development of new models and approaches in order to obtain building energy certification
Support for public administrations

Twin transition

Twin transition: competitive, digitalised and circular value chain for construction industry and built environment

Digital management through BIM-based twins of design, production, contracting, construction, and building operation
Development of platforms for data management in the context of BIM (built environment)
Data Driven Engineering, Performance based-design and AI applied to:
- Survey, monitoring and data management in buildings
- Digitisation of the built environment
- Facility asset management (buildings and facilities)
- Development and deployment of connected and smart building components and organisms (smart buildings, smart communities)
- Feasibility studies and due diligences
- Energy planning and transformation of the built environment and Smart Energy District
- Controllo della sicurezza delle strutture e delle infrastrutture, monitoraggio, Digital Twins
- Emergency prevention and management
- Reverse engineering
- Advanced modeling
Analysis of geospatial data, GIS, databases, online publication (Spatial Data Infrastructures)
Analysis of technological transformations in the built environment and their socio-economic impact
“Models, tools, frameworks” to assess the value and transformation potential of the built environment
Analysis of existing digital skills in the labor markets of the built environment
Identification of gaps and/or mismatches in skills domain to address the digital transition of the built environment
Building scenarios for twin transition in the built environment
Development of platforms for big data analysis and management (infrastructures and built environment)
Development of methods and strategies for urban and territorial regeneration (analysis, design and plan)
Transfer of training, decision-making, operational, and technological know-how for sustainable development
Support for public administrations

Well-being

Well-being: safe, secure, inclusive and healthy Built Environment

Development of innovative models for healthcare, school, sports, tertiary buildings and housing (construction and transformation) and for public spaces
Development of new building/real estate products in the co-living, co-working, and related services domain
Development and fine-tuning of user/community-centered design models
Multi-hazard and multi-risk analysis and assessment, from building scale to urban and territorial scale
Development and fine-tuning of multi-scalar design and technological strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change and pollution, and measures for adaptation and prevention
Policies and strategies to promote health in urban contexts and complex buildings, and development of multi-criteria tools for assessing health propensity
Development of models/frameworks for inclusivity/accessibility analysis of the built environment
Development of people-centered solutions for comfort, health and modeling
Analysis of post-event damages across multiple sectors and scales (transport, critical infrastructures, large infrastructures, economic activities, agriculture, public buildings, housing)
Analysis of socio-economic resilience of the built environment to external shocks (health, economic and social)
Analysis and design of policies for territorial development at urban and regional scales
Development of innovative information systems for data collection, management, and use in post-event and preventive damage assessment
Development and elaboration of indicators for multi-risk vulnerability and resilience assessment for various systems (natural, built environment, socio-economic, infrastructure) at local, regional, macro-national, and international scales, with attention to transboundary events and risks
Preparation of tools for classification, assessment, and risk management in seismic, flood, volcanic, industrial accident (Seveso Directive), and na-tech contexts
Monitoring of environmental/territorial phenomena for risk/resilience assessment
Modeling of terrains, rock masses, and block structures
Design of protective structures for rock masses and unstable slopes
Analysis of seismic and static vulnerability of existing structures and infrastructures
Design of structures for new constructions to mitigate seismic risk
New approaches to structural design for new and existing buildings (seismic reinforcement)
New solutions for fire safety
Monitoring of existing structures and infrastructures for risk reduction
Design of “service” architectures (aqueducts, sewage treatment plants, power generation plants) and mitigation of impacts and risks for large infrastructures
Preparation and construction of emergency plans
Development of strategies/solutions for quality, safety, and inclusivity of public spaces
Development of new temporary housing models for emergencies and prototyping
Support for public administrations (agencies, ministries, educational institutions) in feasibility projects, from the scale of individual buildings to their potential relationships with transformations at the urban scale
Development of innovative solutions related to integration between buildings and different levels of accessibility

Advanced products

Advanced products: Advanced materials, components, clean tech, innovative manufacturing and construction technologies/processes

Development of DfX solutions (Development for Excellence) for highly configurable products with reduced costs and time
Development of DfX processes
Development of innovative building components with high performance (adaptive behavior, bio-based, green, integrated with energy generation systems, etc.)
Development of ultra-lightweight construction systems with simplified installation
Experimentation with smart materials to preserve heritage, structures, and existing infrastructure during service conditions and extreme events
Mechanical and multi-physics analysis, advanced modeling, and testing of the behavior of advanced materials, secondary components/systems, structural elements, and full-scale structures and infrastructures
Pilot projects for the experimentation and testing of new materials, components, and technologies
Prototyping, advanced manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing, subtractive manufacturing), and robotics for architecture and construction engineering.

Conservation

Conservation: Science and management of cultural heritage

Conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, from archaeology to modern
New technologies for cultural heritage and archaeology
Process innovation and digitalization in cultural heritage management
Analysis of creative and cultural industries and cultural tourism on the performance of the built environment
Support for the creation, design, and implementation of cultural districts: archaeological areas, including urban contexts, new museum itineraries, and libraries
Development of advanced numerical models for risk mitigation of cultural heritage and seismic prevention interventions
Structural retrofitting of existing structures for risk mitigation of cultural heritage
Management and analysis of data using Artificial Intelligence techniques, Historic-BIM, virtual/augmented reality
Analysis, strategies, and applications for energy efficiency of cultural heritage (building and plant solutions)
Support for public administrations, organizations, ministries, and private entities in cultural heritage and landscape projects
Archaeological assets and sustainable tourism
Monitoring of thermo-hygrometric conditions of historic buildings
Support for public administrations, organizations, ministries, and private entities in projects for change of use and spatial reorganization/adaptation of buildings and spaces of historical and cultural relevance
Support for public administrations, organizations, ministries, and private entities in projects for the recontextualization of buildings and spaces of historical and cultural significance