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; Well-being in the Built Environment; AI and Digitalization; Advanced materials and components; Preservation, management and valorisation

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: a Regenerative Built Environment

  • Development and application of life cycle–oriented and sustainability-driven design methodologies and assessment 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 the regeneration and adaptive reuse of building systems and components
  • Development of new strategies for the energy and environmental retrofitting of building stocks
  • Innovative technologies for the energy and environmental efficiency of building–plant systems and for meeting comfort needs while minimizing resource consumption
  • Development of adaptive/regenerative envelope solutions for energy efficiency and comfort
  • Renewable energy harvesting and storage technologies for buildings and communities (distributed generation, etc.)
  • Analysis of the residual performance of buildings
  • Dynamic modeling and simulation of buildings and HVAC/mechanical systems
  • Experimental outdoor monitoring of photovoltaic and hybrid (photovoltaic-thermal) components
  • Transfer of experimental settlement/urban models for the sustainable development of urban areas
  • Monitoring of performance in real and semi-real environments (Living Labs) of innovative building components
  • Framing and development of new models and approaches for building energy certification

Well-being in the Built Environment

Wellbeing: a Healthy, Safe and Inclusive Built Environment

  • Development of innovative models for healthcare, school, sports, tertiary-sector, and housing architectures (construction and transformation), as well as for public spaces
  • Development of new building/real estate products in the fields of co-living, co-working, and related services
  • Development and refinement of user-/community-centered design models
  • Multi-hazard and multi-risk analysis and assessment, from the building scale to the urban and territorial scale
  • Development and refinement of multiscale design and technological strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change and pollution, as well as adaptation and prevention measures
  • Policies and strategies to promote health in urban contexts and complex buildings, and development of multicriteria tools for assessing health-oriented environments
  • Development of models/frameworks for analyzing inclusiveness and accessibility of the built environment
  • Development of people-centered solutions for comfort and health
  • Analysis of post-event multisectoral and multiscale damage (transport, critical infrastructure and major infrastructure, economic activities, agriculture, public buildings, housing)
  • Analysis of the socio-economic resilience of the built environment to external shocks (health-related, economic, social)
  • Analysis and design of territorial development policies at the urban and regional scales
  • Creation of innovative information systems for the collection, management, and use of data for post-event damage assessment and preventive evaluation
  • Development of indicators for assessing multi-risk vulnerability and resilience of different systems (natural, built environment, socio-economic, infrastructure systems) at local, regional, macro-national, and international scales, with attention to cross-border events and risks
  • Preparation of tools for the classification, assessment, and management of seismic, flood, volcanic, industrial accident (Seveso Directive), and Natech risks
  • Monitoring of environmental and territorial phenomena for risk/resilience assessment
  • Modeling of soils, rock masses, and block structures
  • Design of protection works for rock masses and unstable slopes
  • Assessment of the safety, vulnerability, and risk of existing buildings and infrastructure, including the development of diagnostic methodologies, classification tools, and criteria for defining intervention priorities
  • Structural design for new constructions aimed at seismic risk mitigation
  • New approaches to the structural design of new and existing buildings (seismic strengthening)
  • New solutions for fire safety
  • Monitoring of existing structures and infrastructure for risk reduction
  • Design of “service” infrastructures (water supply systems, wastewater treatment plants, power generation plants) and mitigation of impacts and risks for major infrastructure
  • Drafting and development of emergency plans
  • Development of strategies/solutions for the quality, safety, and inclusiveness of public spaces
  • Development and prototyping of new temporary housing models for emergencies
  • Support for public administrations (authorities, ministries, schools) in feasibility projects, from the scale of the individual building to its potential relationships with urban-scale transformations
  • Development of innovative solutions for the integration between buildings and different levels of accessibility
  • Participation in technical standardization activities and the development/updating of design codes and regulations concerning structures, materials, and construction products at national and international levels

AI and Digitalization

AI and Digital Transformation: a Smart and Advanced Construction Industry and a Sustainable Built Environment

  • Digital management (BIM-based twins) of the design, production, procurement, construction, and lifecycle of buildings
  • Development of platforms for data management in the BIM domain (built environment)
  • Data-Driven Engineering, Performance-Based Design, and Artificial Intelligence applied to:
    • surveying, monitoring, and data management in buildings
    • digitalization of the built environment
    • facility and asset management (buildings and systems)
    • development and refinement of connected and intelligent building components and systems (smart buildings, smart communities)
    • feasibility studies and due diligence
    • energy planning and transformation of the built environment and Smart Energy Districts
    • structural and infrastructure safety control, monitoring, and Digital Twins
    • emergency prevention and management
    • reverse engineering
    • advanced modeling
  • Analysis of geospatial data, GIS, databases, and online publishing (Spatial Data Infrastructures)
  • Analysis of technological transformations in the built environment and their socio-economic impact
  • Models/tools/frameworks for assessing the value and transformation potential of the built environment
  • Analysis of existing digital skills in built-environment labor markets
  • Identification of skill gaps and/or mismatches in addressing the digital transition of the built environment
  • Development of twin transition scenarios for the built environment
  • Development of platforms for big data analysis and management (infrastructure and built environment)
  • Development of methods and strategies for urban and territorial regeneration (analysis–design–planning)
  • Transfer of educational, decision-making, operational, and technological know-how for sustainable development

Advanced materials and components

Advanced Materials, LCA and Innovative Technologies: a Competitive Construction Industry

  • Development of DfX (Design for X) solutions for highly configurable products with reduced costs and production times
  • Development and optimization of DfX processes
  • Development of high-performance innovative building components featuring adaptive behavior, bio-based materials, green solutions, and integration with energy generation systems
  • Development of ultra-lightweight construction systems with simplified installation processes
  • Experimentation with smart materials for the preservation of existing heritage buildings, structures, and infrastructure under both service conditions and extreme events
  • Mechanical and multiphysics analysis, advanced modeling, and testing of the behavior of advanced materials, secondary components/systems, structural elements, structures, and infrastructure at full scale
  • Pilot projects for the experimentation and testing of new materials, components, and technologies
  • Prototyping, advanced manufacturing (3D printing and subtractive manufacturing), and robotics applied to architecture and construction engineering

Preservation, management and valorisation

Preservation, management and valorisation of Cultural Heritage

  • Conservation and enhancement of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, from archaeology to modern architecture
  • Development and application of new technologies for cultural heritage and archaeology
  • Process innovation and digitalization in cultural heritage management
  • Analysis of the impact of cultural and creative industries and cultural tourism on the performance of the built environment
  • Support for the creation, design, and implementation of cultural districts, including archaeological areas in urban contexts, new museum itineraries, and library systems
  • Development of advanced numerical models for cultural heritage risk mitigation and the design of seismic prevention interventions
  • Structural retrofit and upgrading of existing buildings and structures for cultural heritage risk mitigation
  • Data management and analysis through Artificial Intelligence, Historic-BIM, and virtual/augmented reality techniques
  • Analysis, strategies, and applications for the energy efficiency of cultural heritage through innovative building and plant-system solutions
  • Support for Public Administrations, institutions, Ministries, and private stakeholders in projects related to cultural heritage and landscape
  • Enhancement of archaeological heritage through sustainable tourism strategies
  • Monitoring of thermo-hygrometric conditions in historic buildings
  • Support for Public Administrations, institutions, Ministries, and private stakeholders in adaptive reuse, functional conversion, and spatial reorganization projects involving historically and culturally significant buildings and spaces
  • Support for Public Administrations, institutions, Ministries, and private stakeholders in projects for the recontextualization and enhancement of historically and culturally significant buildings and spaces
  • Development of new integrated museum-system models for the enhancement and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural heritage