Lavagna Monica

Associate Professor of Technological and Environmental Design of Architecture at Politecnico di Milano, since 2000 her research is focused on environmental sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment metrics in architecture at various scales, and since 2014 on the integration of LCA methodology into national and European building sector policies. On this topic, she has participated in numerous national and international research projects and national and international working groups (MASE CAM edilizia, IEA Annex 89, CEN TC350), has served on scientific committees and chaired sessions at national and international conferences, has been a guest editor of special issues of scientific journals, and is the author of over 200 scientific publications. She is President of the Italian LCA Network Association (2023-2026) and member of the Board of Directors since 2012. He was an expert consultant for the European Commission JRC (2014 and 2018) and Ramboll-DG GROW (2023-2025) for the definition of LCA benchmarks of the European building stock.

Career

Master Degree in Architecture, Politecnico di Milano (1998).
PhD in Technology and Design for Environmental Quality at the Building and Urban Scale, Politecnico di Milano (2004).

Research

Research topics:

• Environmental sustainability assessment tools and methods.
• Life Cycle Assessment for building and construction.
• Circular economy in the building sector.
• Environmental building design.
• Flexibility and adaptability of living spaces.
• Circular and sustainable construction solutions.
• Building sustainability protocols (Green Building Rating System).
• Environmental certification of building products (EPD).
• Support for sector environmental policies.
• Definition of building environmental benchmarks.
• Embodied Carbon/Whole Life Carbon assessments.
  
  

Selected Publications

2025. Monica Lavagna, Alexander Passer, “Life cycle assessment of buildings: methodological development and future perspectives”, in: F. Asdrubali, U. Berardi, Sustainability certifications, labels and tools in the Built Environment. How to Evaluate, Certificate and Reduce the Energy and Environmental Impacts of Buildings, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, pp. 166-188.

2025. Monica Lavagna, Anna Dalla Valle, Serena Giorgi, Matteo Fasciolo, Shadi Hamidkhani, Sara Michelotti, Davide Tirelli and Martin Röck, “Life Cycle Assessment of building stocks across World regions: A systematic literature review of existing studies and prevalent approaches”, Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2025 Zurich, IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1554 (2025) 012098, pp.1-10.

2024. Giulia Pristerà, Delphine Ramon, Martin Röck, Anna Dalla Valle, Serena Giorgi, Robine Verhaeghe, Monica Lavagna, Karen Allacker, “EU building stock characterization for whole life cycle assessment: Data challenges and key insights”, International Conference on Challenges for the Next Generation Built Environment 2024 Bologna, IOP Conference Series. Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 1402, pp. 1-11, ISSN: 1755-1315

2024. Monica Lavagna, “Technological scenarios of posthumanism: which [built] environment towards sustainability”, International Conference on Challenges for the Next Generation Built Environment 2024 Bologna, IOP Conference Series. Earth and Environmental Science, Volume 1402, pp. 1-10.

2022. Monica Lavagna (editor), LCA in edilizia. Ambiti applicativi e orientamenti futuri della metodologia Life Cycle Assessment nel settore edilizio, Maggioli, Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN).

2020. Monica Lavagna, “Circular Approach in Green Planning Towards Sustainable Cities”, In G. Dall’O’ (ed.), Green Planning for Cities and Communities: Novel Incisive Approaches to Sustainability, Springer, pp. 95-117.

2018. Monica Lavagna, Catia Baldassarri, Andrea Campioli, Serena Giorgi, Anna Dalla Valle, Valentina Castellani, Serenella Sala, “Benchmarks for environmental impact of housing in Europe: Definition of archetypes and LCA of the residential building stock”, Building and Environment, Volume 145, pp. 260–275.

2016. Monica Lavagna, Serena Giorgi, Anna Dalla Valle, Abitare in Europa. Analisi dei dati statistici, definizione di modelli rappresentativi e valutazione ambientale LCA del patrimonio residenziale europeo, Maggioli, Sant’Arcangelo di Romagna (RN).

2014. Monica Lavagna, Marika Arena, Giovanni Dotelli, Matteo Zanchi, “Le strutture temporanee per Expo Milano 2015: valutazione ambientale e soluzioni per la gestione del fine vita. The temporary structures for Expo Milan 2015: environmental assessment and solutions for the end of life management”, Techne. Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, n. 7, ISSN online 2239-0243, ISSN print 2240-7391, pp. 171-177.

2008. Monica Lavagna, Life Cycle Assessment in edilizia. Progettare e costruire in una prospettiva di sostenibilità ambientale, Hoepli, Milano.

Grants, awards and Honours

2021. Environmental expert. Project: LOreto VErde. Project selected in the International Competition “C40 Reinventing Cities” organized by Comune di Milano. Team leader: ViCom srl. Project Team: Citterio - Viel & Partners srl. Environmental Expert: Dipartimento di Architettura, Ingegneria delle Costruzioni e Ambiente Costruito del Politecnico di Milano (coordinator: Monica Lavagna).
2021. Environmental expert. Project: A2P (Augmenting a Park). Project selected in the International Competition “C40 Reinventing Cities” organized by Comune di Milano. Team leader: Brioschi Sviluppo Immobiliare S.p.A. Project Team: Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia s.r.l. Environmental Expert: Dipartimento di Architettura, Ingegneria delle Costruzioni e Ambiente Costruito del Politecnico di Milano.
2018. Environmental expert. Project: Proxima. Project selected in the International Competition “C40 Reinventing Cities” organized by Comune di Milano. Team leader: Energa Group srl. Project Team: Am Project, Joseph Di Pasquale Architects srl, Ied (Istituto Europeo di Design spa) e Architettura Lamellare srl. Environmental Expert: Dipartimento di Architettura, Ingegneria delle Costruzioni e Ambiente Costruito del Politecnico di Milano.
2012. Environmental expert. Project: Service Architecture for Expo 2015. Project winner of the first prize of the International Competition “Architectural ideas for service areas at Expo 2015 Milan” organized by Expo 2015 S.p.A. Project leader: Onsite studio and Liverani Molteni Architetti.

Community Service

President of the Italian LCA Network Association (2023-2026) and member of the Board of Directors since 2012.
Member of the MASE Working Group Minimum Environmental Criteria for Buildings (since 2007) and Roads and Infrastructure (since 2024).
Member of the Sustainability Culture Table of the DG Environment and Climate of the Lombardy Region (since 2023).
Member of the International Energy Agency, EBC, Annex 89 “Ways to Implement Net-zero Whole-Life Carbon Buildings” (since 2023).
Member of UNI CT033/GL02 Sustainability in Construction (since 2004); UNI CT057 Circular Economy (since 2019); CEN TC350 “Sustainability of Construction Works” (since 2006); ISO/TC59/SC17 “Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works” (since 2004), and ISO/TC323 “Circular Economy” (since 2019).
Member of the Scientific Committee of the Green Building Council Italy (since 2016).
Member of AIRI (Italian Association for Industrial Research) Construction-Technological Scenarios Working Group (2023-2025).
Member of the ABC Doctoral School Board at Politecnico di Milano (since 2018).
President (since 2025) and adjunct member (2023-2025) of the Student-Professor Joint Committee of the AUIC School at Politecnico di Milano.