Mangili Silvia

Architect, graduated in 2019 in Architectural Design from Politecnico di Milano. She completed a postgraduate Master in Planning, Programming, and Design of Hospital and Social-Health Facilities (2019–2020). In 2024, she obtained a Ph.D. cum laude at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), Politecnico di Milano, with the thesis “Built Environment and Dementia”, investigating the relationship between built environment quality and impacts on people living with dementia. During her Ph.D., she was a Visiting Researcher at University College London, Department of Sustainable Architecture. She worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Design & Health Lab (DABC) within the project “Built Environment and Mental Health”. Since 16 January 2026, she has been a Junior Researcher (RTDA) at DABC, Politecnico di Milano. She is also a Teaching Assistant in Building and Environmental Hygiene. Her research focuses on Healthcare Design, user-centered environments, and strategies for vulnerable populations. She is the author of more than 15 indexed scientific publications and speaker at national and international conferences.

Career

PhD in Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (cum laude, 2024)Politecnico di MilanoThesis: Built Environment and Dementia. Experience-Based Design Strategies for Alzheimer’s Architectures.

II Level Master in Planning, Programming and Design of Health and Social-Health Systems (2020)Politecnico di Milano, University of Milan, University Cattolica del Sacro CuoreFinal grade: 110/110 cum laude.

Master of Science in Architecture (cum laude, 2019)Politecnico di MilanoThesis: Ambiente Costruito e Alzheimer – Valutazione della qualità delle strutture sanitarie per pazienti affetti da demenza.

Bachelor of Science in Architecture (2016)Politecnico di MilanoThesis: Indoor Air Quality – Analisi di un edificio contaminato da radon.

Research

Here’s a revised English version with a clear mention of the elderly:

her research focuses on the relationship between the built environment, health, and well-being, with a particular emphasis on healthcare and social-health settings. She investigates how spatial, environmental, and technological quality of buildings affects health outcomes, behavior, and user experience, especially for vulnerable populations such as the elderly and people living with dementia. Key areas of interest include Healthcare Design, Design & Health, building hygiene, urban health, and salutogenic environments. Her work involves evidence-based analysis of the built environment, development of user-centered design criteria and tools, and the integration of interdisciplinary approaches across architecture, public health, and environmental sciences at Politecnico di Milano.

Selected Publications

1. Rebecchi, A.; Mosca, E.I.; Capolongo, S.; Buffoli, M.; Mangili, S. How Can We Measure Urban Green Spaces’ Qualities and Features? A Review of Methods, Tools and Frameworks Oriented Toward Public Health. Urban Sci. 2025, 9, 544. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9120544

2. Mangili, S.; Pattaro, B.; Brambilla, A.; Ferraguzzi, G.; Caira, C.; Capolongo, S. The Healing Environment for Healthcare Staff in Paediatric Settings: A Cross-National Semi-Structured Survey on Healthcare Staff Satisfaction. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 1444. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091444

3. Mangili S, Trabucchi M, Capolongo S, Can the built environment impact the health and well-being of people with dementia? Evidence from Literature and Stakeholders Involvement, European Journal of Public Health, Volume 33, Issue Supplement_2, October 2023, ckad160.716, doi: 10.1093/epub/ckad160.7164. Mangili S, Ciaffoni L, Sun T, Brambilla A, Capolongo S. (2023) Evaluation of stakeholder opinion about Long Term Care Facilities for People with Dementia perceived quality: a web-based survey in the Italian context. Acta Biomed. 2023 Aug 30;94(S3):e2023143. doi: 10.23750/abm.v94iS3.14283. PMID: 37695196

5. Mangili S, Brambilla A, Trabucchi M, Capolongo S. (2023) Built environment impact on people with dementia (PwD) health and well-being outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. Acta Biomed. 2023 Aug 30;94(S3):e2023155. doi: 10.23750/abm.v94iS3.14284. PMID: 37695195

6. Mangili, S., Sun, T., Johnson, A.A. (2023). Nursing Homes During COVID-19 Pandemic—A Systematic Literature Review for COVID-19 Proof Architecture Design Strategies. Arbizzani, E., et al. Technological Imagination in the Green and Digital Transition. CONF.ITECH 2022. The Urban Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29515-7_87

7. Mangili S, Brambilla A, Capolongo S. (2022) Long-term care Facilities and Dementia. Development of a framework to assess design quality in healthcare structures for people with dementia. Alzheimer's and Dementia, 18(S8) doi:10.1002/alz.065844

8. Buffoli M, Mangili S, Capolongo S, Brambilla A. Explorative Study on Urban Public Space Renovation during COVID-19: Test of a Visual Web-Based Survey about the City of Saint German en Laye, France. Sustainability 2022; 14, 12489. doi:10.3390/ su141912489

9. Mangili S, Capolongo S, Healthcare Facilities and Dementia Development of a Framework to Assess Design Quality. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics Volume 297, Pages 323 – doi:330 10.3233/SHTI220856

10. Mangili S, Brambilla A, Capolongo S, A2CT Assessment Alzheimer Centre Tool: evaluation tool of structures for people with dementia, European Journal of Public Health, Volume 31, Issue Supplement_3, October 2021, doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab165.348

Grants, awards and Honours

• Selected in the Phase 1, Cariplo Young Researcher 2 phase competition, held by Fondazione Cariplo, with the proposed research: “Evidence based design strategies to assess the impact of the Built Environment on Dementia Progression in Nursing Homes”
• Selected among the participant of World Health Organization (WHO) Leadership in Public Health Course, 4-15 November, online and in presence in Lisbon, Portugal
• 2° prize “Valutare Premia” promoted by Regione Lombardia for the best PhD thesis award in 2024, with the PhD thesis “Built environment and Demenita” Mangili S
• Among the six selected participant at the Academy for Young Leaders in Public Health II edition 2023/2024 promoted by Accademia Lombarda di Sanità Pubblica
• 1st prize ENHANCE Challenge Mosca E, Capolongo S, Mangili S, Brambilla A, Gola M, Rebecchi A - team member of INCLUD project (2022)
• Finalist - MAKE to CARE -Sanofi. INCLUD project (2022), team: Mosca E, Capolongo S, Mangili S, Brambilla A
• 2° prize “Valutare Premia” Regione Lombardia best Master thesis award in 2021, with the Master thesis “Ambiente costruito e Alzheimer - Valutazione della qualità nelle strutture sanitarie per pazienti affetti da demenza” Mangili S and Maino R
• 2° prize Jumpstarter Grant, New European Bauhaus category European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) 2021. Progetto SustHealth. Team: Brambilla A, Mangili S, Apel J
• Winner Switch 2 Product startup competition 2021, INCLUD project, awarded by, Politecnico di Milano, team: Mosca E, Capolongo S, Morganti A, Mangili S, Brambilla A.
  

Community Service

Member of Board of Directors of Collegio degli Ingegneri e Architetti di Milano’ association (2024-ongoing).

Member of EUPHA – European Public Health Association working group Urban Public Health (2021-ongoing).

Member of AIP Associazione Italiana di Psicogeriatria (2020-ongoing)• Member of CNETO – Centro Nazionale Edilizia e Tecnica Ospedaliera (2021-ongoing).

Member of SItI Società Italiana di Igiene (2022-ongoing) and Gruppo di Lavoro Igiene e ambiente costruito (IAC).

Member of Accademia Lombarda di Sanità Pubblica (2022-ongoing).

Scientific Secretariat of the “Joint Research Partnership Healthcare Infrastructure” promoted by Politecnico di Milano, Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, private companies, and institutions in the healthcare sector (2021-ongoing).

Member of Design & Health Lab Politecnico di Milano Department ABC (2020-ongoing).

Member of Politecnico di Milano Alumni Association (2019–ongoing).