AGATHÓN | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design

Reflections and trajectories for interdisciplinary research on the energy transition

Cesare Sposito, Francesca Scalisi — Sun, 14 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Volume 15 of AGATHÓN follows on from its predecessors on Innovability©® | Digital Transition and Innovability©® | Ecological Transition, aware of its pressing topicality but also of the scope that the proposal of a threefold key of interpretation suggests. We have clarified the meaning of the term ‘innovability’©®, formerly in use in the economic and social sciences, which is attributed to a renewed driving force for a new paradigm of development that expresses one of the most crucial challenges of our time and the need for a ‘solidary’ convergence between the two inescapable instances of ‘innovation’ and ‘sustainability’, as if they were opposites and contrasts: beyond the term used, in a historical moment characterised by environmental, social and economic emergencies, Humanity promotes one of its prerogatives, the use of the ‘things’ that nature makes available to us to do something other than their primary function (innovation), aware that those resources are not inexhaustible (sustainability). In this context, which must always look forward, we must design our best political and systemic actions to promote the need to innovate by using the Planet’s resources well and consciously.

The goals of climate neutrality by 2050 and the reduction of CO2 emissions by 55% (compared to the 1990 level) by 2030 (European Commission, 2019, 2021) pose the European Union, and even more so the rest of the world, with several complex issues, including a significant increase in ‘clean’ energy production from alternative and renewable sources, the reduction of energy poverty, greater security of energy supply and a drastic decrease in dependence on energy imports; at the same time, the aim is to foster modern economic growth decoupled from the use of non-renewable resources, the creation of new jobs, and to generate environmental and health benefits, objectives with inevitable cultural, political, economic, production, technological and social implications to be addressed both within one’s borders and in foreign policy. The energy transition is, therefore, complex and challenging to implement because it involves ‘everything’ and is needed ‘everywhere’ but also because globally, primary energy consumption has been steadily increasing for at least half a century.

The theoretical and experimental framework presented in Volume 15 of AGATHÓN demonstrates how energy, ecological and digital transitions can contribute synergistically to achieving the goals of decarbonisation and climate neutrality. The contributions published in the form of essays and research papers appear consistent with the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report (European Commission, 2022) based on the JRC report entitled Towards a Green and Digital Future – Key Requirements for Successful Twin Transitions in the European Union (Muench et alii, 2022) and founded on the fundamental concepts of (a) ‘twin’ transitions, as the key to a sustainable, fair and competitive future; (b) ‘just’ transition, for widespread acceptance of green and digital solutions to mitigate consumption and improve efficiency; (c) ‘integrated approach’ to challenges, to maximise the benefits of synergies and better manage risks. From the published contributions, it emerges the need for a paradigm shift that, on the one hand, is characterised by a ‘sufficiency’ approach (regarding new land occupation and new constructions) and a circular economy (to limit the use of non-renewable resources) capable of exploiting the potential of technologies for the new services made possible by digitisation, and on the other hand, relies on new user awareness of the limits of the Planet, pursuable through ‘soft’ urgent actions that are robust, flexible and easy to implement as they require a lower financial commitment. We assume that community energy renewable energy production from hydrogen and production chains can help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In that case, the vast existing real estate heritage is an area in which it is possible to intervene effectively, even where it has a historical and cultural value, using tools such as digital twins or analysis methodologies capable of assessing ex-ante the impacts on the ecosystem and prefigure scenarios for cities, buildings and production processes aimed at sustainable development and compatible with the urgent objectives set for 2030 and 2050. These are some of the strategies, pathways, measures and actions that can take place by exploiting the availability of the substantial financial resources allocated by governments for transitions, stimulating the sensitivity of local administrators and enhancing the skills and transversal competencies of technicians and operators in the sector, but also and above all by raising users’ awareness of the risks posed by climate change, to activate their ‘behavioural’ response to the consumption of energy and non-renewable natural resources.

Towards a cultural transition of energy landscapes – Between responsibility and necessity

Giorgio Peghin — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Every transition introduces a moment of novelty; however, in the environmental and landscape field, the effects of this change can be critical for various reasons. The first reason relates to the impacts of industrial infrastructures, mobility and the management of environmental processes, and is related to the lack of cohesion between the structures and the landscape. A second issue relates to decision-making processes and the principle of accountability of the same especially in environmental matters. Finally, the third point involves the temporal dimension and, more generally, the design of time as a system of relationships. This contribution aims, therefore, to reflect on the role of architectural design in complex contexts, providing operational indications and establishing the need to ‘read’ the present world and interpret it critically, avoiding exclusive technocratic dominion in issues that affect the future of the next generations and the destinies of our landscape.

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Received: 11/04/2024; Revised: 19/04/2024; Accepted: 08/05/2024

Urban strategic foresight in European territories – Lessons from Geneva and Luxembourg

Panos Mantziaras — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The contribution offers an overview of the international consultations held over the past decade in Geneva and Luxembourg as part of the ecological transition process initiated in their territories. The first part frames the context within which the consultations occurred, reporting on the evolution of regional environmental conditions. The second part briefly describes the ‘strategic foresight’ method in both consultations. The third part reports on the outcomes of the consultations and proposals to national and local governments and their transboundary counterparts for methods, tools and devices to tackle the current environmental crisis and develop coordinated projects at all scales. The overall objective was to steer local communities towards zero-carbon development paths and climate change adaptation. The text concludes with some reflections on the timeliness of strategic foresight as a valuable tool for building a renewed critical role of the architectural discipline in a context of social and environmental uncertainty. It argues that design approaches, methodologies and tools can no longer be based on the ideology of anthropocentric dominance over the biosphere: instead, architecture must sustain a primary role in becoming a spokesperson for the crucial challenges of our time.

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Received: 14/05/2024; Revised: 20/05/2024; Accepted: 30/05/2024

Hydrogen Valleys – Energy transition and local development scenarios for medium-sized cities

Alessandra Battisti, Angela Calvano — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the current decarbonisation scenario, production, transport and energy consumption affect the territorial dimension of communities, while the proximity character of renewable sources and distributed generation systems make it possible to redefine the socio-spatial link with energy. This involves deterritorialisation by decommissioning fossil fuel systems, re-territorialization by converting brownfield sites and constructing a value chain based on climate neutrality. The project of territorial heritage regeneration, reinterpreted by settled communities as a potential energy network, meets the needs of the New Deal by guaranteeing secure and equitable energy. The paper aims to understand how medium-sized cities can contribute to the experimentation of decision-making processes and hydrogen design solutions.

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Received: 29/03/2024; Revised: 19/04/2024; Accepted: 29/04/2024

Cultural heritage and energy transition – A lesson from the past

Xavier Casanovas, José A. Alonso Campanero, Tiziana Campisi — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the complex landscape of energy transition, Cultural Heritage emerges as a fundamental pillar of ‘innovability’, suggesting a lesson from the past. Historically, technical culture has been able to adapt building wisdom to available energy resources, demonstrating surprising resilience and an innate propensity for innovation. The energy adaptation associated with conserving this heritage must preserve the Mediterranean identity this essay aims to address; traditional technologies are still relevant today, while modern energy technologies require harmonious integration. This symbiosis between past and present is of crucial practical and symbolic importance: reconnecting with our cultural roots in moving towards a more sustainable future ensures a painless path to energy efficiency.

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Received: 05/05/2024; Revised: 12/05/2024; Accepted: 20/05/2024

Energy, emotional technology and cultural value of data – Creating user awareness through storytelling

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Design, understood as a modern discipline in its broadest sense, has always been inextricably linked to energy production, availability and accessibility. Every project resulting from human creativity and ingenuity, whether material or immaterial, analogue or digital, depends on it; it is necessary to break free from this atavistic dependence by finding alternative paths that lead us to the energy transition. An increase in human awareness is required to accomplish this and achieve social and environmental equity. In this perspective, this paper, starting with the concepts of ‘mitigation’, ‘sufficiency’, ‘circular economy’ and ‘innovability’, illustrates a number of highly replicable experiments carried out by the multidisciplinary Dotdotdot Studio by employing storytelling, emotive technology and the value of data to generate awareness in users on the issue of energy conservation.

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Received: 15/05/2024; Revised: 17/05/2024; Accepted: 20/05/2024

Will decarbonising buildings be enough? Constrain and redistribute growth in floor area

David Ness — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

While decarbonising the built environment is a dominant strategy in tackling climate change, centred on renewable energies and energy efficiency, it overlooks the role played by growth in built floor area in overconsumption of material and other natural resources. Shifting our frame of reference enables us to view this as the root cause of not only climate change, but also the destruction of biodiversity and increased global inequity. Recent recognition of embodied carbon has led to increased attention to ways of reducing and redistributing growth in global floor area – for both new builds and renovations – based upon carbon budgets with floor area projections and allocations for various building typologies. In reviewing growth projections, and employing creative systems thinking and ‘innovability’, the essay introduces the role of ‘sufficiency’ in avoiding, reducing and prioritising demand in the built environment, coupled with novel ways of meeting service needs enabled by digitalisation. While such a transformative change may dramatically reduce carbon consumption, biodiversity loss and global inequity, it also poses major challenges and opportunities for architects, designers and other industry stakeholders.

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Received: 31/01/2024; Revised: 18/03/2024; Accepted: 13/04/2024

Post-producing the modern – Guidelines for an energy development as an architectural transition

Giuseppe Marsala, Giulia Renda — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The city of Modern legacy and 20th-century built architecture are the fields of investigation for the architectural design’s statutes updating in the light of climate change and ecological transition; the energy transition theme, therefore, becomes an opportunity for a reflection on the fundamentals of design and its operational procedures for a necessary energy transition, which is capable of interpreting the new challenges of our ecosystem. From this perspective, the essay retraces contemporary architectural experiments in an energetic key performed on the structure of modern architecture, starting from the re-interpretation of its theoretical principles.

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Received: 19/03/2024; Revised: 15/04/2024; Accepted: 23/04/2024

Sustainability and energy transition – Perspectives for an integrated approach to the built heritage

Davide Del Curto, Andrea Garzulino, Anna Turrina — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The energy transition of the built environment is a fundamental process for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change. Addressing this challenge requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach that considers technological, architectural, environmental, social and cultural aspects with the same level of interest. However, the debate focuses on new zero-emission buildings, while policies such as the Italian 110% Superbonus have promoted retrofitting interventions aimed exclusively at achieving specific energy characteristics. The contribution discusses the importance of attributing the correct role to sustainability, clarifying the starting point and highlighting the results achieved through often conflicting approaches.

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Received: 23/03/2024; Revised: 17/04/2024; Accepted: 27/04/2024

For a design transition – Green composition and design for the contemporary city

Claudia Pirina, Giovanni Comi, Vincenzo d’Abramo — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The paper addresses the issue of energy transition through the regeneration and reuse of abandoned urban spaces. While the theme of re-naturalisation of soils and preservation of natural environments is a familiar one in contemporary architectural culture, the need to rethink the systematisation of individual interventions in order to arrive at a transcalar approach to design seems to be a reflection that still requires the necessary critical investigation. In this sense, the contribution, through the reading of some case studies, investigates the potential that elements such as urban voids and landscape-territorial systems, declined in their ability to affect the energy transition, are capable of generating for the project, contributing directly and indirectly on transformative phenomena, both in urban and peripheral areas.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 23/04/2024; Accepted: 07/05/2024

Public spaces of the energy transition – A design in Nepi for the New European Bauhaus

Luca Montuori, Stefano Converso, Marta Rabazo Martín — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The paper presents a reflection on the contribution provided by the Research Unit of Roma Tre University Department of Architecture to the EHHUR project, selected within the New European Bauhaus (NEB) program. Can design contribute to the construction of a new awareness on the topics of energy transition? Does it make sense to imagine new devices able to build spaces acting as enabling interfaces of virtuous behaviours? Moving from these questions the work has developed a methodology to support Municipalities and local communities in seven European cities to develop interventions in public spaces and buildings according to the three NEB principles of beautiful, sustainable, together. The experience challenges the role of architectural design in transitioning from a phase of abstract modeling of standardised solutions to applying the principles identified into tangible spaces and concrete contexts.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 15/04/2024; Accepted: 22/04/2024

Smart Readiness for buildings – Digital asset for energy transition

Maria Azzalin — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The priority objective of the European Green Deal is the development of a fully integrated, interconnected and digitised energy market based on the use of renewable sources and the achievement of energy efficiency of buildings. Digital assets, digitalisation of processes and the adoption of smart and emerging technologies support the achievement of these conditions. In this scenario, the contribution introduces a critical overview of the principles and methodological aspects that have taught the definition of the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) within the energy transition process. The position paper opens to insights into the relationship between SRI objectives and the potential offered by digital assets and approaches based on the digital twin.

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Received: 02/04/2024; Revised: 29/04/2024; Accepted: 19/05/2024

Smart and sustainable mobility infrastructure – A new system of urban connections

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The paper focuses on the smart city theme as the centre of a new system for experimenting with urban connections. It begins with analysing a current design experience narrative. It aims to extrapolate the general principles of a sustainable development model of smart mobility infrastructure in established or yet-to-be-realised urban environments. It will demonstrate a ‘humanistic’ application of technology in which design, architecture and digital tools coexist to generate an alternative of innovation in creating a new future city.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 21/04/2024; Accepted: 27/04/2024

Collaborative energy districts – Urban workshops for proximity energy

Davide Crippa, Barbara Di Prete, Raffaella Fagnoni, Carmelo Leonardi — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Demands for energy sustainability have become a priority, and institutional policies are incentivising alternative energy production models over established ones. Cities consume over 65% of the world’s resources and are strategic. Within this framework, the essay analyses some experimental urban laboratories and potential incubators of innovative policies for energy transition; these are climate-neutral pioneer districts investing in inclusive processes, local energy markets, and active citizenship, promoting conscious and virtuous energy behaviour. These projects pursue a greater empowerment of individuals and take the concepts of ‘community’ and ‘proximity’ as a strategic perspective.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 15/04/2024; Accepted: 21/04/2024

Food system design for resilient communities – Urban agriculture and sustainable spaces

Stefano Follesa, Martina Corti, Diletta Struzziero, Aurora Piluso — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the post-pandemic society with numerous social challenges, there is an increasing focus on public institutions to provide new services. The 2030 Agenda emphasises the need for sustainable and inclusive development, reducing inequalities in cities. This study focuses on autonomous and resilient urban food systems, analysing Social Design strategies for greater social cohesion. Urban Agriculture promotes environmental awareness and social inclusion by integrating innovative designs and advanced technologies. This urban regeneration approach aims to transform residual urban spaces into community parks dedicated to sharing resources and building connections between people. Through in-depth analysis and the application of new technologies, urban social and environmental sustainability improvements are sought.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 20/04/2024; Accepted: 29/04/2024

Technology, energy, and time – Experimental paths for the design of appropriate technology

Annapaola Vacanti, Carmelo Leonardi — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Exploring the intertwining of technology, energy, and time from the Industrial Revolution to the current climate crisis, the paper investigates how the relentless pursuit of efficiency and productivity has shaped Western societies, increasing energy overconsumption and exacerbating environmental emergencies. Analysing experimental paths related to the concept of appropriate technology, such as Permaculture, Low-tech and Solarpunk, a critical view of the contemporary unsustainable development model is presented, proposing alternative paradigms that foster sustainability, equity and reconnection with natural cycles. The multidisciplinary design approach emerges as instrumental in the transition to sustainable energy practices, laying the foundation for the transition to future scenarios in which technology and nature coexist harmoniously.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 19/04/2024; Accepted: 25/04/2024

Services for reuse and repair – The arrangement between touchpoints and relational infrastructures

Chiara Olivastri, Giovanna Tagliasco — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Regarding the circular economy and strategies, this paper describes the research/action project related to establishing a new Reuse and Repair Centre within the Surpluse network. The paper aims to illustrate the design choices of the setup, considered as a touchpoint for the definition of a network (service) and to facilitate interactions between displayed second-hand items and users. The proposed model becomes a format to be adapted in the creation of new future centres and the implementation of existing ones; furthermore, it aims to incentivise behaviours in favour of sustainability strategies and raise awareness among citizens for active participation within and in favour of the circular economy, co-designing relationships among the various stakeholders involved.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 18/04/2024; Accepted: 25/04/2024

Transitional industrial designer – The responsibility of designers and companies for a sustainable transition

Michele Zannoni, Laura Succini, Ludovica Rosato, Veronica Pasini — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In the current definition of sustainability, project cultures promote a transition involving changes in production, consumption and lifestyle, taking into account the progressive integration of environmental, social, cultural and economic aspects. By analysing eleven design approaches for sustainable, responsible, and circular transitions and, in particular, the disciplines of Advanced Design and Transition Design, this paper introduces the new figure of the Transitional Industrial Designer, a future-oriented designer with a critical awareness of the social and environmental implications of industrial design, able to contribute to more sustainable and adaptable models in a changing context. The article introduces the methods and tools tested in an EU-funded project.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 23/04/2024; Accepted: 01/05/2024

Local micro-networks for green transition of the wool supply chain

Rossana Gaddi, Luciana Mastrolonardo — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Italy’s inland areas face complex challenges such as depopulation, isolation and economic weakness. Through a research project conducted in Taranta Peligna (Chieti, IT), the paper aims to enhance the wool supply chain by adopting a systemic, co-design and collaborative approach among local governments, institutions and communities. To develop innovative and sustainable solutions, implementing systemic design methodologies and through the analysis of international case studies, concrete actions are proposed, such as creating an energy community and the activation of sustainable washing centres of a Network Observatory. Through a series of strategic interventions, the project aims to re-establish the importance of the wool industry by integrating modern technologies into traditional processes to achieve a revitalised, low-impact local economy.

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Received: 22/03/2024; Revised: 17/04/2024; Accepted: 25/04/2024

Urban Digital Twin and Energy Modeling – Experiences and case study analyses

Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The transition towards sustainable and digital cities is a complex challenge with crucial implications for citizen well-being. In this context, the concept of an Urban Digital Twin (UDT) emerges as an innovative resource, although the methodologies and technologies applied are still at an initial stage. This article explores the use of the UDT in the context of energy transition, focusing on the experience of Bologna, an Italian city committed to climate neutrality by 2030. Experimentation in specific case studies demonstrates how the UDT enables data analysis and scenario simulation to optimise energy efficiency and promote decarbonisation, facilitates data collection and integration, overcomes privacy issues, and enables multi-stakeholder governance.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 10/04/2024; Accepted: 20/04/2024

Energy Citizenship Contract and European cities transition

Andrea Boeri, Danila Longo, Saveria Olga Murielle Boulanger, Martina Massari — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The latest IPCC reports highlight the slow progress of energy and environmental transition, as well as the limited involvement of citizens in the European Green Deal; however, many cities are divided between the need to accelerate the transition process and ensure a context of social justice: in this scenario, energy citizenship relates the energy system to active participation. This paper proposes a reflection on the relationship between the concepts of energy citizenship and just transition in the context of European cities, introducing an innovative tool called the Energy Citizenship Contract developed by the H2020 project – GRETA. The contribution explores its adaptability in different contexts for constructing resilient development pathways through multilevel research and experiments conducted in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 21/04/2024; Accepted: 27/04/2024

Integrated natural resource management in sustainable urban context

Renata Valente, Louise Anna Mozingo, Roberto Bosco, Savino Giacobbe — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Based on national and international references, the research evaluates the integration of low-impact ecological interventions within the perimeters of Renewable Energy Communities in the Metropolitan City of Naples, with High Schools serving as hubs. The paper estimates a pilot case study within the Municipality of Giugliano in Campania (IT) for environmental solutions with integrated and shared management of energy, vegetation, and stormwater through simulations and performance indicators. The results highlight the effectiveness of a systemic approach to the design of public spaces in terms of energy savings and greenhouse gas emissions, going beyond the quantitative conception of public facilities. The proposed flexible tool supports local administrations to encourage the adoption of virtuous sustainable behaviours.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 16/04/2024; Accepted: 24/04/2024

Energy and circular transition of the industrial heritage – The Ex SNIA case in Rome

Serena Baiani, Paola Altamura, Gaia Turchetti, Giada Romano — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The paper presents the outcomes of research activities focused on disused industrial heritage sites understood as a strategic resource for the energy and circular transition, through the adoption of regenerative actions capable of triggering new circular processes intrinsic to adaptive reuse interventions and/or activated by it and extended to the territory. The experimental approach aims to define conservation-compatible interventions within the broader framework of characterising current and potential resource flows, both material and immaterial, to achieve a circular ecosystem with zero-emission energy production, reuse and recycling of materials and water. In particular, the paper illustrates two ‘circular adaptive reuse’ scenarios on a pilot case, the most complex among the sites identified within the research activities, assessing the level of achieved circularity through specific indicators.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 16/04/2024; Accepted: 23/04/2024

Deep renovation and decarbonisation of school buildings – The CIS Roma Scuole Verdi

Carola Clemente, Francesco Mancini, Anna Mangiatordi, Mariangela Zagaria — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The contribution illustrates the experience of CIS Roma Scuole Verdi, where the DiAP Research Group of the ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome supported the CSIMU Department of Roma Capitale in launching a process of energy-environmental upgrading and decarbonisation of 111 school buildings distributed across the 15 Municipalities of the City of Rome. Through a systemic and multi-scalar approach, some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were identified and monitored, which were significant for energy class, reduction of climate-altering emissions, reduction of energy needs, and supply from renewable sources. The positive contribution of the implemented technological-plant solutions presents a replicability potential, contributing to the intensification of climate actions, with impacts on urban regeneration and the city’s public budgets.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 15/04/2024; Accepted: 23/04/2024

Urban Green Infrastructure in Latin America – A strategy for Bogota courtyards

Julia Nerantzia Tzortzi, Maria Stella Lux, Natalia Pardo Delgado — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Green infrastructure and nature-based solutions are crucial for the sustainable transformation of cities into more resilient and inclusive places. However, the planning and design of these interventions must be tailored to different urban environments and socioeconomic contexts. Despite being one of the most urbanised global areas, the Latin American and Caribbean region still needs to be more researched. In this regard, this contribution provides an analytical and design framework for integrating nature-based solutions in dense urban contexts for microclimate mitigation and improved usability. It is constructed by considering the morphological, historical, climatic, and administrative peculiarities of Latin America, and it has been applied and tested in the case study of Bogotá (Colombia). The result is a matrix for constructing design strategies based on three key attributes of outdoor spaces and four design components.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 22/04/2024; Accepted: 02/05/2024

Climate mitigation and human comfort – A decision-support modeling and simulation tool

Roberta Zarcone, Federica Nava, Fabrizio Tucci — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Human activities are recognised as primarily responsible for global warming, with consequences such as biodiversity loss and extreme weather phenomena that impact human well-being. This study proposes a methodological approach for numerical simulation of the interactions between climate phenomena, the built environment, and the individual, based on the assumption that thoroughly understanding these connections will enable the development of more effective intervention strategies for climate mitigation and human comfort. The methodology is applied to three pilot cases in order to analyse the influence of different parameters of the urban built environment on physiological stress: the Quarticciolo neighbourhood (former borough) in Rome (Italy), the Westside San Antonio neighbourhood in Texas (USA), and the Shuangta Suzhou neighbourhood in China.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 10/04/2024; Accepted: 19/04/2024

Green Room – An architectural and urban device for energy efficiency and environmental comfort

Luigi Coccia, Sara Cipolletti, Gianmarco Corvaro — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The article presents a design experiment conducted within the research PNRR VITALITY based on the issues of sustainability and the quality of living spaces. Considering the innovation opportunities expressed by the energy transition, also achieved through nature-based regenerative solutions, aimed at reducing consumption and CO₂ emissions, the methodology leads to the conceptualisation of the multiscalar spatial device Green Room: a volumetric decrement action associated with vegetative infiltration applied to significant parts of buildings and open spaces in three sample areas of the Adriatic-Mediterranean region. Starting from morphological, typological, and climatic data and managing computational simulation processes, the experiment aims to update design tools at the architectural and urban scale, establishing a relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces to achieve benefits for the environment and people’s well-being.

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Received: 18/03/2024; Revised: 20/04/2024; Accepted: 27/04/2024

Life cycle thinking strategies for constructing nZEB schools

Elisabetta Palumbo, Rosa Romano, Paola Gallo — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

By 2050, Italy, too, will have to achieve climate neutrality. Compared to current standards, almost 75% of the existing building stock is energy inefficient, and since 17% consists of school buildings, intervening in this type of building is essential to develop virtuous paths to achieve 2030 decarbonisation targets. Vertical envelopes are among the technological units that contribute the most to achieving better energy-environmental performance of the building, but at the same time, they have a certain weight in terms of carbon and embodied energy; moreover, LCA studies dealing with the vertical building envelope mainly focus on ‘cradle-to-grave’ impacts, neglecting end-of-life scenarios based on the recycling of selective demolition materials. This study explores the effects of adopting circular design strategies as LCA-based environmental impacts in an nZEB school.

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Received: 29/03/2024; Revised: 29/04/2024; Accepted: 09/05/2024

Reuse of building components – Assessment system to support decisions in indoor re-layout interventions

Giancarlo Paganin, Cinzia Maria Luisa Talamo, Nazly Atta, Elisa Tinelli — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Compared to other industrial fields, the construction sector, although encouraged by a framework of international policies that push towards spreading circular economy principles, still needs to adopt new ‘closed cycle’ resource management models. Among the barriers that hinder this transition is the limited availability of tools and methods to determine the overall outcomes of circularity actions. Although metrics to evaluate the degree of circularity of processes and products are currently available, tools that allow the evaluation of the environmental benefits achievable through the reuse of products and systems have yet to be widespread. The paper proposes a simplified method for quantifying the environmental benefits that can derive from the reuse practices of building components in building re-layout projects.

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Received: 16/03/2024; Revised: 10/04/2024; Accepted: 17/04/2024

Towards Climate Neutrality – The key role of the Digital Twin in Industry 5.0

Anna Osello, Matteo Del Giudice, Angelo Juliano Donato, Andrea Fratto — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Climate neutrality is a global challenge that requires a revolution in production models and energy use. The industrial sector, one of the leading emitters of pollutants, needs technological innovation to reverse this trend, promoting solutions to improve production, reduce energy consumption and cut operating costs. The Digital Transition to Industry 5.0 explores the complexity of the energy transition and the development of a digital twin to address the challenges of climate change. The research describes an innovative process based on Information Technologies and BIMtoBEM methodologies to develop a digital twin of the factory to implement visualisation systems, such as digital dashboards and extended reality technologies, placing human beings at the centre of the proposed methodological flow.

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Received: 06/04/2024; Revised: 10/04/2024; Accepted: 18/04/2024

AGATHÓN | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design

Reflections and trajectories for interdisciplinary research on the energy transition

Towards a cultural transition of energy landscapes – Between responsibility and necessity

Urban strategic foresight in European territories – Lessons from Geneva and Luxembourg

Hydrogen Valleys – Energy transition and local development scenarios for medium-sized cities

Cultural heritage and energy transition – A lesson from the past

Energy, emotional technology and cultural value of data – Creating user awareness through storytelling

Will decarbonising buildings be enough? Constrain and redistribute growth in floor area

Post-producing the modern – Guidelines for an energy development as an architectural transition

Sustainability and energy transition – Perspectives for an integrated approach to the built heritage

For a design transition – Green composition and design for the contemporary city

Public spaces of the energy transition – A design in Nepi for the New European Bauhaus

Smart Readiness for buildings – ﻿Digital asset for energy transition

Smart and sustainable mobility infrastructure – A new system of urban connections

Collaborative energy districts – Urban workshops for proximity energy

Food system design for resilient communities – Urban agriculture and sustainable spaces

Technology, energy, and time – Experimental paths for the design of appropriate technology

Services for reuse and repair – The arrangement between touchpoints and relational infrastructures

Transitional industrial designer – The responsibility of designers and companies for a sustainable transition

Local micro-networks for green transition of the wool supply chain

Urban Digital Twin and Energy Modeling – Experiences and case study analyses

Energy Citizenship Contract and European cities transition

Integrated natural resource management in sustainable urban context

Energy and circular transition of the industrial heritage – The Ex SNIA case in Rome

Deep renovation and decarbonisation of school buildings – The CIS Roma Scuole Verdi

Urban Green Infrastructure in Latin America – A strategy for Bogota courtyards

Climate mitigation and human comfort – A decision-support modeling and simulation tool

Green Room – An architectural and urban device for energy efficiency and environmental comfort

Life cycle thinking strategies for constructing nZEB schools

Reuse of building components – Assessment system to support decisions in indoor re-layout interventions

Towards Climate Neutrality – The key role of the Digital Twin in Industry 5.0

Smart Readiness for buildings – Digital asset for energy transition