- The paper has highlighted the complexity of the embodied energy measurement even if this comes with the understanding that it increasingly is a fundamental aspect of studies on energy saving in buildings. The TC 350 standards have been published, defining a harmonized methodology to assess the environmental performance and the costs of the life cycle of buildings. It represents an important tool, even if in practice it has several limits.
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Within the cultural debate that considers the environmental issue as a priority and with reference to the studies and researches that over the last years have supported compound materials containing rammed earth, the Authors, aware of the need of giving to the relationship of Project and Matter a key role, supported by the characteristics of Architectural Technology, show the results of experimentation that aims to improve the performance of rammed earth with the contribution of nanotechnologies, developing a ‘new material’ with a reduced embodied energy and a reduced amount of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
Sposito, C. and Scalisi, F. (2019),“Natural Material Innovation. Earth and Halloysite Nanoclay for a sustainable challenge”, Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 5, pp. 59-72. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/572019
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The paper, contribution to the international debate on the environmental matter, deals with a tool that can guide professionals and the users in choosing low environmental impact building materials with similar functional requirements, the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) or Type III Environmental Label, by highlighting strengths and limitations. The paper, besides describing the characteristics and contents of the EPDs and Product Category Rules (PCR), lists the main European EPD Programmes, analyzing two EPDs models in order to verify the comparability of the listed LCA data.
Sposito, C. and Scalisi, F. (2019), “A possible tool for the choice of building materials: the environmental product declaration (EPD)”, in Bisson, M. (ed.), IIIrd International Conference on Environmental Design, Palermo University Press, Palermo, pp. 189-199
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Bioeconomy, circular economy, land use reduction, sustainable use of natural resources, reduction of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere and recycling are the keywords which the building world must face in the near future, as the environmental emergency can no longer be postponed. In order to disseminate in the scientific community the different possibilities of timber as a sustainable building material throughout its whole life cycle and to provide the professionals with suitable decision-making tools for a conscious design, within the cultural and scientific scenario of the recent years, the paper serves as a moment of reflection highlighting how a closer integration between different sectors (forestry, building, energy, industrial and waste management) can find, in the use of timber, an opportunity to significantly reduce the overall impact of a built environment life cycle.
Sposito, C. and Scalisi, F. (2019), “High-rise timber architecture. An opportunity for the sustainability of the built environment”, in De Giovanni, G. and Scalisi, F. (eds), Pro-Innovation Process Production Product, Palermo University Press, Palermo, pp. 93-122
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Within the scientific debate on the conservation of Cultural Heritage in general and Archaeological Heritage in particular, due to its twofold nature (material and immaterial) and consistently with the interest taken by Technological Culture in the importance of those aspects in the process crucial for their proper development and broad enjoyment, this paper proposes an evaluation model to understand ‘what’ to preserve and ‘why’ for a sustainable development, even before considering ‘how’ to do so, allowing a clearer reading and an easier interpretation of the complex relationships existing between the archaeological pre-existences, the natural environments and the added anthropic systems. The offered evaluation model can guide operators towards a conscious sheltering planning with an architectural value, promoting the identification of the morphological, typological and technical-constructive solutions most suitable to return the potential significance of the Asset.
Sposito, C. and Scalisi, F. (2018) “Conservation process and significance. A methodological approach to plan shelters in archaeological sites”, Agathón | International Journal of Architecture, Art and Design, vol. 4, pp. 45-58. [Online] Available at: doi.org/10.19229/2464-9309/462018