It is difficult to imagine a building that does not contain polymeric materials: from membranes in roof coverings to plastic components in window frames and elastic materials such as silicone, every building contains plastics. Their use has made it possible to create innovative structures that go beyond the adaptability limits of traditional materials such as wood or stone.

A return to the past - as we discussed previously with Professors Andrea Castrovinci and Marzio Sorlini - is, if not unthinkable, then certainly difficult to achieve. This opinion is shared by Fabio Parolini, a researcher with the Innovative envelope team (Building Integrated Photovoltaics - BiPV) at the Institute of Applied Sustainability to the Built Environment (ISAAC).

“Polymeric materials offer several advantages in design and construction. They are lightweight, can offer protection from the elements, and have high thermal and acoustic performance. They can also be used to create multilayer products. Each specific layer has its own function: it can act as a vapor barrier, electrical insulator, or thermal insulator. The versatility of polymeric materials has allowed for the expression of new architectural languages.” 

This also applies to photovoltaic modules, whether traditional or integrated into building facades. On the roof of the SUPSI Campus in Mendrisio, home to the Department of Environment Constructions and Design (DACD), there are several examples of how polymeric materials are widely used in photovoltaic modules and how they can meet not only technical but also aesthetic requirements.

Thanks to the use of polymeric materials with colored additives, it is possible to create different colors and improve the aesthetics of products.

“I believe that research must succeed in combining traditional and innovative polymeric materials, bringing them together to design structures whose environmental impact and future reuse are known,” continues Fabio Parolini. "In our field, namely photovoltaics, we have faced two major challenges. The first concerns the recycling of these components, which must be separated from traditional materials and recovered where possible. A second, equally fundamental aspect is improving their fire behavior. In collaboration with the Department of Innovative Technologies (DTI), we are conducting research both on testing methods to investigate fire behavior and on the development of materials that do not emit toxic fumes or that reduce ignition and combustion. These results can be achieved thanks to additives, such as flame retardants."

“We are trying to develop modules that meet the same safety requirements as traditional ones. In Switzerland, various funds have been allocated to support the applicability of new modules made of lighter products that allow savings in the structures of the buildings that have to support them. Many challenges remain. Certainly, there will be no shortage of work for manufacturers and researchers in the coming years”.

There will also be no shortage of work to reduce the percentage of disposable plastics.

"Many countries are adopting regulatory frameworks that go in this direction. In our field, however, the situation is different, because the materials we use must last at least 25 years. The challenge for us lies in disposing of, recovering, and, why not, reusing plastics in other ways. Let me give you an example: fleece fabric is made from recycled plastic objects. We could imagine similar solutions in the construction industry."

"When talking about plastic, we need to understand the context without demonizing it. We must not forget that plastic was created with an environmental ideal in mind. One of the first plastics was introduced to replace billiard balls made from elephant ivory. We know how, over the decades, plastic has been criticized for its environmental impact. Today, we have an overall picture in which both the positive and negative aspects are clearer. We can certainly study solutions to promote its recovery, make disposal more effective, and reduce its impact on the environment."