Created in 2018, the team’s mission is to develop concrete approaches and innovative solutions aimed at reaching the ambitious targets of a sustainable society. The decentralisation of humankind’s role in the ecosystem makes it possible to reinterpret constructions as regards living styles and technology, in an innovative manner.

The Sustainable Buildings and Constructions group tackles all the issues related to the sustainability of living: energy (thermal and electric), grey energy, water cycle, food production, biodiversity in the built environment (flora and fauna), reversibility of the construction work, mobility. This change cannot be exclusively technological in type (energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources), but also behavioural, introducing the concept of responsibility and moderation.
Moderation also translates into care for the built environment as a utilisable structure and a cultural value.

The group alternates between research work, consulting services and education (bachelor level and continuing education programmes). In the applied research field, the group pursues two main objectives: developing state of the art sustainability standards, and transferring these approaches to the design, construction and use of buildings.

Research work focuses on:

• developing innovative models for living on Planet Earth, by means of concrete projects for the transition in the various construction sectors 
• in the design and construction of buildings, applying and developing approaches that consider their entire life cycle 
• assessing low-tech sustainability strategies, for both new buildings and in the renovation and conservation of existing structures 
• applying and developing sustainability standards, ranging from the individual structure scale to that of an entire district, for both new buildings and for the renovation and conservation of existing structures 
• promoting and researching construction materials and systems that can satisfy all the sustainability standards