ETHICS: Endorse Technologies for Heritage Innovation

This book outlines, within the Italian national framework, the current and potential paths oriented towards a new concept of Architectural Heritage, through actions referring to Innovation and Experimentation and Protection and Transformation of the Architectural Heritage. The development of the themes is articulated in two sessions dealing with the aspects related to the analysis and mapping of Architectural Heritage to face the context of the current Climate Crisis and the development of projects and experimentations oriented to the Green and Digital Transition.

The evolution of the concept of Heritage, as conceived by the United Nations 2030 Agenda and in the Green Deal and New European Bauhaus, aimed at constructing an inclusive and universally recognised definition to support supranational objectives of sustainable human development, gives rise to innovative strategies, methodologies and technologies that—in a direction of mitigation, contrast and adaptation to climate change—allow for the safeguard, renewed management and a hope for valorisation of Heritage on a national scale. In this direction, the understanding of Architectural Heritage as a 'non-renewable resource' determines the need to activate design experimentation laboratories oriented towards regeneration, articulated and complex, which require, in order to respond to the challenges posed by our era, a sensitive and dialogic multidisciplinary vision of a holistic type. In fact, on the one hand, it is necessary to redefine the usability and management methods of built heritage through the adoption of digital, mobility, energy, ecological, social, green and blue infrastructures; on the other hand, it is necessary to introduce new qualitative and quantitative parameters and performance indicators, adequate to verify the validity of the implemented strategies in a perspective of adaptation to climate change, able to clarify contents, processes and tools to contrast future risks.

The pursuit of these objectives refers to the innovation of training paths, professionalising procedures, administrative regulations, and public policies that involve citizens and the private partnership towards a different project qualification and empowerment of stakeholders, inhabitants, professionals, and clients. The Technological Project makes it possible to activate different interventions aimed at acting, in an integrated manner, on assets, context and communities, according to an approach that reinterprets them on a common score, as proposed by the European Next Generation programme in three priority aspects: digitalisation and innovation, environmental transition, increased resilience and social sustainability of national economies. In this scenario, the interventions aimed at outlining sustainable development actions will have to place these concepts at the centre in a harmonious vision that starts from the recognition and enhancement of the Architectural Heritage, recognising it as a fundamental asset of the territories.

Alessandra Battisti (PhD) is an Architect and a Full Professor in Technology of Architecture and Environmental Design in the Department of Planning, Design and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, where she is also the Director of the 2nd level University Master‘s degree course in “Valorisation and enhancement of small Historical centres”, a Member of the Faculty Board and a Teaching Staff Member for the Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning. Since 1993, she has been carrying out research, teaching and experimentation activities on topics such as technological innovation for environmentally aware architecture, buildings’ ecological and energetic efficiency, bioclimatic approach in design and environmental sustainability, urban analysis and urban regeneration. She holds strong expertise in sustainable architecture, energy building, renewable energy, and their relation with regeneration processes of existing urban fabric and architecture. She is an expert consultant for the European Community—DG XXII—in the Energy in Building sector as well as an expert consultant on the Roster of Consultants and Permanent Roster of Auditors launched by the MIUR (Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research). She is also a Member of the Working Group for Energy Efficiency of Cultural Heritage of MiBACT (Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism). She has over 200 scientific publications and 14 books to her credit and she is the winner of more than 30 international architectural competitions.

Serena Baiani (PhD) is an Architect and an Associate Professor of Technology of Architecture and Environmental Design in the Department of Planning, Design and Technology of Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. She specializes in environmental design. She is a board member of the Italian Society of Architectural Technology (SITdA), a member of the faculty board and a teaching staff for the Ph.D. in Environmental Design and Planning; she works for the Specialisation School in Natural and Territorial Heritage Architecture of parks, gardens, and natural environmental systems. Since 1996, Dr. Baiani has been carrying out research, teaching, and experimentation activities in technological innovation, active conservation, and adaptive reuse (for enhancement of archaeological contexts, resilience of high-sensitivity areas, ecological and energy efficiency of historic buildings) based on a life cycle approach. She is an external expert for the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) and an expert and peer reviewer for MIUR Italian Scientific Evaluation Register (Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research). She is also a member of the Historic Building Committee for Green Building Council, the Sapienza Design Research Interdepartmental Centre, and the Sapienza SAPeri&CO (research and service infrastructure of Sapienza) Committee. She has 130 scientific papers and 12 books to her credit.