Università Iuav di Venezia
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Marginal Costs of Building Energy Retrofit
No full textThe aim of decarbonizing the economy implies taking action in several areas, one of which is the building industry. Users are likely to benefit from the transition to green buildings in multiple ways, such as lower energy bills as well as higher healthiness and perceived comfort. Nonetheless, those benefits come at a cost. Indeed, property owners must incur substantial capital expenditures to build new high-efficiency constructions or to refurbish outdated ones. While the economic benefits of green buildings have been deeply addressed in the literature over the last two decades, much less attention has been paid to the related costs. This study aims to widen the knowledge about the marginal costs of improving energy efficiency in residential properties. Three detached houses and four to five energy efficiency measures are analyzed. Once the costs are computed through bills of quantities, the energy performance indices and the energy rating bands are identified. We find a substantial gap between the marginal cost curve drawn based on the latest figures and the same curve drawn according to a survey conducted in the late 2000s. The changes in technical standards for calculating building energy performance in the mid-2010s explain almost half the gap. The latest technical standard introduced the novelty of the so-called reference building, a fictitious building sharing the same overall shape but meeting minimum mandatory requirements. That approach has attracted criticism due to supposed flaws and side effects. Here, we show that it also makes building energy efficiency targets much less affordable
Simulating Spatial Auto-Regressions (SAR) on Random Points
No full textSpatial Auto-Regressive (SAR) models for point data Zi=g(Zj;Xi,Yi), where Xi,Yi are planar coordinates (e.g. longitude and latitude) are useful for spatial interpolation and prediction. In vector form, these models are representable as Z=a+b*Wm*Z+c*Wm*Y+E , where Wm is the contiguity matrix of order m, where m>0 is the number of spatial lags, or contiguous terms Zi-k. This program computes the matrices Wm by following the Multidirectional principle of nearest-neighbors (NN) and the Unidirectional approach of north-south NN, after sorting the data by latitude. Further, the matrices Wm are computed either in binary form (0,1) or with 1 replaced by the inverse distance (ID) of the points; in both cases, when combined in a single matrix, they must be normalized by row. The second goal of the program is to evaluate by simulation experiments the statistical performance (with relative bias and mean squared error) of least square (LS), maximum likelihood (ML) and generalized moments (GM) estimators, under various conditions. The SAR processes are generated in reduced form as Z=inv(I-b*Wm)*(a+c*Wn*Y+E) and the ML, GM estimates are computed with the Spatial Econometric Toolbox of LeSage and Pace. The scripts of simulations also provide LS parameter estimators for various SAR models which involve the matrices Wm. A SARp_demo script is also provided which runs interactively
Shaping conversations: Custom GPTs to spark reflection in design
No full textThis paper documents the development of a customized GPT designed to facilitate reflection on cognitive biases in design decision-making. Leveraging the OpenAI GPTs platform, a specialized conversational agent was developed, integrating a structured knowledge base of twelve categories of cognitive biases with prompt engineering strategies for progressive disclosure. The study details the construction of the GPT, including the design of system instructions, the structuring of the knowledge base, and the implementation of conversation starters. By analyzing real conversations with design students, the iterative refinement process and the challenges of implementing effective conversational principles are documented. Although the system did not fully achieve the intended goals of progressive disclosure, highlighting the inherent limitations of the platform, the results provide practical guidance for the development of specialized GPTs and identify key considerations for contextual adaptation and cognitive load management. This work contributes to understanding how conversational AI platforms can be tailored to support reflection in specific contexts, particularly within the field of design
Designing an origami-inspired soft-actuated smart system for portable pelvic rehabilitation
No full textThis paper presents the study of an origami-inspired soft-actuation smart system designed for pelvic floor rehabilitation. Initially conceived for women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) and deinfibulation, the system extends its applicability to a broader user base, addressing diverse pelvic floor dysfunctions. Starting from an in-depth socio-medical analysis of FGM and its long-term consequences, this research adopts an integrated and multidisciplinary approach that combines smart healthcare solutions with soft robotic systems. The study explores the potential of origami-inspired soft actuation to enhance rehabilitation effectiveness by ensuring adaptability, personalized treatment, and comfort. The proposed system incorporates an inflatable actuator capable of dynamic and controlled interaction with the pelvic floor muscles, facilitating both active and passive training. By leveraging sensor integration and data monitoring, the device enables precise adjustments tailored to individual patient needs, supporting remote therapy management and telemedicine applications. This work contributes to the development of innovative rehabilitation solutions by bridging medical, technological, and cultural considerations, ultimately promoting accessible and patient-centered approaches in pelvic health
Architettura arca. Strategie di sospensione dello spazio
No full textImmersa nel diluvio l’arca sopravvive come promessa di un mondo prossimo; vacua architettura, la cui presenza ci interroga sulla sospensione dello spazio come modalità operativa per il progetto della città e del territorio. L’arca è una figura che si attesta oggi come uno degli "spiriti dell’architettura", figura antica, remota, incerta, il cui progetto ha avuto rimanendo irrealizzato, che ha funzionato in virtù della propria voluta sconfitta. Un’architettura la cui sostanza mostra il proprio effetto più che il proprio duro corpo, la propria spazialità che vince sull’oggettualità. L’arca è un’architettura sotto forma di dispositivo intangibile, che aleggia sulle cose e che disegna lo spazio e le tensioni che l’attraversano, senza la pretesa di disattivarle ma anzi per portarle al di là di loro stesse.
Il suo ritorno dal lontano passato all’interno del dibattito contemporaneo appare come fenomeno in reazione alle tendenze distruttive oggi in campo che chiedono al progetto di architettura di rispondere a fenomeni coprenti con mosse altrettanto radicali
