2,802 research outputs found
A Conceptual Framework for the Optimization of Environmentally Sustainable Nature-based Solutions
No full textReviewing the Role of Key Performance Indicators in Architectural and Urban Design Practices
No full textEnergy use and relative CO2 emissions drive climate change that affects both the environment and human health. Extreme events caused by climate change, such as heat waves, flooding, and droughts are increasingly frequent and dangerous and the quality of life in cities is progressively decreasing. The building sector is among the most energy intensive sectors and mitigation and adaptation strategies are needed to reduce the emissions and impacts of climate change. This article presents a literature review created using the SCOPUS database on 515 articles setup to investigate the role of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in architectural and urban design processes and to understand how KPIs can be used to improve sustainability in the design of buildings and cities. Findings from the literature review highlights the potentiality of KPIs as a tool for managing complexity and for measure performances starting from the early design stages up to the lifetime of buildings and, in general, design. In parallel, the analysis of results showed that KPIs are commonly used to evaluate performance at a very different scale, but the building scale is the most considered. The use of KPIs in architecture, focusing on sustainability, should be implemented more in the future to allow for a better control of architectural performances
Designing Resilience - Strategies for the sustainable development and understanding of urban complexity
No full textInnovative approaches for the environmental assessment of ecological building envelopes: a computational application in the ECOLOPES project
No full textThe urban environment currently faces several challenges, primarily stemming from climate change exacerbated by human activities and rapid urbanization. These challenges manifest in various forms, including air, water, and land pollution, which adversely impact natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Additionally, these issues give rise to environmental, social, and economic problems, all viewed from an anthropocentric perspective.
Urban densification and the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are contributing to the degradation of cities and urban ecosystems (IPCC, 2022). The high level of anthropogenic pressure, coupled with limited green spaces, is leading to a loss of biodiversity and habitat fragmentation (Aronson et al., 2017; Lepczyk et al., 2017). Nature-based solutions (NBS) have emerged as a critical tool in mitigating the adverse effects of urbanization and enhancing the livability of ecosystems.
The objective of this PhD research is to develop a methodology and associated tools for evaluating the environmental performance of high-performance ecological envelopes using a computational approach, specifically leveraging parametric modelling software such as Grasshopper-Rhinoceros. The research endeavours to assess the environmental impact across three key dimensions of environmental sustainability, identified as paramount through an extensive review of the literature including IPCC reports, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Aichi Targets:
The impact of materials used in constructing the building envelope is evaluated from a life-cycle perspective. The effects of NBS systems in terms of climate change adaptation and mitigation. The influence of NBS systems on biodiversity enhancement, and its potential implications for the aforementioned aspects of sustainability.
Results from this research set the ground for a comprehensive understanding and quantification of ecological building envelopes' performance in terms of climate change adaptation and mitigation, considering the potential microclimate improvement, stormwater runoff reduction, carbon sequestration, global warming potential and support for pollinators.
This research is part of a larger project, the ECOLOPES project, funded by the European Union under the FET HORIZON 2020 program (grant agreement number 964414), in collaboration with the Department of Architecture and Design
An Experimental Study on the Evaluation of Metaphorical Ad Hominem Arguments
No full textMetaphors are emotionally engaging, influencing the evaluation of arguments. The paper empirically investigates whether metaphors in the premise can lead the evaluator to judge an ad hominem argument as sound when the arguer instead committed a fallacy. The results show that ad hominem arguments with conventional and positive metaphors are more persuasive compared to those with novel and negative metaphors. Arguments with conventional metaphors are also perceived as more ambiguous, but less convincing, and emotionally appealing. Additionally, participants believe in the conclusion more when the premise contains a positive rather than a negative metaphor, which instead helps the evaluator detect the fallacy
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