The research performed in the macro-area „Sustainability and Safety for the Natural and Built Environment” addresses the challenges of sustainability and safety at both territory and building scale. Regarding the natural environment, we deal with the safety and hydrogeological protection of the natural and built environment and with a sustainable distribution and use of water as a renewable resource. As regards the built environment, we investigate and propose solutions to improve its quality and the wellbeing for its occupants, as well as the energy performance of the building systems and the design of resilient communities and Net Zero Energy Districts.

Covered topics

• Human Performance: Impact of global comfort and indoor environmental quality on human performance, in relation to the application context. 
  • Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems: Optimization of HVAC and ventilation systems for high performance buildings (indoor environmental quality, energy and global costs). 
  • Resilient communities and Net Zero Energy Districts (NZED): Strategies and policies towards Net Zero Energy Districts: from Smart Grids and Smart Buildings to Smart Communities. 
• Natural Environment
  
  • Hydrogeological risk: Understand the hydraulic risk connected with the climate change both in rural and urban areas. Risk assessment and mitigation measures.   
  • Hydraulic infrastructure: Analysis, design and management toward smart, efficient, sustainable, resilient and safety systems under climate change scenario. 

Associated laboratories

Thermo Fluid Dynamics Lab