Benedetta Quaglio

Ph.D. candidate in Design E Tecnologia. Persone, Ambiente, Sistemi , 40th cycle (2024-2027)
Department of Architecture and Design (DAD)

Profile

PhD

Research topic

The PhD thesis aims to develop an assessment system for some relevant environmental aspects of infrastructure construction defining target, indicators and protocols.

Tutors

Research interests

SUSTAINABLE AND CIRCULAR SYSTEMS
TECHNOLOGICAL AND MATERIALS CULTURE

Biography

Since 2019, with my EURECA master’s thesis, I have been focusing on assessing and reducing environmental impacts. The thesis led to developing an innovative tool for accounting for energy consumption and CO2 emissions throughout the building lifecycle. The EURECA tool has proven effective in various contexts, including the 2019 Solar Decathlon Latin America and Caribbean held in Cali, Colombia, where it was used to evaluate the environmental impact of competing projects, contributing to a second-place finish. EURECA has also been applied in several master’s theses to verify and assess design parameters.
Later, I developed my expertise through a two-year research program at the DAD, collaborating with the TEAM research group to develop the AMICO (Account Method for Infrastructure Embodied Carbon) tool for the Webuild Spa group. This tool analyzes carbon emissions and energy requirements related to the design and construction of infrastructures over their lifecycle.
My academic background has been enriched by attending conferences and seminars, such as those organized by the Italian Society of Architectural Technology (SITdA), where I participated as an author and co-author of publications. These experiences allowed me to engage with other researchers, expand my network, and stay updated on emerging research areas.
In parallel with my research activities, I worked in an architectural firm, managing private and public construction projects. This practical experience was crucial in understanding the daily challenges faced by professionals, especially in light of new regulations. With the introduction of the New Public Procurement Code (Legislative Decree No. 36/2023), designers working in the public sector are now required to estimate the Carbon Footprint and produce LCA reports for their projects, highlighting the need for user-friendly and transparent tools.
Throughout my research, I analyzed the most commonly used tools for assessing environmental impacts and identifying areas for improvement, such as a lack of intuitiveness, insufficient methodological transparency, and the high level of specialization required to use them. Additionally, I observed that, despite the significant environmental impact of the infrastructure sector, the tools available to planners to understand and mitigate these effects remain underdeveloped.

Skills

SDG

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 13: Climate action

Publications

Latest publications View all publications in Porto@Iris