The future of construction lies in innovation, sustainability, and living comfort. These were the key themes at the center of Green Building Council Italia’s participation in ECOMONDO – ITALIAN EXHIBITION GROUP, with a concrete contribution to the debate on circularity and the evolution of sustainable building, with particular attention to indoor comfort.
The session held on November 6, dedicated to the SONATA project – Innovation and Multidomain Comfort for Sustainable Building, featured the participation of:
Marco Caffi, Director of GBC Italia and member of the Ecomondo Scientific Committee; Anna Laura Pisello, Full Professor of Building Physics at the University of Perugia; Andrew Vande Moere, Professor in Design Informatics at KU Leuven; Gaetano Settimo, Istituto Superiore di Sanità;
Ilaria Bertini, ENEA – Department for Energy Efficiency; Veronica Lucia Castaldo, RSE – Ricerca sul Sistema Energetico; Elisa Crimi, OICE – Italian Organization of Engineering, Architecture and Technical-Economic Consulting; Alessandro Miani, SIMA – Italian Society of Environmental Medicine.
Architect Elisa Crimi, Technical Director at Cooprogetti, representing the OICE Environmental Working Group, highlighted the main challenges faced by member organizations in integrating the concept of well-being into engineering and architectural projects. Among the key issues discussed were the fragmentation of the building process, which needs to evolve toward integrated design and project management models, and the complexity of the regulatory framework, where multidomain comfort is taking on an increasingly central role.
Crimi also emphasized the need for specialized training and cultural growth on the importance of Healthy Buildings, together with greater awareness among clients of the intrinsic value of comfort and environmental well-being. Regarding adaptive technologies, she pointed out that perceived complexity still hinders their adoption, stressing the importance of interoperability, standardization, and user-friendly solutions. In conclusion, she drew attention to privacy, cybersecurity, and data transparency, underlining the need for an ethical, human-centered approach throughout all design and management phases.
The event represented an important opportunity for dialogue among institutions, experts, and stakeholders in the building sector to share results, strategies, and common visions toward a more sustainable, resilient, and comfortable development model.
