Emanuela Quaquero

Preliminary performance monitoring plan for energy retrofit: A cognitive building: The “Mandolesi Pavillon” at the University of Cagliari

The paper proposes a sensorization plan for monitoring a relevant architectural case study at the University of Cagliari, in order to verify indoor thermo-hygrometric conditions and define a set of interventions which should be compatible with building preservation issue and oriented at improving its energy performance. The research aims at understanding how to organize and structure the compliance of the building, in order to anticipate users needs and how the centrality of these requirements can influence the definition of new retrofit models. Firstly, the proposed workflow has been tested on a pilot building with the same use: the eLUX lab, e.g. the Smart Campus Demonstrator at the University of Brescia and then, an adaptation of the developed cognitive concept has been applied to the “Mandolesi Pavilion”, an icon building at the University of Cagliari Campus. This adaptation and the main features transferred to from the experience in Brescia to Cagliari are here presented. The research is ongoing and first results are discussed.

Building Process Management in Green Public Procurement

Today more than ever, the world of Public Procurement is regulated by a large and diverse body of law, constantly updated and enriched. The environmental issue is one of the subjects that is gaining more and more on the international level and so the new regulations of Procurement must consider it in its articles. The process, therefore, must meet the requirements of convenience, considering both time and costs, but also the quality of supply, which will be evaluated both on the basis of the design proposals (traditional requirements) and on the convenience of its life cycle (current requirements, LCC and LCA). The forecast period of each tender will be no more evaluated from the moment (“now” the day of submission of the tender) but to the future (“then” the ordinary value of the subject of the contract). The present study aims to determine the state of the art of the existing regulations and the current procedures for the award of public supply, to highlight what are the (new) criteria and the critical issues that follow their implementation; the goal is to determine whether the management of procurement actions, as we face today, is appropriate or not to the “green” needs and, if not, what new ways may configure.

The effectiveness of an Intelligent System For Real-time Hygrothermal Management In Low Energy Buildings

This paper proposes an intelligent model for realtime control of the hygrothermal behaviour in low energy buildings. Through the management of information related to internal and external conditions combined with the design and context data, the built network lead to assess the correct strategy for an adequate hygrothermal behaviour (choosing between active and passive systems for control of indoor air-quality). The expected benefits are a healthy environment, the stable performances of materials, the containment of maintenance costs, the reduction of the use of passive systems in order to cut CO2 emissions.

Knowledge in Construction Processes

The growing complexity of the construction sector – due to the proliferation of products, techniques, and needs related to side, not secondary, aspects of objects (environmental impact, energy efficiency, durability, safety, etc.) – means that the current management styles in construction processes are no longer appropriate to their context. Therefore, the construction sector faces an inevitable process of growth in which knowledge is an indispensable resource. The purpose of this paper is to show how knowledge associated with construction processes can be represented using Knowledge Management techniques. The analysis of such knowledge uses a mixed top-down and bottom-up approach, which can formalize it and make it ready for easy access and search. The underlying goal is the rational organization of large amounts of data using the knowledge that characterizes the various stages of a construction process. Elementary Products could be the core concepts that can group the objects associated with such process, guiding the management of relevant information and knowledge involved in construction processes. The formalization was used to define a prototype implementation of the Knowledge Management System using DSpace.