Duration: (3h pre-recorded online lectures + 21 online live sessions / 24 hours total)
Module Introduction
The issues of sustainability have become part of individual and collective sensitivity, however, very often we are unable to go beyond the rhetoric of a generic declaration of love for nature. Designing spaces can be a form of ecology, if by this word we mean the connection between the individual and the environment, but it can also be an instrument to embrace ecological issues and an opportunity to rewrite the relationships between the built environment and nature through a conscious choice of sustainable materials and healthy products.The course investigates the delicate transition between spaces ideation and execution in terms of materials choice and technologies selection, from traditional to innovative ones. As well, the course aims to explore the relationship between design and construction as the matrix of the expressive and perception quality of spaces, unfolding the role of matter and detail, highlighting the sustainability from preliminary design to construction, which includes origin, production, processing techniques, and post-life. The ability of an architect is precisely to guarantee human well-being and to choose the most suitable materials to create a healthy environment and, in the best case, to generate new sensorial scenarios. Accordingly, selected case studies are disclosed and compared, highlighting the principles of construction as a grammar from design to building.
Finding more sustainable and healthier materials, safe manufacturing processes can be time-consuming and resource intensive. Although much research is carried on and knowledge on materials is broad, sometimes it’s not easy to start for lack of easy access to information, or for it’s too technical. The module in Sustainable Materials and Healthier Products is created to equip designers with the right tools to make informed decisions and supply the necessary background information on basic manufacturing materials, their chemical makeups and their relationship to human health.
Course Objectives
Learning outcomesThe main goal of this course is to promote a conscious use of sustainable materials and technologies, with the aim of transferring to the participants both the scientific and practical viewpoint. Participants will learn the principles and practices supporting a holistic perspective on the design strategies and approaches that directly affect building environmental challenges.
Skill development
Throughout this course, participants will strengthen their analytical and critical skills to make informed choices of materials, products and finishes in their future projects, so to promote the sustainability of architectural construction processes with special reference to indoor spaces healthiness.
Professional growth
Upon course completion, participants will emerge as skilled professionals equipped to perform a comprehensive understanding of the most important construction and finishing materials on the market in terms of impact on the environment, life-cycle and performances. They will posses the expertise to manage the complexities of materials selection, prioritize sustainable solutions in their projects and become proactive agents of change, promoting a sustainable future through their professional careers.
Final project
During their learning journey, participants will develop a project showcasing their acquired knowledge and skills. The exercise consists in the design of a summer temporary pavilion, a space that investigates the relationship with nature through the perceptive dimension of the senses and emotions. The final project will demonstrate the participants' ability to integrate environmental design principle, eco-friendly, recycled/repurposed and recyclable materials into their design practice.
The Structure
The course spans a total amount of 24 hours, distributed between 3 hours of pre-recorded lectures and 21 hours conducted interactively through live sessions online on the Uninettuno e-learning platform.The Healthy Materials and Sustainable Products schedule includes approximately 3 hours of face-to-face lectures each week, divided in modules as below. In addition to these lectures, students are required to engage in group or individual project work, complete assignments, and tutorials, and undertake research for an in-depth study of the topics covered in class.
- 1. THE NATURE OF MATERIALS
- 2. PERCEPTION STUDIES
- 3. INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHY MATERIALS
- 4. CHEMESTRY OF HEALTHY MATERIALS
- 5. PERFORMANCE-BASED APPROACH TO FINISHING SURFACES AND MATERIALS
- 6. SUSTAINABLE COLORS AND HEALTHY LIVING
- 7. DEMATERIALIZATION TRENDS
- 8. HAPTIC SURFACES
- 9. LIVING MATERIALS: THE CASE OF WOOD PRODUCTS
- 10. DESIGN WORK FINAL PRESENTATION AND SEMINAR DISCUSSION
Module 1 - Nature of Materials (1h video lecture)
The qualities of every material are shaped by technique and do not belong exclusively to any material. The very concept of authenticity expresses an intellectual orientation. The visual and tactile quality of surfaces is now so important that designers and manufacturers have spent a lot of energy to the development of increasingly sophisticated finishes, often imitations of “natural” properties but not always as sustainable. The aesthetic characteristics of industrial products - brought back to an ideal canon - are frequently delineated in a more precise way than those observable in the natural reference material, without however sharing their intimate structure, often generated by nature over a very long time. The unit addresses the issue of the relationship between nature and artifice in the definition of materials and their expressive qualities in relation to sustainability and contemporary sensory contexts.
The qualities of every material are shaped by technique and do not belong exclusively to any material. The very concept of authenticity expresses an intellectual orientation. The visual and tactile quality of surfaces is now so important that designers and manufacturers have spent a lot of energy to the development of increasingly sophisticated finishes, often imitations of “natural” properties but not always as sustainable. The aesthetic characteristics of industrial products - brought back to an ideal canon - are frequently delineated in a more precise way than those observable in the natural reference material, without however sharing their intimate structure, often generated by nature over a very long time. The unit addresses the issue of the relationship between nature and artifice in the definition of materials and their expressive qualities in relation to sustainability and contemporary sensory contexts.
Module 2 - Perception studies (1h video lecture)
Design, when it is defined as sustainable, relies on the technical solutions of the problem: energy saving, attention in the choice of materials and the recent attempts to plan life cycle of products. This is all very good, but contemporary design culture should also explore the deeper psychological relationship between the individual and the environment, exploring building materials and surfaces, the precious tools we have to define our relationship with environment. This module will provide an overview of studies and research regarding perception of materials from gestalt to recent findings in neuroscience.
Design, when it is defined as sustainable, relies on the technical solutions of the problem: energy saving, attention in the choice of materials and the recent attempts to plan life cycle of products. This is all very good, but contemporary design culture should also explore the deeper psychological relationship between the individual and the environment, exploring building materials and surfaces, the precious tools we have to define our relationship with environment. This module will provide an overview of studies and research regarding perception of materials from gestalt to recent findings in neuroscience.
Module 3 - Introduction to Healthy Materials 1h video lecture)
The unit provides an understanding of the impact materials can have on human health. This unit introduces professionals to the fundamentals of chemistry, enabling them to understand why particular outcomes and health impacts are produced. It introduces participants to chemicals of concern and alternatives that are being formulated by green chemists. Participants will be guided to navigate industry resources, datasheets and certifications, find and evaluate product options, and apply resources for maximum impact. They will be guided at establishing methods for targeting specific issues in a project and generalized strategies that can apply more universally. This unit is situated in the context of design practice, with additional information presented as the course progresses.
The unit provides an understanding of the impact materials can have on human health. This unit introduces professionals to the fundamentals of chemistry, enabling them to understand why particular outcomes and health impacts are produced. It introduces participants to chemicals of concern and alternatives that are being formulated by green chemists. Participants will be guided to navigate industry resources, datasheets and certifications, find and evaluate product options, and apply resources for maximum impact. They will be guided at establishing methods for targeting specific issues in a project and generalized strategies that can apply more universally. This unit is situated in the context of design practice, with additional information presented as the course progresses.
Module 4 - Chemestry of Healthy Materials (2h lecture + 1h workshop)
This unit examines the impacts of building materials on human health and the environment. Participants will be equipped with a scientific understanding of toxic chemicals are and how they impact human health when they’re used in building materials for indoor environments. The unit provides tips on how to minimize their use, explores resources to help decision-making and investigate the chemistry behind producing healthier building materials. The topic includes methods to address the choice of materials through generalized strategies, covering the challenges encountered during design, construction, maintenance, operation and end of life. Workshop: brief assignment
This unit examines the impacts of building materials on human health and the environment. Participants will be equipped with a scientific understanding of toxic chemicals are and how they impact human health when they’re used in building materials for indoor environments. The unit provides tips on how to minimize their use, explores resources to help decision-making and investigate the chemistry behind producing healthier building materials. The topic includes methods to address the choice of materials through generalized strategies, covering the challenges encountered during design, construction, maintenance, operation and end of life. Workshop: brief assignment
Module 5 - Performance-based approach to finishing Surfaces and Materials (2h lecture + 1h workshop)
In the past we were used to describing artifacts through their materials, today through their coating finishing, a thin skin that condenses the qualities that we previously associated with the profound nature of the material. Technological evolution has now made us able to design a surface starting from the visual effect and tactile characteristics that we would like to obtain in terms of performance, language, maintenance and sustainability. The progressive reduction in thickness, weight and amount of material is undoubtedly positive in terms of sustainability, especially if the new products and materials can guarantee the same or better performance. This unit addresses the issue through a selection of case studies from traditional materials and other more recent and innovative ones. Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
In the past we were used to describing artifacts through their materials, today through their coating finishing, a thin skin that condenses the qualities that we previously associated with the profound nature of the material. Technological evolution has now made us able to design a surface starting from the visual effect and tactile characteristics that we would like to obtain in terms of performance, language, maintenance and sustainability. The progressive reduction in thickness, weight and amount of material is undoubtedly positive in terms of sustainability, especially if the new products and materials can guarantee the same or better performance. This unit addresses the issue through a selection of case studies from traditional materials and other more recent and innovative ones. Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
Module 6 - Sustainable Colors and Healthy Living (2h lecture + 1h workshop)
The research on surfaces investigates the new possibilities of color in relation to the dynamic variation of natural and artificial light conditions. The perception of color depends on the light, which not only makes shades and reflections visible, but generates unprecedented, intense and vibrant colors when combined with the new surfaces of glass, plastics and transparent and opal coatings. This unit analyzes a series of surfaces that enhance the effect of light and reach the senses through intense chromatic vibrations. A selection of materials is investigated in terms of production, use and post-life sustainability (natural dyed wood veneers, laminated glass, polymers, traditional and digital print applications).
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
The research on surfaces investigates the new possibilities of color in relation to the dynamic variation of natural and artificial light conditions. The perception of color depends on the light, which not only makes shades and reflections visible, but generates unprecedented, intense and vibrant colors when combined with the new surfaces of glass, plastics and transparent and opal coatings. This unit analyzes a series of surfaces that enhance the effect of light and reach the senses through intense chromatic vibrations. A selection of materials is investigated in terms of production, use and post-life sustainability (natural dyed wood veneers, laminated glass, polymers, traditional and digital print applications).
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
Module 7 - Dematerialization Trends (2h lecture + 1h workshop)
The contemporary project plays on the effects of abstraction of matter and visual cancellation, obtained with conceptual processes, optical illusions and unprecedented treatments to make the surfaces ethereal. The evanescence of surfaces is achieved as an effect of reflection, invisibility and even absence with materials that hide their presence. The total transparency of some materials achieves a very credible effect of invisibility of the surfaces that appear lacking in thickness. Even in this case the designers must consider the issue of the environmental impact and lifecycle of this category of materials. This unit proposes a series of projects that pursue the dematerialization, to be observed starting from the materials, technologies and comparisons between them on sustainability, recyclability and carbon footprint (reflecting glass and metallic coatings, solid surface, traditional and innovative polymers).
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
The contemporary project plays on the effects of abstraction of matter and visual cancellation, obtained with conceptual processes, optical illusions and unprecedented treatments to make the surfaces ethereal. The evanescence of surfaces is achieved as an effect of reflection, invisibility and even absence with materials that hide their presence. The total transparency of some materials achieves a very credible effect of invisibility of the surfaces that appear lacking in thickness. Even in this case the designers must consider the issue of the environmental impact and lifecycle of this category of materials. This unit proposes a series of projects that pursue the dematerialization, to be observed starting from the materials, technologies and comparisons between them on sustainability, recyclability and carbon footprint (reflecting glass and metallic coatings, solid surface, traditional and innovative polymers).
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
Module 8 - Haptic Surfaces (2h lecture + 1h workshop)
The "natural" appearance of a surface is the result of a precise aesthetic choice that ideally approaches the primitive state of the material but at the same time enhances the sign of the first processes. Hardly any material exists in nature ready to use and the greater the degree of sophistication, the greater the chances of designing its appearance. The truth of a material therefore lies in the way we work it and even more so in what it appears. This unit focuses on textures and surfaces obtained by mechanical or chemical processes, in particular on the evolution of natural stone and metal processing and the impact that these materials generate on the environment.
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
The "natural" appearance of a surface is the result of a precise aesthetic choice that ideally approaches the primitive state of the material but at the same time enhances the sign of the first processes. Hardly any material exists in nature ready to use and the greater the degree of sophistication, the greater the chances of designing its appearance. The truth of a material therefore lies in the way we work it and even more so in what it appears. This unit focuses on textures and surfaces obtained by mechanical or chemical processes, in particular on the evolution of natural stone and metal processing and the impact that these materials generate on the environment.
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
Module 9 - Living Materials: the case of wood products (2h lecture + 1h workshop)
Naturalness, tradition and warmth are the words that have always described the most loved qualities of wood, qualities that are not called into question by the contemporary projects but are flanked by new interpretations that reveal an unprecedented sensitivity. While the "green" attention of recent years cannot be overlooked, wood is now increasingly identified as a creative material for giving shape to ideas in a sustainable way. A new generation of projects finds in wood a sustainable and at the same time technological material to experience total immersion in the natural element. This unit focuses on the traditional and innovative technologies of wood in construction finished and semifinished products (including cork, bamboo, paper), on lifecycle and on certifications.
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
Naturalness, tradition and warmth are the words that have always described the most loved qualities of wood, qualities that are not called into question by the contemporary projects but are flanked by new interpretations that reveal an unprecedented sensitivity. While the "green" attention of recent years cannot be overlooked, wood is now increasingly identified as a creative material for giving shape to ideas in a sustainable way. A new generation of projects finds in wood a sustainable and at the same time technological material to experience total immersion in the natural element. This unit focuses on the traditional and innovative technologies of wood in construction finished and semifinished products (including cork, bamboo, paper), on lifecycle and on certifications.
Workshop: tutorials and practice exercise
Module 10 - Design work Final Pesentation and seminar discussion (3h workshop)
Workshop: final presentation of the design assignment and seminar discussion
Workshop: final presentation of the design assignment and seminar discussion
Module Leader
Alessandro Villa - Architect and Material specialist He is an expert in materials and finishes for interior use with a specific interest for visual and tactile qualities of surfaces, involving senses and perceptive aspects. He alternates design activity with teaching; since 2003 he is an adjunct professor in Interior Design at Politecnico di Milano and faculty member at SPD Scuola Politecnica di Design. He is regularly invited for lecturing and conferences at public and private master schools in Italy and abroad.He has been working on long-term research projects focused on innovation (3M, Fincantieri), comfort perception (Fiat Auto) and the contemporary concept of beauty (Nivea-Beiersdorf) on behalf of international companies and universities. In 2010 he was awarded at the competition "Designers Show," sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Monza & Brianza, for "Urban Skin", a design for a new generation of photovoltaic surfaces.
Design research inspires his regular writing of papers, articles and reports from many areas of the interior architecture for renowned maazines such as INTERNI, ME Materiali Edili and RE Recuperare l’edilizia.
In 2024 he published the book “Seeking sense”, a survey on the meaning of a project and the act of designing itself, with a special attention to the psychology of the designer and his/her intentions.
In 2004 he opened his interior design practice, also covering architecture and visual communication. The practice designs houses, offices, showrooms and commercial set ups. Works of the studio have been published on interior design magazines and by Italian and international press.