Environmental and Sustainable Building Engineering

The course is structured into three main modules, for a total of 9 CFU (Crediti Formativi Universitari - 'University Formative Credits'), equivalent to 90 hours of lectures and exercises in classroom and 135 hours of individual study and exercises: ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY (4 CFU - 40 hours of lectures and exercises in classroom and 60 hours of individual study and exercises) This module introduces students to the graphic and geometric analysis of architecture and landscape. It presents architectural and landscape surveying as an open system of knowledge in continuous evolution, indispensable for the measurement and representation of existing building and environmental heritage. After a brief introduction to metrology, the module will offer an overview of archival research methods as well as analogue and instrument-assisted surveying techniques. Students will work with three-dimensional point clouds from multiple sources to generate as well render 2D and 3D models. SOLID GEOMETRY (1 CFU - 10 hours of lectures and exercises in classroom and 15 hours of individual study and exercises) This part of the course is dedicated to reviewing some basic concepts of projective geometry, representation methods, and architectural drawing as prerequisites for successful attendance at the Digital Modelling course. This will be followed by in-depth explorations of advanced solid geometry using 3D modelling, including polyhedra and curved surfaces. MATHEMATICAL-PARAMETRIC MODELLING AND BIM PRINCIPLES AS AN INFORMATION SYSTEM (4 CFU - 40 hours of lectures and exercises in classroom and 60 hours of individual study and exercises) This section focusses on the fundamentals of Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a mathematical and parametric approach to digital modelling. Students will learn to control form and geometry during creation of architectural 3D models. The final module delves into BIM as a comprehensive information system—beyond its function as a 3D model. Students will learn to manage a queryable database that can extract diverse types of information, such as material take-offs, quantity estimations, spatial data, and more.

The basic notions of CAD (Computer Aided Design) at a two-dimensional level and principles of design and architectural composition will be indispensable and taken for granted, as well as the knowledge of the graphic language related to the representation of Architecture and Landscape (plans, elevations, sections, and cartography in the various scales of representation).

During the course, lecturers will provide students with presentations of their lessons and other handouts via the Google Classroom platform.

Exercises will be assigned throughout the course. Although it is not compulsory to hand in homework assignments by the deadlines set by lecturers, it is strongly recommended to do so in order to receive ongoing guidance from lecturers and tutors. In order to be eligible to take the final exam, all homework assignments must be evaluated at least as sufficient. If even a single assignment is rated as insufficient, the student will not be admitted to the exam. In any case, a student must receive the lecturers' approval before taking the examination.

THE FINAL EXAM CONSISTS OF: 1) Submission of PDF files. Students must submit the following three PDF files, each containing all requested exercises for the corresponding part of the course: - One single PDF file for the Survey section. - One single PDF file for the Solid Geometry section. - One single PDF file for the BIM section. These files must be submitted via email to the instructors by 12:00 PM (noon) on the day before the exam. In the afternoon of that same day, students will receive a reply confirming whether they are admitted to the exam. 2) Practical BIM Software Test. Students will complete an impromptu practical test using BIM software. The student will be given a set of instructions to follow and must complete the task in approximately 30-40 minutes. Students who do not pass this part will not be admitted to the oral examination and must retake the entire exam. 3) Oral Test. The oral test will cover topics studied throughout the course. At the end of the course, students will receive a (long) list of possible questions. On the day of the examination, three questions will be randomly selected from this list. To pass the exam in its entirety, the student's oral evaluation must be at least sufficient. If not, the student will have to repeat the exam. The examination must be taken in person. SPECIAL CASE: ATTENDING STUDENTS Students who: - have attended at least 70% of the lessons and - have had all assignments positively evaluated will be required to take only the oral exam (they will be exempt from the in-class BIM practical test).

COURSE COMMUNICATION Communication will be managed primarily through Google Classroom. The platform allows students to: -​ Access documents shared by the instructors. -​ Participate in group discussions. -​ Upload assignments for review. -​ Receive exercise evaluation reports. Alternatively, communication may take place via email. COURSE MATERIAL AND LESSONS Material and lessons will always be available to students. Live lessons will be held on Google Meet, recorded, and shared via a Google Drive link so they can be viewed at any time. While live attendance is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended, as it offers the opportunity to interact directly with the instructor.