The research project revolves around the concept of Upcycling, and the related principle of Design for Disassembly (DfD), applied to the scale of architectural design and understood as the critical reuse of building materials, capable of avoiding a new entry into the production cycle.

On the one hand, the project undertakes a thorough historical survey on the topic from a theoretical and design angle, throughout Europe and with specific attention to Italy, from 1945 onwards. The goal is to gain new knowledge on the European culture of construction from the last seven decades, observing it through this specific lens. In order to do so, the outlining of a historical and theoretical framework goes alongside the filing of best practices across the continent.

In parallel, the project intends to encourage the application of Upcycling practices in the regeneration of the existing post WWII built heritage in Italy, and more generally to foster a global update of the Italian contemporary construction culture. It has a strong drive towards dissemination outside the academic circles, and aims to actively contribute to the public debate on these themes, particularly topical in a historical moment marked by momentous technological and energy rethinking.

The research frame, in fact, is defined in reaction to a few crucial issues of our times, many of which relate to contemporary energy and environmental crises, exacerbated by the current geopolitical situation. Considerations on the EU policies on the rational use of building materials, the aging of the Italian built heritage, and the rise in the prices of building materials further contributed to specify the research topic. From this perspective, the project wishes to bring a specific and significant contribution to the strategies of the European Green Deal, and related initiatives.

The International Conference is organized in the frame of the research project “Upcycling Architecture in Italy. Forging and Promoting a Renewed Building Culture”. PRIN 2022 PNRR. Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU.

Each submission must include:

1. Full name, surname, affiliation and e-mail address of the paper’s main author. The conference organizers will address all communications to the paper’s main author.
2. Full name, surname and affiliation of the paper’s other authors (if any)
3. A title of maximum 70 characters
4. Specification of the chosen area of inquiry: history (A), theory (B), or practice (C)
5. A 300-word abstract - Abstracts should define the subject and summarize the argument to be presented in the proposed paper. The content of that paper should be the product of well-documented original research that is primarily analytical and interpretive, rather than descriptive in nature. Papers cannot have been previously published or presented in public except to a small, local audience. All abstracts will be held in confidence during the review and selection process. N.b.
6. 5 key-words
7. A 100-word author’s biography

Submissions must be sent no later than May 15th, 2025, to the following e-mail address: info [at] upcyclingarchitecture.it

Key Dates and practical informations

• May 15th, 2025 / Abstract submission deadline
• June 30th, 2025 / Deadline for the notification of paper’s acceptance or rejection
• October 30th, 2025 / International conference

Conference venue

Politecnico di Torino – Castello del Valentino
Viale Pier Andrea Mattioli, 39
Torino, Italy

• The conference is open to the public.
• No registration fees are required.
• Submission and conference language: English

Organizing Committee and Research Project Steering Group

• Alberto Bologna (Sapienza Università di Roma)
• Josep-Maria Garcia-Fuentes (Politecnico di Milano)
• Ilaria Giannetti (Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata)
• Gabriele Neri (Politecnico di Torino)

Contact

• For more information, please write to: info [at] upcyclingarchitecture.it