Alessandra Zanelli
PHD, PROFESSOR
lightweight structures, textiles, membranes, emergency shelters
Scientific-Disciplinary Sector: ICAR/12 – Building technology
Politecnico di Milano
Department of Architecture, Built Environment
and Construction Engineering
Building 14 “la Nave”, 1st floor
9 Bonardi street, 20133 Milan - Italy
+39 02 2399 5135
+39 02 2399 5105
CV RESUME
(1968) architect, Ph. D. in Architectural and Environmental Technology, since 2011 Alessandra is Associate Professor at the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC), Politecnico di Milano. She is a member of SPACE (Experimental process for architecture and life cycle of building products) Research Unit at the same Department.
Her main interests deal with role of technological innovation in architecture and in industrial design. In particular, she has focused her attention on: temporary systems (tents, minimal units for emergency; mobile homes, ect.); adaptive systems (smart, extensible, foldable, pivots systems, ect); application of lightweight systems and demountable buildings for dwellings. Alessandra is a professor of building technology in the degree courses in Architecture, Environmental Architecture and Building Construction at the Faculty of Architecture and Society and at the Faculty of Civil Architecture, both of the Politecnico di Milan.
Since 2001 she is Teaching Organiser of Doctorate in Technology and Design Engineering for Building and City Environmental Quality of the BEST Department and since march 2005 she is Member of the Scientific Committee of the same Doctorate. She collaborates with the reviews Arketipo, Costruzioni Metalliche, Costruire in laterizio, Frames, Tenda, Tensinews. She is Associate Member of Management Board of TensiNet Association, the thematic network for upgrading the built environment in Europe through tensile structures and since 2004 she is the Regional Representative for Italian Universities.
She is the coordinator of a Multidisciplinary Research Cluster entitled “Innovative Textiles”, in order to connect different competences of Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nautical and Internal Design, Chemical and Material Sciences and finally Building Technology and Environmental Design already available inside of various Departments at the Politecnico di Milano. The aim of this action is to promote an integrated approach for designing with textile materials and lightweight structures and become visible as complete team of work, able to propose innovative techniques for designing, manufacturing, building up and testing all kind of membrane, textile and flexible foil.
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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Zanelli A., (2015), Architectural fabric structures in refurbishment of archaeological and cultural heritage areas, in: Llorens Duran, J.I., Fabric structures in architecture, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, 2015, pp. 481-527, doi:10.1016/B978-1-78242-233-4.00015-2.
Monticelli C., Zanelli A., Eco-efficiency and life cycle analysis of structural membranes in architecture, in Falk a., Vegh P. and Chilton J. (eds.) (2015), Proceedings of the IASS Working Groups 12+18 International Colloquium “Biobased and Bio-inspired Environmentally Compatible Structures”, 10 - 13 April, Tokyo Denki University, Japan
Monticelli C., Zanelli A. (2016), Life Cycle Design and Efficiency Principles for Membrane Architecture: Towards a New Set of Eco-Design Strategies, in Procedia Engineering 155, p. 416-425, 2016.
CURRENT POSITIONS
Associate Professor
2011 - now
Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (ABC) Department, Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI)
Full Professor qualifying agreement
2014 - now
Coordinator of TEXTILES HUB
2015 - now
the Interdepartmental Laboratory on Textile materials and Polymers at POLIMI
Founder of clusTEX
2008 - now
the multidisciplinary research cluster on innovative textiles at POLIMI
Regional Representative and Associate Partner of TensiNet
2004 - now
the European thematic network for upgrading the built environment through tensile structures
PREVIOUS POSITIONS
Researcher
2005 - 2011
BEST Department, POLIMI
VII Level Technician Staff
1997 - 2005
BEST Department, POLIMI
EDUCATION
PhD in Technology of Architecture and Environment
1997
BEST Department., POLIMI
Master in Architecture, Structural and Technological Specialization
1993
Faculty of Architecture, POLIMI
FELLOWSHIPS & AWARDS
2nd classified, winner of a grant for the Scientific productivity
2008
BEST Department., POLIMI
1st classified, winner of a grant for the Scientific productivity
2006
BEST Department., POLIMI
3 years fellowship, PhD Course in Technology of Architecture and Environment
1997
BEST Department., POLIMI
1 year fellowship, research topic: Innovation in Technology and Construction
1997
at National Research Center, CNR - ICITE, Sesto Ulteriano (Milan)
renunciatory as incompatible with the PhD fellowship
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Architectural Technology
1st level
Bachelor course of Science of Architecture at School of Architecture, Urbanism and Construction Engineering, POLIMI
Construction of Architecture Design Studio 1
1st level
Bachelor course of Science of Architecture at School of Architecture, Urbanism and Construction Engineering, POLIMI
Experimental Building Systems and Components
1st level
Bachelor course of Interior Design at School of Design, POLIMI
Design of Ultra-lightweight Building Systems
2nd level
optional course open to all Master level course at POLIMI
TEAL Sheltering Course: Temporary architecture and Textile technologies
3rd level
PhD level course offered every 2 years and open to all PhD courses at POLIMI
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
My main interests deal with role of technological innovation in architecture and in industrial design. In particular, i have been focusing on:
- temporary systems (tents, minimal units for emergency; mobile homes);
- adaptive systems (smart, extensible, foldable, pivots systems);
- innovative application of lightweight systems;
- dry-techniques and demountable buildings for dwellings
- the application of the life cycle thinking design methodology to the whole design process, from the early phases to the construction ones.
I also have been the role of supervisor of scientific contents available on-line at the website: www.architetturatessile.polimi.it (since 2007) and www.textilearchitecture.polimi.it (since 2011): the Italian site which promotes the dissemination of membrane architecture and lightweight structures (tensile structures, pneumatic systems, air inflatable and air supported structures, grid and shells), giving specific information to designers about textiles employed in nautical and other advanced fields and their potential transfer in the building sector.
GRANTED PROJECTS
I was involved in different research projects, co-financed by Regional and International institutions (Cariplo Foundation, MIUR, Regione Lombardia, EU) with the role of Partner, Principal Intestigator, leading or co-leading some specific working packages, as follows:
Cost Action TU1303: Novel structural skins: Improving sustainability and efficiency through new structural textile materials and designs
2013 - 2017
H2020, COST European Cooperation in Science & Technology
co-leader (with Jan Cremers and Carol Monticelli) of WP2- Sustainability and member of the Management Committee
EASEE - Envelope Approach to improve Sustainability and Energy efficiency in Existing multi-storey multi-owner residential buildings
2012 - 2016
H2020 Collaborative project EeB.NMP.2011-3
Member of the WP 4: Retrofitting solutions using textiles and thin insulation materials
S(P)EEDKITS - Rapid deployable & packaging kits as seeds for self-recover
2012 - 2016
Collaborative Project - Security FP7-SEC-2011-1
role of principal investigator as partner POLIMI; leader of POLIMI team; leader of WP1: System design and modularity; co-leader of WP2: Sheltering: design and blueprints
TIFAIN - Tessere Integrate di vetro Fotovoltaico per applicazioni Architettoniche INnovative
2012 - 2014
National research project co-financed by Region Lombardy
A research of industrial development on the creation of a new kind of OPV integrated- tile for facades
role of principal investigator as partner POLIMI; Leader of WP1 on the designing of the new tiles
SOFT (Smart, Organic, Flexible and Translucent) - PV
2010 - 2011
Progetto Fondazione Cariplo – Advanced materials
Creation of a Photovoltaic Organic Cell on Fluoropolymeric Substrate to Integrate into Smart Building Envelopes
role of principal investigator
Membrane e scocche per l’architettura diffusa (membranes and shells for the built environment)
2005 - 2007
MIUR PRIN 2005 – National funding Project
role of co-leader (with Andrea Campioli) of POLIMI team
Tecnologie di intervento per l’innovazione negli insediamenti per l’emergenza (Innovative techniques for the emergency settlements response)
2000 - 2002
MIUR PRIN 2000 – National funding Project
role of member of POLIMI team
Le scienze umane nella formazione dei progettisti tecnici (Human sciences for the training of technical designers)
2000 - 2002
CNR Agenzia 2000 – National fulding project
role of co-leader (with Marisa Bertoldini) of POLIMI team
MEMBERSHIPS
2004 - now
TensiNet - the thematic network for upgrading the built environment in Europe through tensile structures
Regional Representative for Italian Universities and Associate Member of the Research Network
IASS - The International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures founded by Eduardo Torroja in 1959
2009 - now
Associate Member of the Research network
TensiNet - the thematic network for upgrading the built environment in Europe through tensile structures
2008 - now
Member of Working Group ETFE and Working Group SPECIFICATIONS
CEN/TC250 WG5 Membrane structures (group for preparation of a new Eurocode dealing with the structural application of textiles materials and foils)
2008 - 2010
Representative for Italy
UNI - Commissione Edilizia Eco-Compatibile, sottogruppo SG3: Materiali (group for preparation of a Italian Standard)
2000 - 2002
Member of the standardization group
EDITOR OF JOURNALS & SUPERVISOR OF BOOK SERIES
Editor of the Italian Journal Costruire in laterizio
2006 - now
Section: Dettagli
Editor of the Italian Architectural Magazine Arketipo
2008 - now
Section: Projects
Editor of the Italian Journal Costruzioni Metalliche
1999 - now
Section: Architecture
Editor of the Italian Journal TENDA
2015 - now
Section: Textile Architecture
Scientific Supervisor of the Book Series Tecnologia e Progetto
2002 - 2010
Libreria Clup, Milano (with Marisa Bertoldini, Andrea Campioli, Anna Mangiarotti and Guido Nardi)
Scientific Supervisor of the Book Series Tecnologia e Progetto
2002 - 2010
Libreria Clup, Milano (with Marisa Bertoldini, Andrea Campioli, Anna Mangiarotti and Guido Nardi)
Editor of the Journal @BEST
2006 - 2008
Four-Month Journal of the Building Environment Science & Technology BEST Department at POLIMI (with Anna Delera, Gabriele Masera e Tiziana Poli) - ISSN 1827-3351
Editor of the on-line Journal NEHS
2002 - 2004
Network of Engineering and Human Sciences
Scientific supervisor of CD-ROM Series: Aeditoria Elettronica - "Banca Dati per l'Architettura e l'Edilizia"
1997 - 2008
ORGANISATION OF SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS
16-17 Mar 2016
COST ACTION TU1303 Novel structural skins at POLIMI
Organization of two Plenary sessions (1. Networking; 2. Envisioning)
25-27 Sep 2012
3-days Multidisciplinary Design Workshop entitled: Novel Sheltering, Second Design workshop of WP2
Scientific coordination, ABC Dept. with Design Dept., European Project S(p)eedkits
11 June- 22 July 2010
Conferences Cycle on Textile Architecture
Scientific coordination, Milan Architects Professional Office: Ordine degli Architetti, Pianificatori, Paesaggisti e Conservatori della Provincia di Milano, via Solferino, Milan, with the patronage of Politecnico di Milano e della Facoltà di Architettura e Società, supported by Giovanardi, Canobbio, Serge Ferrari
16 -17 Apr 2007
TensiNet Symposium 2007 and correlated Exhibition entitled: “Ephemeral Architecture: time and textiles
School of Architecture and Society, POLIMI
April – June 2005
Conference cycle “Projects in Progress”
Organization (with Ingrid Paoletti and Monica Lavagna), Invited lecturers: Dominique Perrault (14 April) and Kengo Kuma (13 June)
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES & CHAIRMAN OF CONGRESS SESSIONS
Annual Symposium of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures IASS 2017
25-28 Sep 2017
Interfaces: Architecture, Engineering, Science, Hamburg
Co-Chairman of the Session (with Jianhui Hu and Wujun Chen): Membrane Structures - Architectural Membrane Structures (Integrated Photovoltaics)
TensiNet Symposium 2016 “Novel structural skins”, COST Action TU1303
26-28 Oct2016
Co-Chairman of the Session (with John Chilton): Sustainability and Life Cycle Analysis of Structural Skins
Member of the Scientific Committee and reviewer
University of Newcastle, UK
TensiNet Symposium 2013 “[RE]THINKING lightweight structures”
8-10 May 2013
Member of the Scientific Committee and reviewer
Mimar Sinan Fine-Art Univ., Istanbul
TensiNet Symposium 2010 “Tensile Architecture: Connecting Past and Future”
16-18 Sep 2010
Member of the Scientific Committee and reviewer
University ofArchitecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia
TensiNet Symposium 2007 “Ephemeral Architecture: time and textiles”
16-17 Apr 2007
Member of the Scientific Committee and reviewer
School of Architecture & Society, POLIMI
Annual Report of Graduated Students
2004 - 2005
Member of the Scientific Committee and reviewer
the School of Architecture and Society, POLIMI
ARCHITECTURAL WORKS & TEMPORARY INSTALLATION
Construction site advisor of the Temporary Artwork of the artist Toshiko Horiuchi
8 Dec 2013
MACRo Museum, Rome; co-design of the interface details between the listed building of the Museum and the tensile net of nylon handmade by the artist.
Design and economical support (65%) of the textile-based Pavilion
2011
which hosts the TEXTILES HUB Laboratory at POLIMI, 14A Building, 9 Bonardi street, Milan.
Installation of the SOFT-CUBE temporary Pavilion
2010
designed by POLIMI students of the Construction of Architecture Design Studio 2010-2011, Via Solferino, Milan; supported by Fratelli Giovanardi, Canobbio textile Engineering and Serge Ferrari Textiles.
Installation of the “Lightweight Construction” Pavillion at Cuore Mostra
12 - 15 Mar 2008
SAIE Spring Exhibition, Bologna Fair, in collaboration with TensiNet and POLIMI
Installation of the ClusTEX Pavillion at Salone Architex
1 - 2 Jul 2008
II Congresso Mondialedegli Architetti, Lingotto Fiere, Torino, invited by TECTEXCLUB association
INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Member of the Scientific Commission of ABC Department, POLIMI
2017 - 2019
Responsible of teaching and research activities of laboratories at ABC Dept.
2014- now
Member of the departmental Board, ABC Dept.
2011- 2014
Member of the preliminary Commissions “Research” and “Communication” working on the definition of the Strategic 3-Years Research Plan at BEST (currently ABC) Dept.
2008- 2011
Member of the Teaching Commission of ABC Department, with the role of reference person for the Science of Architecture Bachelor Course, Milan.
2006- 2008
Member of the Qualifying Evaluation Board for Architects and Planners, Italy.
Jan - Dec 2012
Member of the Degree Panel of the Bachelor in Science of Architecture at POLIMI
1999 - now
Member of the Degree Panel of Master in Architecture at POLIMI
1999 - now
Member of Evaluation commission of 22° and 28° Cycle of Doctoral course in Technology and Design for the environmental quality, POLIMI.
2004 - 2014
COMMISSION OF TRUST
Member of the Qualifying Evaluation Board for Architects and Planners, Italy.
Jan - Dec 2012
Member of the Degree Panel of the Bachelor in Science of Architecture at POLIMI
1999 - now
Member of the Degree Panel of Master in Architecture at POLIMI
1999 - now
Member of Evaluation commission of 22° and 28° Cycle of Doctoral course in Technology and Design for the environmental quality, POLIMI.
2004 - 2014
Member of Evaluation Commission of the Final PhD Exam, Doctoral course in Civil Engineering at VUB - Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
2016
PATENTS
INSULATING WALLPAPER - Tapestry of functional system, installation method of the tapestry, installation kit for the tapestry
2015
Italian Registered Patent n. 102015000071514 11/11/2015, European Registered Patent n. PCT/IB2010/056268 10/11/2016.
Innovators: Aliprandi S., Masera G., Monticelli C., Zanelli A.
Status: Pending
TIFAIN Facade Diamond - Patent for community design application
2015
Patent number: 002824847, Patent filling date: 15 October 2015
Innovators: Jakica N., Zanelli A.
Status: Pending
TIFAIN Facade Diamond - Patent for industrial invention: Application method for building-integrated photovoltaic modules
2015
Patent number: 102015000061983, Patent filling date: 15 October 2015
Innovators: Jakica N., Zanelli A.
Status: Pending
Textile Wall - Muro Tessile
2015
Application number: IT BG20150020 – PCT IB2016/052069
Innovators: Viscuso S., Zanelli A.
Status: Pending