Starting from the 1992 UN conference of Rio de Janeiro on environment and development, the scientific community has pointed out the sustainable development as the only allowable form of cohabitation between humanity and environment; therefore, sustainability has become the great research theme of disciplines regarding the territory modification as architecture and engineering. Recently, new design methods, materials and construction techniques have been devised to improve the functionality and safety of buildings against both ordinary and exceptional environment interaction.
For example, it is now well acknowledged that a good seismic design should consider the system ability to dissipate energy and the effects of the lateral deformation on the seismic response of the entire building. These considerations involve both the morphological, technological and structural aspect of buildings. Nevertheless, so far they have not significantly influenced the fundamental concepts guiding the architectural design and in current practice one cannot substantiate the existence – and correct application – of clear guidelines when adopting new conceptions of functional and structural design and the related innovative techniques.
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Innovative Systems for a Sustainable Architecture and Engineering
