The course aims at providing technical-scientific fundamentals for an aware choice of materials in the sustainable architectural project, by completing the knowledge acquired during the course of Science and Technology of Materials of the BSc in Architecture.
The study of the eco-sustainability of construction materials will clearly and unambiguously motivate their use in sustainable architectural design, based on the analysis of their production processes and properties.
Moreover, the course aims at illustrating the students some tools for the eco-compatibility assessment of the construction materials.
These knowledges will allow students to develop original ideas to be applied in the projects of the multidisciplinary Atelier: the architectural sustainable design of the MSc in Architecture for Sustainable Design (first semester of the 2nd year).

The course provides the students an advanced specific knowledge on the construction materials studied during the course of Science and Technology of Materials of the BSc in Architecture, and the teaching is specifically aimed to improve the knowledge on the ecological properties of construction materials. Adequate tools will be introduced to evaluate the eco-compatibility of building materials and the necessary skills will be developed to properly choose and use the construction materials in the sustainable architecture design. Students will acquire:
- knowledges on Green Building Materials, their microstructure, their properties, their degradation processes and their interactions with the surrounding environment,
- the necessary skills to be able to evaluate the environmental impact of the most common construction materials in terms of raw materials consumption, energy required to produce them, global warming, environmental pollution, toxicity and waste generation
- knowledges to assess, with awareness and competence, the eco-sustainability of processes and components and to select re-usable and/or recyclable construction materials, having a low environmental impact, and an extended service life.

Students should have the knowledge arising from disciplinary contributions of the teachings of the BSc in Architecture, specifically: "Fundamentals of architectural technology", "Building Physic", "Fundamentals of structural analysis" and "Science and technology of materials". The students should be able to manage the reference sources, tools and methods of the previous disciplines.

The teaching of "Sustainability of Processes and Products in Materials for Architecture" deals with the relationship between the use of materials and the environmental sustainability in architectural design.
The course is structured in two main sections:
─ the first part deals with the aspects of sustainable management of natural resources, the prevailing environmental impacts related to the production cycles of materials and to the European regulation. Some of the indicators used in the evaluation of eco-compatibility of a construction product are also illustrated in relation to the entire life cycle of the building component, including its possible re-use, recycling or disposal.
─ the second part is devoted to the study of structural materials, materials for walls, roofing, finishes and thermal insulation. Different type of building and construction materials are analyzed such as metals, concrete, ceramics and bricks, wood, bamboo, straw, clay, glass, thermal insulation and waterproofing products, paints and varnishes, glues and adhesives. Finally, the innovative materials, the adaptive and responsive materials (biomimetic), and the future research developments in the field of eco-friendly materials will be also presented. For each class of materials, the analysis concerns the production process, the properties, the durability, the environmental sustainability and the possible technological solutions aiming at obtaining materials and components with proper mechanical performances, durability and energy efficiency.

Delivery modes include single and multi-disciplinary lectures oriented to the experience of sustainable design, as well as some possible thematic seminars.
The teaching load includes 6 CFU (60 hours) of teaching and the commitment for the retrieval of specific reference sources and for the study of reference material and handouts.
For any clarification on the lessons, the tutor will be available by appointment.

Lecture’ slides, handouts and documents related to the most relevant topics useful for the study will be available on the Portale della didattica.
References and standards will be specified during the lectures.

Recommended readings:
- M.F. Ashby. Materials and sustainable development. Butterworth-Heinemann (2016).
- M.F. Ashby. Materials and the environment. 2nd edition, Butterworth-Heinemann (2013).
- B. Berge. The ecology of building materials. Elsevier Architectural Press, Oxford (2009).
- A. Fassi, L. Maina. L’isolamento ecoefficiente. Guida all'uso dei materiali naturali. Edizioni Ambiente (2009).
- U. Wienke. Manuale di bioedilizia. 4a edizione, DEI (2008).

The acquired knowledge and rating will be assessed through a final written test consisting of ten/twelve questions. A particular attention will be paid to test the ability of the student to integrate the acquired knowledges and to critically evaluate and choose sustainable solutions. For each question, an exact, articulated, comprehensive and concise response is required, to which a maximum score of 5/30 can be assigned. The final score will be provided by the sum of the partial scores obtained for each answer. A facsimile of the exam paper will be available in "Portale della didattica" and commented by the teacher during the lessons.