60
Environmental Technical Physics
REGGIO DI CALABRIA
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Qualifying [Ob-Q]: Ability to analyze and evaluate environmental impacts through LCA and EPD, integration of sustainable methodologies into design
Specific [Ob-S]: Creation of innovative prototypes using upcycling and 3D printing techniques, critically reinterpreting Enzo Mari's historic design according to the principles of the circular economy
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of design and planning; Familiarity with CAD software; Basic concepts of sustainability and circular economy
Teaching Methods
1. TYPE OF TRAINING ACTIVITIES:
Lectures: (hours): 30
Exercises: (hours): 10
Practical activities (Workshop): (hours/year in the classroom): 20
2. INDEPENDENT STUDENT WORK: (15 independent hours per credit)
Individual study of theoretical topics (UT-1 | IR-1); Study of objects selected from the E. Mari catalog (UT-2 | IR-2). [30 hours]
Individual exercises with parametric software (UT-3 | IR-3). [30 hours]
Development, documentation, and refinement of the concept/prototype: redesign and reinterpretation of objects and their production processes, material data sheets, simplified LCI, parametric LCA report (UT-4 | IR-4). [30 hours]
Assessment Methods
0_ Midterm assessment: administration of a questionnaire (closed + open) and a mini-application exercise on the content of lectures and seminars (UT-1, UT-2 | IR-1, IR-2).
1_ Final assessment – Final Review / Workshop: public presentation and discussion of the developed project/prototype (UT-4 | IR-4) with submission of the project documents: design drawings, physical and digital prototype, Parametric LCA report; interview on design choices and software use (UT-3 | IR-3).
Exam format: Theory / Practical
Texts
Theory (2)
Crul, M.; Diehl, J.-C.; Ryan, C.; Lindquist, T.; Tischner, U.; Vezzoli, C. (2009). Design for Sustainability: A Step-by-Step Approach. Paris: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). ISBN 92-807-2711-7.
(UT-1 | IR-1)
Mari, Enzo (2011). 25 Ways to Hammer a Nail. Sixty Years of Ideas and Projects to Defend a Dream. Milan: Mondadori. ISBN 9788804606918.
(UT-2 | IR-2): Essays on Self-Production, the Design-Materials-Production Relationship.
Experimentation (2)
Heisel, F., & Hebel, D. E. (2019). Pioneering construction materials through prototypological research. Biomimetics, 4(3), 56.
(UT-4 | IR-4): Design and experimentation through prototyping, iteration, verification.
Obrist, H. U.; Giacomelli, F. (eds.) (2020). Enzo Mari. Exhibition catalog. Milan: Electa. ISBN 978-8892820708.
For study (UT-4 | IR-4): Catalog of the Triennale retrospective: drawings, models. Useful for discussing choices of modularity, disassembly, and materials in redesign.
Theme of the year (1)
Nava, Consuelo; Lucanto, Domenico (2023). From Ecodesign to Prototyping. Upcycling for Decarbonization. Rome: Aracne Editrice. ISBN 9791221810004.
Contents
1_DESCRIPTION
The Life Cycle Eco-Design course focuses on teaching the principles of LCA and Eco-Design. The transfer of this knowledge enables the transformation of sustainability objectives into measurable product design decisions regarding form, materials, and processes. The LCA methodology provides the quantitative language (definition of objectives and scope, LCI, LCIA) to evaluate different material and formal configurations and compare alternative scenarios; Eco-Design translates this evidence into design decisions geared towards reducing the product's footprint, durability, disassembly, and recycling/upcycling, which can be communicated through an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration). Integration with parametric design (Rhino + Grasshopper), additive manufacturing, and prototyping allows for rapid iteration of solutions, optimizing performance and impact from the early stages of the project (Nava & Lucanto, 2023). This year's theme—the reinterpretation of objects by Enzo Mari—is structured as an experiment that allows theoretical principles to be applied "to interpret the relationship between design, materials, and production as an ethical and didactic practice" (Mari, 2011). The expected outcomes include: construction of inventories and key indicators; comparison of material and process scenarios; and development of circular prototypes documented with LCA assessment results.
2_COURSE SYLLABUS
The course explores the year's theme through Enzo Mari's circular reinterpretation of objects, exploring how design, material, and technological choices influence environmental impacts and performance. The course falls within the area of Environmental Technical Physics and interacts interdisciplinaryly with the themes of Design and Technological and Environmental Planning. In conjunction with the integrated course in Sustainable Design, the module addresses topics related to: LCA, Eco-Design, product environmental indicators and labeling, circular economy, upcycling, parametric design, and prototyping.
Guided design experimentation is proposed: LCA analysis; selection of materials from recycled, upcycled, and/or natural sources; development of concepts and prototypes evaluated and optimized with parametric LCA (Rhino + Grasshopper, Cardinal LCA, Bombyx LCA).
The course, divided into four thematic units, involves dialogue and the exchange of information and knowledge acquired through the integrated "Sustainable Design" course, of which it is an integral module.
Course Outline and Expected Outcomes:
[UT-1] LCA Fundamentals: The basic principles of LCA will be explored to systematically assess the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle. The phases of the production process, the quantification and communication of impacts governed by relevant legislation, will be analyzed. The importance of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a tool for creating environmental product labels, such as the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), will be highlighted.
[IR-1] Knowledge of environmental indicators and product labeling systems (EPD): Carbon Footprint, Global Warming Potential (GWP).
[UT-2] Eco-Design and Project in Enzo Mari: This unit offers a monographic study of Enzo Mari, focusing on the transfer of concepts necessary to understand how design, material, and technological choices influence production processes and environmental impacts.
[IR-2] Critical understanding of the role of materials and design in the production context, and the ability to use LCA for product environmental labeling.
[UT-3] Eco-Design Tools and Methodologies: Introduction to the use of specific parametric software for sustainable design and LCA analysis, such as Cardinal LCA and Bombyx LCA. Students will learn to integrate real-time environmental assessment into the design process, optimizing design solutions.
[IR-3] Operational skills in the use of software for environmental analysis and sustainable design.
[UT-4] Enzo Mari – UpCycling Design Workshop: Practical experimentation based on the reinterpretation of Enzo Mari's iconic objects, following the principles of Life Cycle Design (LCD) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Students will create prototypes using additive manufacturing and upcycling techniques, rethinking the original design with a view to the circular economy and sustainability. Particular attention will be paid to disassembly, modularity, and sustainable material selection.
[IR-4] Construction and practical testing of prototypes based on Enzo Mari's designs.