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Ergonomic approach is aimed at optimizing human interactions with systems, in order to make human activities more efficient, safe, comfortable and satisfying. Built environment influences people’s everyday life because all human activities are executed in a built space. In this framework, architectural design can be enhanced by the consideration of human factors perspective, because it gives the cultural and practical references to envisage how technical solutions can fit the environmental needs derived from people’s life and work activities they perform. Since the main objectives of sustainable design are to reduce, or completely avoid, depletion of critical natural resources and raw materials; prevent environmental degradation caused by facilities and infrastructure throughout their life cycle; create built environments that are livable, comfortable, safe, and productive, a broader consideration of the role of human factor has to be taken into account to enhance design process of sustainable buildings. Several studies evidence that to reach sustainable goals of buildings, particularly referred to energy and resources use and optimization, unexpected disadvantages for final users may occur. The paper shows recurring human side effects of building solutions and elements mainly adopted to address green strategy and technologies, in order to support building design to create working and living spaces actually fitting, in the same time, sustainable performance of buildings and needs of inhabitants.

The paper depicts emerging scenarios of environmental design, in connection to the paradigm shift brought about by digital technologies, and awareness of future challenges. It reviews selected researches and projects applying ecological thinking principles. It aims at raising awareness on heuristic approaches in research and design. The paper focuses on collective design as a way to improve the governance of complexity in the current anthropogenic era. The main conclusion highlights cultural marks depicting contemporary research trends, with a view to translate theoretical insights into practical experiences., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE: Special Series Vol. 2

The construction sector is gaining a growing attention in sustainable development policies, since it has been shown that energy consumption and CO2 emissions related to the construction and use of buildings they are comparable and sometimes exceed those produced by the sectors of transport and industry. The concept of sustainable building is characterized by a approach centered on natural resources saving, so that construction practices developed over the time, have been primarily aimed at limiting energy waste for designing buildings so-called "green", and for reducing their environmental impact and neglecting, however, human and social aspects. This situation is creating paradoxical results, since we often see new buildings, designed for energy and environmental efficiency maximization, showing a number of critical issues related to both the low efficiency of the established activities, both the insecurity and discomfort of the occupants. From this background, and on the basis of the available scientific literature, this study aims to analyze the contribution of ergonomics methodologies and techniques to environmental design of sustainable built environment, looking at architectural design process, from planning and executive stage, to management and use.

To cope with the general lack of homogeneity of Italian regulations about architectural elements that may cause hazardous conditions in workplaces, a Protocol for the Assessment of Architectural Risk was prepared by the LEAS, Laboratory of Applied and Experimental Ergonomics of University of Naples Federico II, in partnership with the Contarp of INAIL Campania Region. Architectural risk relates to the possibility that technical and environmental elements of buildings and outdoor spaces may create risky conditions for health and safety of occupants due to their engineering properties and their state of preservation, maintenance and use. The categories of architectural risk are mainly related to the safety and well-being performance of the buildings, assuming that these qualities provide occupants with the conditions to meet their personal, social and material prerogatives, protecting their health. Through the application to an office building, basic criteria of the Architectural Risk Assessment Protocol are presented.

Architectural and urban design is at the center of a recent scientific and disciplinary debate investigating several limits and contradictions: on one hand, concerns due to modified social practices; on the other hand, regulatory densification, scarcely capable to intercept inconsistencies and varieties of social innovation. Although it is widely accepted that environmental certification protocols at the buildings scale pay little attention to social dimension of sustainability, their recent evolution at the neighborhood scale is leading to a greater integration of human factors issues and participatory practices, able to pursuit aims of social justice, enhancing the design ethical dimension., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 14 (2017): Architecture and social innovation

Nell’ambito del progetto di ricerca TeCNaRE, finanziato dal Ministero dell’Ambiente e sviluppato dal Dipartimento DiARC dell’Università Federico II di Napoli, è stato realizzato un sistema integrato che sfrutta la combinazione di geotermico e microeolico per la climatizzazione degli ambienti.

The rising energy demand and the increased saving needs in building sector pushed in the last years the development of hybrid systems combining different energy sources, which can optimize available renewable resources, exceeding limitation deriving from each source. Research and market pay particular attention on questions resulting from integration of different systems and technical solutions, with the aim of maximizing their viability in terms of yielded energy and compatibility with planning and environmental regulations in any specific installation site. Funded by Italian Ministry of Environment (MATTM) and developed by Department of Architecture of University of Naples Federico II in partnership with two private companies, the research project TeCNaRE experimented a hybrid micro-generation system that exploits soil thermal inertia and wind energy, merging two renewable sources generally not combined. The hybrid renewable microgeneration system investigated in this study is a ground source heat pump which is co-powered by energy provided by a ground mounted micro-wind turbine, to meet the heating and cooling demand of a small building in urban area. Research brought to a prototypal installation on a demonstration building located on Posillipo hill, a valuable area of the city of Naples (Southern Italy), where landscape is strictly preserved and protected.