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Prof. Alessandra Zanelli
POLITECNICO DI MILANO⸻Department of Architecture Built Environment and Construction Engineering, interdepartamental Textiles Hub, via E. Bonardi 9, 20133 Milan, Italy

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0 Architecture
0 Eco-efficiency
0 circular economy
0 membrane structures
0 Textile technologies

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Architecture
Lightweight construction
membrane structures

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Journal article
Published: 15 June 2021 in Architectural Engineering and Design Management
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ACS Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Carol Monticelli; Marijke Mollaert. Sustainable innovation in minimal mass structures and lightweight architectures. Architectural Engineering and Design Management 2021, 17, 167 -168.

AMA Style

Alessandra Zanelli, Carol Monticelli, Marijke Mollaert. Sustainable innovation in minimal mass structures and lightweight architectures. Architectural Engineering and Design Management. 2021; 17 (3-4):167-168.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Carol Monticelli; Marijke Mollaert. 2021. "Sustainable innovation in minimal mass structures and lightweight architectures." Architectural Engineering and Design Management 17, no. 3-4: 167-168.

Articles
Published: 24 July 2020 in Architectural Engineering and Design Management
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This paper presents the experimental design-to-installation process of two textile hybrid window screens, aimed at mitigating the comfort conditions and preserving the frescoes of Sala delle Asse at Castello Sforzesco, in Milan. Given the historical relevance of the context, the main challenges that the project tackles are: (1) implementing bespoke, low impact, lightweight structural screens as reversible additions to historical buildings; (2) enhancing the visual, lighting and hygrothermal comfort; (3) validating an interdisciplinary methodology from the preformance-driven design to construction, with the aim to assess its replicability in other cultural heritage sites. The design task, led by Textile Architecture Network, at hand is to produce self-standing vertical screens for the large-scale windows, in order to control the sunlight amount on the frescos, as well as to block air drafts that cause humidity inside the room. The main challenge of the project proved to be the fragility of the context, since the screens must be sealed on the borders, whitout perforations on the vaulted edges. Thus, a textile hybrid structure is proposed, made of (1) form-active elements, due to its self-standing principle; (2) unconventional knitted textiles, that need to be characterized. Eventually, the paper presents the preliminary multidisciplinary research campaign consisting of (1) in situ anemometric tests by Experimental Mobile Laboratory; (1) material tests on optical transmittance by SeedLab; (3) mechanical tensile tests and the updating of material choices by Textile Architecture Network, all part of the Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering Department’s Labs at Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy.

ACS Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Elpiza Kolo; Carol Monticelli; Elisabetta Rosina; Tiziana Poli; Alberto Speroni; Andrea Giovanni Mainini; Juan Diego Blanco Cadena. A removable textile hybrid structural screen for the windows of Castello Sforzesco, Milan: when experimental metrics inform the bespoke ‘design-to-construction’ process in historical contexts. Architectural Engineering and Design Management 2020, 1 -20.

AMA Style

Alessandra Zanelli, Elpiza Kolo, Carol Monticelli, Elisabetta Rosina, Tiziana Poli, Alberto Speroni, Andrea Giovanni Mainini, Juan Diego Blanco Cadena. A removable textile hybrid structural screen for the windows of Castello Sforzesco, Milan: when experimental metrics inform the bespoke ‘design-to-construction’ process in historical contexts. Architectural Engineering and Design Management. 2020; ():1-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Elpiza Kolo; Carol Monticelli; Elisabetta Rosina; Tiziana Poli; Alberto Speroni; Andrea Giovanni Mainini; Juan Diego Blanco Cadena. 2020. "A removable textile hybrid structural screen for the windows of Castello Sforzesco, Milan: when experimental metrics inform the bespoke ‘design-to-construction’ process in historical contexts." Architectural Engineering and Design Management , no. : 1-20.

Chapter
Published: 31 December 2019 in CoDesign for Public-Interest Services
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Biopolymers have been increasingly introduced in some application sectors, such as food packaging, fashion, and design objects, while the typical technical textiles for architecture remain polymeric composites, based on the use of non-renewable resources. In lightweight construction and textile architecture, the introduction of novel materials requires a long process of verification of their performances, in order to guarantee the safety levels required by building standards. The paper aims to focus on potentiality and constrains to the application of more eco-friendly coated textiles, woven, and non-woven membranes in architecture. The paper proposes a couple of strategies and best practices to be applied in lightweight architecture: (1) creating fabrics from recycled fibers, on the one hand, and (2) acting on the coating with biopolymers, on the other hand. Eventually, the paper focuses on some recent experimental research led by the authors at the ABC Department, on the environmental assessment of ultra-lightweight materials, based on the LCA methodology.

ACS Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Carol Monticelli; Salvatore Viscuso. Closing the Loops in Textile Architecture: Innovative Strategies and Limits of Introducing Biopolymers in Membrane Structures. CoDesign for Public-Interest Services 2019, 263 -276.

AMA Style

Alessandra Zanelli, Carol Monticelli, Salvatore Viscuso. Closing the Loops in Textile Architecture: Innovative Strategies and Limits of Introducing Biopolymers in Membrane Structures. CoDesign for Public-Interest Services. 2019; ():263-276.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Carol Monticelli; Salvatore Viscuso. 2019. "Closing the Loops in Textile Architecture: Innovative Strategies and Limits of Introducing Biopolymers in Membrane Structures." CoDesign for Public-Interest Services , no. : 263-276.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Advanced Materials Research
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The shelter for archaeological areas aims to protect ruins from damages, in order to preserve their historical values, while the excavation work represents a destructive action. The shelter design process for archaeological areas includes dealing with some contradictions, due to the multiplicity of constraints and the complexity of the application contexts. The article aims to state the appropriate use of membranes and temporary structures in these fragile environments through a new concept of textile lightweight solution coming from a decision support matrix. In this applicative example, the elasticity of the proposed textile material – that is a polyurethane-coated knitted textile – and its combination with a bending-active structural element, become a key aspect for reconfiguring the whole system to different sets of problems. The example therefore understands active bending as an approach to generating new structural forms, in which common load bearing behavior is found due to the structures inherently large elasticity and inner stress state.

ACS Style

Salvatore Viscuso; Alessandra Zanelli; Marta Barozzi. Textiles and Archaeological Sites: Towards a Methodology for Designing Lightweight Protective Structures. Advanced Materials Research 2018, 1149, 109 -118.

AMA Style

Salvatore Viscuso, Alessandra Zanelli, Marta Barozzi. Textiles and Archaeological Sites: Towards a Methodology for Designing Lightweight Protective Structures. Advanced Materials Research. 2018; 1149 ():109-118.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Salvatore Viscuso; Alessandra Zanelli; Marta Barozzi. 2018. "Textiles and Archaeological Sites: Towards a Methodology for Designing Lightweight Protective Structures." Advanced Materials Research 1149, no. : 109-118.

Journal article
Published: 04 April 2018 in Composites Part B: Engineering
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A coupled mechanical and electrical characterization method to monitor the correlation of organic photovoltaic (OPV) electrode resistance and cell performance upon tensile strain and to verify the cause of deterioration and the effect of OPV performance under tensile stress has been developed. Both a commercial OPV module and ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) membrane-printed OPV electrode layers have been tested by applying the method. The encapsulation layer strength has been found to be the mechanical bottleneck of the tested commercial OPV module. The decrease in the transparent electrode conductance has been found to be responsible for cell degradation upon tensile strain, with the threshold tensile strain at approximately 2%. A test results comparison between ETFE- and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-printed OPV layers demonstrated that ETFE-printed electrodes are less brittle and sensitive to tensile strain owing to the network pattern response of ETFE-printed electrodes. In addition, the adoption of Ag/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layering can improve the tensile strain threshold to almost double to maintaining 80% of the initial normalized layer conductance through the advantage of its “bridging effect”. Collectively, our results provide valuable information and illustrate a promising future for architectural membrane printed OPV.

ACS Style

Zhengyu Fan; Michele De Bastiani; Michele Garbugli; Carol Monticelli; Alessandra Zanelli; Mario Caironi. Experimental investigation of the mechanical robustness of a commercial module and membrane-printed functional layers for flexible organic solar cells. Composites Part B: Engineering 2018, 147, 69 -75.

AMA Style

Zhengyu Fan, Michele De Bastiani, Michele Garbugli, Carol Monticelli, Alessandra Zanelli, Mario Caironi. Experimental investigation of the mechanical robustness of a commercial module and membrane-printed functional layers for flexible organic solar cells. Composites Part B: Engineering. 2018; 147 ():69-75.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhengyu Fan; Michele De Bastiani; Michele Garbugli; Carol Monticelli; Alessandra Zanelli; Mario Caironi. 2018. "Experimental investigation of the mechanical robustness of a commercial module and membrane-printed functional layers for flexible organic solar cells." Composites Part B: Engineering 147, no. : 69-75.

Book chapter
Published: 14 October 2015 in Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications
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For ages lightweight architecture has used textiles taking advantage of their main characteristics: the structural behaviour, the performance of forms, the adaptability at different times and contexts. The chapter shows how it also profits by an efficient link between product design and industrial production.

ACS Style

Alessandra Zanelli. Designing with Lightness. Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications 2015, 3 -18.

AMA Style

Alessandra Zanelli. Designing with Lightness. Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications. 2015; ():3-18.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Zanelli. 2015. "Designing with Lightness." Tunable Low-Power Low-Noise Amplifier for Healthcare Applications , no. : 3-18.

Book chapter
Published: 01 January 2015 in Fabric Structures in Architecture
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ACS Style

Alessandra Zanelli. Architectural fabric structures in the refurbishment of archaeological and cultural heritage areas. Fabric Structures in Architecture 2015, 481 -527.

AMA Style

Alessandra Zanelli. Architectural fabric structures in the refurbishment of archaeological and cultural heritage areas. Fabric Structures in Architecture. 2015; ():481-527.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Zanelli. 2015. "Architectural fabric structures in the refurbishment of archaeological and cultural heritage areas." Fabric Structures in Architecture , no. : 481-527.

Journal article
Published: 24 October 2014 in TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment
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The essay aims to give an overview of the on-going S(P)EEDKITS collaborative project, co-financed by European Union, under 7FP - Activity SEC- 2011.4.2-3. In particular the research activities carried out the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) are highlighted, both on the field of the Industrial Design and on Architectural Technology. The theme of designing new emergency response kits in situations of great disasters outlines a new frontier for the disciplines of Architectural Technology that aims to combine the traditional vocation of the components’ design with the innovative researches of technical textiles and lightweight construction.

ACS Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Guy Buyle; Gianluca Giabardo; Salvatore Viscuso. S(P)EEDKITS & Smart Packaging. Novel textile application to redesign the emergency response. TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment 2014, 250 -260.

AMA Style

Alessandra Zanelli, Guy Buyle, Gianluca Giabardo, Salvatore Viscuso. S(P)EEDKITS & Smart Packaging. Novel textile application to redesign the emergency response. TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment. 2014; ():250-260.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Zanelli; Guy Buyle; Gianluca Giabardo; Salvatore Viscuso. 2014. "S(P)EEDKITS & Smart Packaging. Novel textile application to redesign the emergency response." TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment , no. : 250-260.

Journal article
Published: 02 November 2011 in TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment
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This paper outlines the work being done by the Politecnico di Milano’s SPACE (Experimental process for architecture and life cycle of building products) research unit on the theme of textile architecture. It describes the major research done by the unit, giving a glimpse of the strategies put in place by the university and the European Union for pure research, applied research and even experimental design. The essay also presents some thoughts on the impact of technological research on a project and on the ability of technologist to contribute to the design process with ‘constructive imagination’ and with ‘non-routine skills’, encouraging cooperation between specialized areas and the achievement of goals using non-conflicting methods.

ACS Style

Alessandra Zanelli. Research and experimentation with technical textiles. TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment 2011, 138 -149.

AMA Style

Alessandra Zanelli. Research and experimentation with technical textiles. TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment. 2011; ():138-149.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alessandra Zanelli. 2011. "Research and experimentation with technical textiles." TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment , no. : 138-149.

Proceedings article
Published: 05 September 2011 in WIT Transactions on The Built Environment
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ACS Style

M. Mollaert; L. De Laet; A. Verdonck; S. Lombardi; Paolo Beccarelli; Alessandra Zanelli. Textile shelters for archaeological or heritage areas: design references. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment 2011, 1, 387 -398.

AMA Style

M. Mollaert, L. De Laet, A. Verdonck, S. Lombardi, Paolo Beccarelli, Alessandra Zanelli. Textile shelters for archaeological or heritage areas: design references. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment. 2011; 1 ():387-398.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Mollaert; L. De Laet; A. Verdonck; S. Lombardi; Paolo Beccarelli; Alessandra Zanelli. 2011. "Textile shelters for archaeological or heritage areas: design references." WIT Transactions on The Built Environment 1, no. : 387-398.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2008 in International Journal of Space Structures
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The paper rediscovers the roots of Italian textile architecture and also previews some results of a national research study, one of whose focuses is the creation of an archive of knowledge for designers, to increase the qualified building of temporary spaces and the practised application of lightweight materials in our context.

ACS Style

Andrea Campioli; Anna Mangiarotti; Alessandra Zanelli. Textile Architecture in the Italian Context. International Journal of Space Structures 2008, 23, 201 -206.

AMA Style

Andrea Campioli, Anna Mangiarotti, Alessandra Zanelli. Textile Architecture in the Italian Context. International Journal of Space Structures. 2008; 23 (4):201-206.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Campioli; Anna Mangiarotti; Alessandra Zanelli. 2008. "Textile Architecture in the Italian Context." International Journal of Space Structures 23, no. 4: 201-206.