The development of innovative and environmentally sustainable construction materials is a strategic priority in the context of the ecological transition and circular economy. Geopolymers and alkali-activated materials, derived from industrial and construction waste rich in aluminosilicates, are gaining increasing attention as low-carbon alternatives to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), which remains one of the main contributors to anthropogenic CO₂ emissions and landfill-bound construction waste. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of geopolymer-based solutions for building and architectural applications, with a particular focus on modular multilayer panels. Key aspects, such as chemical formulation, mechanical and thermal performance, durability, technological compatibility, and architectural flexibility, are critically examined. The discussion integrates considerations of disassemblability, reusability, and end-of-life scenarios, adopting a life cycle perspective to assess the circular potential of geopolymer building systems. Advanced fabrication strategies, including 3D printing and fibre reinforcement, are evaluated for their contribution to performance enhancement and material customisation. In parallel, the use of parametric modelling and digital tools such as building information modelling (BIM) coupled with life cycle assessment (LCA) enables holistic performance monitoring and optimisation throughout the design and construction process. The review also explores the emerging application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for predictive mix design and material property forecasting, identifying key trends and limitations in current research. Representative quantitative indicators demonstrate the performance and environmental potential of geopolymer systems: compressive strengths typically range from 30 to 80 MPa, with thermal conductivity values as low as 0.08–0.18 W/m·K for insulating panels. Life cycle assessments report 40–60% reductions in CO₂ emissions compared with OPC-based systems, underscoring their contribution to climate-neutral construction. Although significant progress has been made, challenges remain in terms of long-term durability, standardisation, data availability, and regulatory acceptance. Future perspectives are outlined, emphasising the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, digital integration, and performance-based codes to support the full deployment of geopolymer technologies in sustainable building and architecture.

This paper explores the current status of bio-based insulation materials (BbIMs) integration in Europe, through structured online questionnaires. with industry experts. The findings show that the main common difficulties are obtaining European Conformity (CE) marking, high costs, a skills gap, a lack of trained builders, and slow acceptance from industry decision-makers. On the other hand, the main common opportunities are the gradual improvement with certain supportive policies and incentives, the growing environmental awareness, thermal, acoustic, and environmental performance, long-term cost savings and value, and increasing educational initiatives, advertising, and awareness campaigns. The finding also emphasizes the critical role that users and buyers play in the adoption of these materials as a potential driver and barrier. The professionals suggest strengthening environmentally friendly standards, integrating natural materials into construction databases, leading by example, withdrawing subsidies for hazardous waste disposal, providing continuing education, workshops, collaboration among stakeholders, and referencing exemplary projects in France. Further insights on bio-based building materials integration in building information modeling (BIM) practices indicate that the rate of their integration is very low. This research contributes to the scientific literature on BbIMs, by highlighting the barriers to the widespread use of these materials in practice and promoting the drivers of their widespread use. Future research should address more insights from other uncovered countries and the countries with limited insight (The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Portugal) in the current study as well as End-users’ perceptions.

Bio-based insulation materials (BbIMs) represent a potential alternative to conventional insulations, with their characteristics that favor a negative-carbon built environment. However, their use may face challenges that could prevent them from being used on a large scale in certain countries. The current study aims to provide focused insights into the practical difficulties and market opportunities for the application of BbIMs in Europe through a systematic literature review (SLR). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used as the basis for the conduct and reporting of this review. A keyword search was performed in Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases to select peer-reviewed English-language articles. HubMeta web tool was used to organize the selection process. The quantitative visualization of the literature was made by the Bibliometrix R package V4.1.4. Data were manually extracted and clustered in an Excel sheet. The review included 28 studies that have revealed interrelated insights. Difficulties range from regulatory and policy limitations and variability in performance, such as microbial growth and inconsistency in the behavior of materials under different conditions, to cost barriers. However, there are promising opportunities, including policy incentives and material performance benefits such as improved energy efficiency and indoor air quality. This research contributes to the literature by providing focused insights into the practical difficulties and market opportunities for the application of BbIMs in Europe. Research gaps and future perspectives point to the need for more field validation experiments, exploration of alternative production processes, and expanding life cycle assessment scopes to optimize their integration and performance. Stakeholder perceptions were conducted with a small sample in some countries, so insights from stakeholders are needed to confirm or correct current findings.

The aim of this research is to present the results of research project called “Pompei, Knowledge Factory”, whereas the `Knowledge Factory' represents a specific territorial infrastructure that, along with integrating know-how and technologies, may serve as the driver of innovation within the cycle of the protection and regenerative development of the cultural, environmental, landscape and industrial assets. Regeneration that could modify Pompei in a smart city. The definition of smart city, which has emerged in recent years, identifies a technological and interconnected city, that is also sustainable, comfortable, attractive, confident, with a balanced development and better management of energy resources and transport, reducing emissions, waste, pollution and congestion. In short, a “smart” design should not to dwell on mere regulations, but rather propose an integrated concept of the city landscape and development, reordering priorities and mobilizing the key issues in a logic of smart territories and communities that functions as a major stimulus for innovative research as well as projects. The ambitious goal of this project was to define operational protocols for the analysis, the survey and sustainable management of the territory of Pompei, not limited to the enclosure of the archaeological excavations, but rather included the whole municipality, with it being a carrier of critical elements, that has enormous chances still to be highlighted and valorised. In fact, the City of Pompei is unique due to the presence of two important tourist attractions (over than 6 million of tourists each year): the archaeological excavations of the City submerged by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompei, now a Marian pontifical shrine and minor basilica, one of the most popular Italian destinations “to be blessed”. These tourist attractions lie in the modern City of Pompei, beyond which lies a sprawling, chaotic conurbation, that in the absence of any form of planning has spontaneously risen over the years. Preliminary knowledge of the city and archaeological site areas is the fundamental critical premise, both in the collection of data as well as their return. The research was also an opportunity to set up an experiment, with the integrated use of survey techniques and tools, a field laboratory in order to develop a methodology for multidimensional and multi-scalar integrated digital surveying, that can be exported to other contexts.

The research addresses the topic of jewelry design with a view to environmental and social sustainability, relating both to the precious materials used and to the production processes. The study, applying methods and processes of the discipline of drawing, lays the foundations for the analysis of the morphological configurations of crystal lattices, assuming the analogy of these between natural and artificial stones already known since the eighteenth century. These premises on the atomic structure of crystals are fundamental for the definition of the possible cutting processes of both the raw stone produced in the laboratory and for the re-faceting of natural stones, also using of specific modeling software capable to replicate in a digital environment not only the morphology of the faceted stone but also to simulate working phases and processes.