The main focus of this paper is the most recent phase of a large research project that has studied several wooden roof structures in the area of Bologna, belonging to a set of important historical buildings, all dating back to the 16th and 18th centuries. In particular, the behavior of the wooden trusses that support pitched roofs is analyzed, according to a methodological approach, based on generative algorithms that can help researchers and technicians to improve the comprehension of wooden structures’ behavior during their entire lifespan. While all the previous case studies concerned churches, this latest step extends the survey to the roofing system of the Municipal Theater of Bologna, which has a span of approximately 25 m. The core of the process concerns the automatic transformation of the point cloud into 3D models using parametric modeling tools, such as Grasshopper generative algorithms. Following this workflow, it is possible to speed up the creation of different truss models by changing only a few input parameters. This updating of the research protocol automatically creates a Building Information Modeling (BIM) model and a calculation model for the wooden trusses to perform a structural stress analysis by linking Grasshopper tools with Dynamo-Revit features. The procedure that has been developed from previous studies is still evolving and aims to speed up the modeling procedure and introduce new tools and methods for interpreting the functioning of these structural elements when surveyed through terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) devices.

The paper presents the activities related to ethnographic research in the Italian demo-case adapted to the needs of the TripleA-reno EU project (Affordable, Attractive, Accessible deep renovation). The overall study methodology is focused on the four phases of the People-centered development strategy, which focuses on the core idea that “knowing people” should become an integral part of energy renovation development processes as a means of achieving new categories of products, services, or business strategies. Ethnography is a typical methodology of anthropology. It is based primarily on the end-users observation, during which the researcher is directly involved in the daily activities, interactions, and events of a group of people. Involvement is intended as a means to learn the explicit and hidden aspects of an end-user’s daily life. The primary objective is to understand interactions between building occupants and the building itself, as well as their relationships and roles within the renovation processes. Implementing this research in the Italian case study has made it possible to form a knowledge base on the opinions of the subjects involved at the national level. The application of simplified ethnography methods combined with an appropriately studied questionnaire, conveyed through a web form, allowed for gathering useful information. The quantitative questionnaire data collected were then compared with the open-ended interviews collected from the residents of the Italian demo case building that was undergoing a forthcoming renovation. By confronting European, national, and demo case levels, it was possible to verify how the resident attitudes change concerning the energy renovation processes once directly involved. The aim was to understand which most stimulating factors have to be considered in order to make the end-user onboarding and renovation project experience more affordable, attractive, and accessible.

Water, a precious but limited resource since prehistoric times, has driven humans to develop systems for collecting and storing it. Evidence dating back to third millennium BC documents shows such systems among the Sumerians in the Fertile Crescent, as well as in Asia, Africa, China, and India. Aqueducts and cisterns, along with impluvium–compluvium systems, allowed the Romans to meet private and public needs; in Venice, wells provided filtered water until 1884. Today, climate change and increasing soil sealing urgently demand intelligent water collection and management, aligned with five of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (6, 11, 12, 13, 15). Buildings and construction account for about 35% of the global freshwater consumption. The construction sector, historically involved in the development of innovative rainwater harvesting and reuse systems, now faces a growing challenge in exploring innovative nature-based solutions for climate-resilient buildings (e.g., fog harvesting, green roofs for rainwater storage). Based on these considerations, we propose a scoping literature review of the last 15 years on innovative rainwater harvesting and storage systems. The analysis aims to provide a comparative mapping of the technological solutions that have emerged, to identify the geographical areas and climatic conditions favourable to each system, and to serve as a knowledge base for the development of integrated construction systems suitable for each specific context. A total of 136 peer-reviewed Open Access articles indexed in Scopus (2010–2024) were analysed following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines.