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Prof. Davide Del Curto
Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 26, 20133 Milano, Italy

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Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Preventive Conservation
0 Architectural conservation
0 Energy efficiency of historic buildings
0 20th century architecture
0 Conservation management plan

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Journal article
Published: 01 April 2021 in Sustainability
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The paper discusses how a Geographic Information System (GIS) contributes to set up a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the sustainable preservation of a 20th-century architectural masterpiece. The National Art Schools of Cuba are presented as a case study. The complex consists of five iconic buildings built in the early 1960s within a 56-hectare city-park. Since they are today underused and in a poor state of conservation, a research project among Italy, Cuba, and the US addressed a CMP’s preparation between 2018 and 2020. A GIS was prepared to collect and manage the whole data, based on graphic support consistent with both the site’s features and the research’s goal, to set up a comprehensive Conservation Management Plan. By illustrating this experience’s pros and cons, the paper discusses how GIS may contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of such extensive 20th-century architectural complexes.

ACS Style

Andrea Garzulino; Maria Borgarino; Davide Del Curto. When GIS Joins the Conservation Management Plan of a 20th-Century Architectural Heritage. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3881 .

AMA Style

Andrea Garzulino, Maria Borgarino, Davide Del Curto. When GIS Joins the Conservation Management Plan of a 20th-Century Architectural Heritage. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (7):3881.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Garzulino; Maria Borgarino; Davide Del Curto. 2021. "When GIS Joins the Conservation Management Plan of a 20th-Century Architectural Heritage." Sustainability 13, no. 7: 3881.

Journal article
Published: 29 March 2021 in Sustainability
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This paper illustrates the contribution that on-site survey and graphical documentation offer to the structural comprehension of 20th century architectural and civil engineering heritage and, therefore, to its sustainable conservation. The research herein presented has identified the true structural system of Havana’s National Art Schools, an internationally well-known architectural masterpiece that was recently investigated within the drafting of a comprehensive conservation management plan. This iconic complex was built right after the Castro’s revolution and was meant to embody Cuba’s newfound freedom. To this end, the complex was supposed to be built using Catalan vaulting, a technique loaded with significance due to its provenance, affordability, and flexibility. While most of the literature, the architectural features, and the very designers assert that no concrete nor steel were employed during construction, recent studies suggested that a reinforced concrete core might be hidden behind the masonry-like appearance of the five buildings. The structural analysis performed in order to draft a conservation and management plan for the school site thus became a hermeneutic opportunity to address this topic. Combining direct observation, documentary research, and nondestructive analyses (infrared thermography and magnetometer testing), it was possible to finally redefine the structural nature of these notorious architectures, which are indeed mostly made of reinforced concrete.

ACS Style

Davide Del Curto; Sofia Celli. The Treachery of Images: Redefining the Structural System of Havana’s National Art Schools. Sustainability 2021, 13, 3767 .

AMA Style

Davide Del Curto, Sofia Celli. The Treachery of Images: Redefining the Structural System of Havana’s National Art Schools. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (7):3767.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Davide Del Curto; Sofia Celli. 2021. "The Treachery of Images: Redefining the Structural System of Havana’s National Art Schools." Sustainability 13, no. 7: 3767.

Journal article
Published: 23 January 2021 in Climate
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This work illustrates the contribution of flood risk assessment and adaptation to set up a conservation management plan for a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture. Case study is the iconic complex, internationally known as the National Art Schools of Cuba. It consists of five buildings built in the early 1960s within a park of Habana next to the Caribbean Sea. The path of the river (Rio Quibù) crossing the estate was modified to fit the landscape design. The complex has then been exposed to the risk of flooding. The School of Ballet, located in a narrow meander of the river, slightly upstream of a bridge and partially obstructing the flow, is particularly subject to frequent flash floods from the Rio Quibù, and it needs urgent restoration. Keeping ISA Modern is a project aimed at preserving the Schools complex. Based upon in situ surveys on the Rio Quibù and local area measurements during 2019, numerical modelling, and previous work by the Cuban National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, we pursued a flood risk analysis for the area, and a preliminary analysis of available risk reduction strategies. Using HEC-RAS 2D software for hydraulic modelling, we evaluated the flooded area and the hydraulic conditions (flow depth, velocity) for floods with given return periods. Our results show that SB is a building most subject to flooding, with high levels of risk. Defense strategies as designed by Cuban authorities may include a (new) wall around the School of Ballet and widening of the river channel, with high impact and cost, although not definitive. Temporary, light, permanent, and low cost/impact flood proofing structures may be used with similar effectiveness. We demonstrate that relatively little expensive hydraulic investigation may aid flood modelling and risk assessment in support of conservation projects for historically valuable sites. This may support brainstorming and the selection of (low to high cost) adaptation and risk reduction measures in the coastal areas of Cuba in response to ever increasing extreme storms and sea level rise controlling flood dynamics under transient climate change.

ACS Style

Leonardo Stucchi; Daniele Fabrizio Bignami; Daniele Bocchiola; Davide Del Curto; Andrea Garzulino; Renzo Rosso. Assessment of Climate-Driven Flood Risk and Adaptation Supporting the Conservation Management Plan of a Heritage Site. The National Art Schools of Cuba. Climate 2021, 9, 23 .

AMA Style

Leonardo Stucchi, Daniele Fabrizio Bignami, Daniele Bocchiola, Davide Del Curto, Andrea Garzulino, Renzo Rosso. Assessment of Climate-Driven Flood Risk and Adaptation Supporting the Conservation Management Plan of a Heritage Site. The National Art Schools of Cuba. Climate. 2021; 9 (2):23.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Leonardo Stucchi; Daniele Fabrizio Bignami; Daniele Bocchiola; Davide Del Curto; Andrea Garzulino; Renzo Rosso. 2021. "Assessment of Climate-Driven Flood Risk and Adaptation Supporting the Conservation Management Plan of a Heritage Site. The National Art Schools of Cuba." Climate 9, no. 2: 23.

Review
Published: 13 November 2020 in Sustainability
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This paper presents a literature review about aerogel-based products for building, focusing on the plasters used within the architectural restoration sector. Aerogel has entered the construction field in the last two decades as a component of many insulation products, due to its high thermal performance. Aerogel-based plasters allow the matching of high thermal performance and limited thickness. This makes them suitable when retrofitting an existing building and also when restoring a heritage building. We analyze the results of recent research, focusing on the most commonly used methods for assessing the thermal performances and durability of aerogel-based plasters. As a result of this review, we propose a guideline for manufacturing samples destined for laboratory tests.

ACS Style

Davide Del Curto; Valentina Cinieri. Aerogel-Based Plasters and Energy Efficiency of Historic Buildings. Literature Review and Guidelines for Manufacturing Specimens Destined for Thermal Tests. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9457 .

AMA Style

Davide Del Curto, Valentina Cinieri. Aerogel-Based Plasters and Energy Efficiency of Historic Buildings. Literature Review and Guidelines for Manufacturing Specimens Destined for Thermal Tests. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9457.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Davide Del Curto; Valentina Cinieri. 2020. "Aerogel-Based Plasters and Energy Efficiency of Historic Buildings. Literature Review and Guidelines for Manufacturing Specimens Destined for Thermal Tests." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9457.

E conceptual paper
Published: 20 August 2018 in Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development
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The purpose of this paper is to describe the cross-fertilisation process between the concept of resilience and building conservation. The authors discuss how the conservation field can address new issues posed by climate change and whether the concept of resilience plays a role within the framework of sustainable building conservation. Starting from the use of resilience as a “travelling concept”, different interpretations of the term emerging from different fields are compared and interrelated in order to understand how this concept can impact future research in building conservation. In addition to summarising recent developments in conservation theory with a special focus on how sustainability has influenced the field, this work also suggests some lines of research where resilience could foster interdisciplinary approaches to building conservation and presents some controversial outcomes. The paper raises a discussion on how the concept of resilience could renew the field of building conservation, helping contemporary society to address the challenges of climate change.

ACS Style

Andrea Luciani; Davide Del Curto. Towards a resilient perspective in building conservation. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development 2018, 8, 309 -320.

AMA Style

Andrea Luciani, Davide Del Curto. Towards a resilient perspective in building conservation. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development. 2018; 8 (3):309-320.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Luciani; Davide Del Curto. 2018. "Towards a resilient perspective in building conservation." Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development 8, no. 3: 309-320.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2017 in Energy Procedia
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ACS Style

Cesare M. Joppolo; Davide Del Curto; Andrea Luciani; Luca P. Valisi; Mara Bellebono. Keeping it modern, making it sustainable. Monitoring and energy retrofitting the Urbino University Colleges. Energy Procedia 2017, 133, 243 -256.

AMA Style

Cesare M. Joppolo, Davide Del Curto, Andrea Luciani, Luca P. Valisi, Mara Bellebono. Keeping it modern, making it sustainable. Monitoring and energy retrofitting the Urbino University Colleges. Energy Procedia. 2017; 133 ():243-256.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cesare M. Joppolo; Davide Del Curto; Andrea Luciani; Luca P. Valisi; Mara Bellebono. 2017. "Keeping it modern, making it sustainable. Monitoring and energy retrofitting the Urbino University Colleges." Energy Procedia 133, no. : 243-256.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2015 in Energy and Buildings
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This paper reports the results of three innovative laboratory tests implemented during winter 2013 in the framework of the Climate for Culture European Project (2009–2014). Thermal analysis was used to assess the heating efficiency of some heaters with different power consumption, geometric shape and dimensions.\ud \ud Experimental laboratory results were obtained under natural indoor environmental conditions and the outcomes were applied to a real case study of two churches on the Italian Alps during the Friendly Heating project.\ud \ud Results provide useful information to help final users and/or conservators to exploit at the best the heating efficiency of some heaters on the basis of the geometric characteristics of the elements and represent helpful advices for their installation, considering both the optimal position for the maximum comfort performance and the need for not exceeding specific risk thresholds for artwork preservation

ACS Style

Chiara Bertolin; Andrea Luciani; Luca Valisi; Dario Camuffo; Angelo Landi; Davide Del Curto. Laboratory tests for the evaluation of the heat distribution efficiency of the Friendly-Heating heaters. Energy and Buildings 2015, 107, 319 -328.

AMA Style

Chiara Bertolin, Andrea Luciani, Luca Valisi, Dario Camuffo, Angelo Landi, Davide Del Curto. Laboratory tests for the evaluation of the heat distribution efficiency of the Friendly-Heating heaters. Energy and Buildings. 2015; 107 ():319-328.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Bertolin; Andrea Luciani; Luca Valisi; Dario Camuffo; Angelo Landi; Davide Del Curto. 2015. "Laboratory tests for the evaluation of the heat distribution efficiency of the Friendly-Heating heaters." Energy and Buildings 107, no. : 319-328.