Politecnico di Milano, ABC Department

The Department of Architecture, Built environment and Construction engineering is a scientific and cultural project based on extensive research and teaching experience on planning, design, production and management, in the field of architecture and civil engineering. The Department aims at facing present challenges for an overall improvement of territorial assets, urban development, and of the built environment.
The Department brings together a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and professors, fully expressing the “polytechnic spirit” in teaching and research, an approach leading to a timely scientific and technical response to the complex problems posed by the transformation of the built environment, concerning both new interventions and redevelopment projects.
Considering the many disciplinary approaches characterizing the Department, research activity targets different levels, always supported by lab activities and services: basic research, curiosity-driven projects, research-based design practice, pre-normative research, applied and experimental research. While mainly related to architectural design, architectural and environmental technology, construction engineering, this expertise is integrated by other disciplines: history of architecture, town planning, environmental technical physics, environmental studies, regional and business economics, building evaluation, survey and representation, preservation and restoration.
With its different lines of research, the Department is qualified by the ability to transfer knowledge and expertise at different educational levels (BA, MA, PhD, specialization, lifelong learning) by organizing training programs. These are intended to interpret and orient the needs of the construction industry by promoting innovation and offering a continuous update, in view of defining new research and professional profiles able to face the challenges of today, requiring as they do the ability to synthesize different disciplines and professional approaches.

KU Leuven

KU Leuven is an autonomous university that offers its students an academic education based on high-level research, with the aim of preparing them to assume their social responsibilities.
KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied research. It is strongly inter- and multidisciplinary in focus and strives for international excellence. To this end, KU Leuven works together actively with its research partners at home and abroad.
KU Leuven encourages personal initiative and critical reflection in a culture of idea exchange, cooperation, solidarity and academic freedom. It pursues a proactive diversity policy for its students and staff.
KU Leuven aims to actively participate in public and cultural debate and in the advancement of a knowledge-based society. It puts its expertise to the service of society, with particular consideration for its most vulnerable members. From a basis of social responsibility and scientific expertise, KU Leuven provides high-quality, comprehensive health care, including specialised tertiary care, in its University Hospitals. In doing so it strives toward optimum accessibility and respect for all patients.
KU Leuven carries out its academic activities at various campuses, research parks and hospital facilities in close cooperation with the members of the KU Leuven Association and with its hospital partners.

The Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation (RLICC) was established in 1976, at the initiative of the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Yet in 1988, RLICC was involved in studies related to the economic impact of heritage. Since its foundation, the RLICC is increasingly involved in fundamental and applied research on the different aspects of the conservation processes of monuments and sites, from technical aspects up to research dealing with heritage (risk) management. It contributed to the set-up and development of the concept of preventive conservation in Monumentenwacht Vlaanderen since 1994. The RLICC is the holder of the UNESCO chair on preventive conservation, monitoring and maintenance of monuments and sites which is set-up in collaboration with the University of Cuenca in Ecuador and Monumentenwacht Vlaanderen in close collaboration also with South East University in Nanjing (China). The chair has been established in 2008, launched in 2009 and it has been prolonged by UNESCO in 2012 until March 2016.

Uppsala University

World-leading research and first-class education of global benefit to society. The mission is to gain and disseminate knowledge for the benefit of humankind and for a better world.
Uppsala University stands behind the search for knowledge in order to contribute to human knowledge and global development. Research should take on the major challenges facing society as well as purely scientific questions. The University in all its breadth provides unique opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and new combinations. The ability to attract and to create good working conditions for skilled academic staff is the most important factor for the University’s success in the international academic community.

TU Delft

TU Delft cooperates with many other educational and research institutions, both in the Netherlands and abroad. The high quality of our research and teaching is renowned. TU Delft has numerous contacts with governments, trade associations, consultancies, industry and small and medium-sized companies.
TU Delft’s mission is to make a significant contribution towards a sustainable society for the twenty-first century by conducting groundbreaking scientific and technological research which is acknowledged as world-class, by training scientists and engineers with a genuine commitment to society and by helping to translate knowledge into technological innovations and activity with both economic and social value.

Foppoli Moretta e Associati

Foppoli Moretta e Associati consulting engineers (FMeA) is an italian SME settled in 2005.
The company is divided into two dept.s: “Building, Restoration & NDT” and “Environment, Territory & Infrastructure”.
On the field of surveys, diagnostic analysis and monitoring FMeA have performed testing on masonry, wooden and R.C. structures, structural monitoring, modeling and statical and seismical assessment of several ancient buildings all over the Italy such as SS. Sindone Chapel in Torino Cathedral, Italian House of Parliament at Montecitorio Palace in Rome, Giotto Bell Tower in Florence, Palladio old Bridge in Bassano, several buildings damaged from the 2012 Emilia earthquake and from the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake.
On the field conservation of Cultural Heritage FMeA has worked for the restoration and structural enhancement of public buildings, archaeological sites, castles, palaces and mansions, churches.
FMeA is involved in italian and UE research activites on the field of preventive and planned conservation and on the field of calibration of new testing techniques for structural application and acts also as consultants for the development of italian and UE programs on the field of Cultural Heritage.

Monumentenwacht Noord-Brabant

is the non-profit organisation that was set up to conserve Dutch built heritage by means of preventative maintenance measures. The first Monumentenwacht organization was founded in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1973. Monument Watch of Noord-Brabant was established in 1975. TU Delft has good contacts with Monumentenwacht Noord-Brabant, and cooperation between the people involved has taken place in projects like EU COMPASS. Partly implementing MDDS in Monumentenwacht’s methodology of research on monuments is under discussion. In situ research on monuments could be supported by Monumentenwacht’s reports. MDDS was originally developed together with Prof. Van Balen and prof. Luigia Binda from Politecnico di Milano among others. The relationship between TU Delft, KU Leuven and Politecnico di Milano was further developed in various forms (e.g. projects, exchange students, workshops).

Monumentenwacht Flanders

The concept of preventive conservation as an efficient and sustainable way of building management (rather than restoration), became an important element in the policy of immovable heritage in Flanders (Belgium). Flanders plays a pioneering role in operationalising preventive conservation strategies by means of Monumentenwacht. Established in 1991, the organization was charged with the duty to check the constructional state of historic buildings in Flanders and to formulate recommendations for their maintenance. After 25 years of practice Monumentenwacht has realised with her proactive approach a voluntary membership of approximately 6500 buildings.  Almost 1000 inspections are carried out every year by 38 specialists. The voluntary membership is of the utmost importance, starting from the personal engagement of the owner to assuring the willingness for regular and adequate maintenance of buildings. Monumentenwacht offers its services to all (historically) valuable buildings within the Flemish Region, not only to listed monuments.

Consortium Villa Reale e Parco di Monza

has been established in 2009 with the aim of valorising the Reggia of Monza, including Villa Reale and the Park, by carrying out the restoration and guaranteeing the planned conservation for the enhancement of public fruition. The Reggia is currently testing some of the most advanced policies concerning Cultural Heritage in Italy, and is at the hearth of Monza and Brianza Cultural District. It is relevant that “conservazione programmata” is clearly written as one of the reasons of the Consortium, which includes, among others, the Region, the Province, Monza Municipality and Italian Ministry for Heritage and Cultural Activities. In May 2014 the Villa Reale hosted three days of the Preventive and Planned Conservation Conference 2014.

Navarra Gestioni (Na.Gest)

is the private society in charge for the management of the part of the Villa Reale which has been recently restored following a project financing scheme, that is using a relevant financial contribution by an investor who for next 22 years will manage this part of the building, being responsible for its good conservation. The scheme is interesting for the research perspective as it entails the challenge of coordinating private and public subjects, and it can show the follow-up of a restoration in the case that the manager is the same subject who carried out the works, and is obliged to give back the property in a perfect state of conservation after using it for a pretty long period. For the foreseen action-research it is very important that both the public and the private subjects have been involved.

Assimpredil ANCE

is the Association of Building and Related Companies of Milano, Lodi, Monza e Brianza provinces, that is the subject who can represent the construction industry and its point of view on the ongoing transition. This Association pays a strong attention to the sector of Heritage conservation and enhancement, as for five years it has been organising events to proudly present these works to public fruition: “Milan in Its Art Yards” is an unusual rediscovery of Milan as a city of art – an itinerary covering the whole time frame between the XV and the XX century, designed with the aim of letting the world meet the historical and artistic heritage of Milan, as well as its entrepreneurial capacities in the conservation industry. Assimpredil ANCE has already been involved as a partner of Monza and Brianza Cultural District and in this framework relevant educational activities have been carried out on the issues of Preventive and Planned Conservation, in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano.