The Laboratory alignes with the specific objectives of the Degree Program in Architecture (https://corsi.units.it/en/ar03/course-objectives), where particular attention is paid on the tools for the technological construction of buildings, according to an integrated design approach across different disciplines.
The Laboratory aims to provide students with the following skills:
D1 - Knowledge and understanding. The Laboratory, through the proper and specific approach of the different disciplines characterizing it, aims to give students the tools to design a reinforced concrete construction considering the sizing of the structural elements, the definition of the characteristics of the components constituting the vertical and horizontal external surfaces with the due attention to the control of the dispersion of heat through walls and floors. For the understanding of the topics the development of a multi-storey building project is expected. The theoretical concepts acquired during the lectures will be applied to size the main structures and to design the technological solutions and the construction details, taking into account the necessary requirements to ensure adequate thermo-hygrometric and acoustic performances.
D2 - Applying knowledge and understanding. The student will be able to independently develop the correct sizing of the main structures, to develop envelope and partition elements according to activity layout and to provide the necessary installations to obtain the desired performance for the building.
D3 - Making judgments. The student will be able to choose the materials and construction techniques to be used in the building that he intends to design in order to maximize its performances.
D4 - Communication skills. The student will be able to fully describe the various aspects of the design in the technical report of the project and will be able to illustrate with proper language the developed design work.
D5 - Learning skills. At the end of the course the student will have to be able to independently deal with insights and specialist integrations concerning the performance of multi-floor constructions with reinforced concrete structure.

The student must have acquired the basic knowledge concerning statics and analysis of structures, moreover he has to know the materials used in the building and the composition of the construction elements as well as the fundamentals of general physics.
Pre-required courses:
- Principles of physics
- Technological Design Laboratory of Architecture
- Statics
- Analysis of structures.

The Architecture Construction Laboratory is divided into three modules: Construction Technique, Technologies and Building Solutions for Environmental Sustainability, and Environmental Performance of Buildings.
The lectures aim to transmit to the student the knowledge to understand the structural composition and the methods for the dimensioning of reinforced concrete constructions, integrating the static aspect with the constructive features analyzing the various types of technological elements of the building, then with the theme of producing, providing and controlling energy services in buildings, with reference to the main concepts of applied thermodynamics, and acoustics.
Most residential or office buildings ranging from a few floors up to medium height are made of reinforced concrete. Even among tall and very tall buildings there are many examples of reinforced concrete constructions; the latter have been made possible thanks to the use of high-performance concrete of the latest generation.
The study of the constructibility of the architectural form in terms of the appropriate use of typologies, technologies and constructive-productive processes applied to new construction projects and / or recovery of the existing building heritage constitutes a fundamental part of the building design.
In order to proceed with the design, it is necessary to acquire the basics for the knowledge of the design and construction phases of the individual construction elements (foundations, bearing structure, horizontal closing elements, vertical closing elements, vertical connections and roofing) that characterize the building organism and the interrelations that are established among them when the construction is completed, in a sustainable approach to performance evaluation in building design and construction.
The need, always greater following the new regulations issued in recent years, to obtain the environmental control of a building leads to analyze in the design phase many factors such as living comfort, the influence of construction in the global consumption of energy, sanitary and environmental health and wellbeing through the adoption of technical solutions on the enclosure and on the systems that allow compliance with the requirements that are required.
These solutions must be totally integrated with the structures and with the aesthetic aspects but ensuring at the same time high quality standards.

Structural Design Toniolo G., Di Prisco M., “Cemento Armato – Calcolo agli stati limite”, Vol. 2° e 2b, terza edizione, Ed. Zanichelli, 2010. Park R., Paulay T., “Reinforced Concrete Structures”, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1975. Wight J.K., Mac Gregor J. G., “Reinforced Concrete – Mechanics and Design”, sixth ed., Pearson Education Inc., New Jersey, 2012. Santarella L., “Prontuario del Cemento Armato”, XXXVIII edizione, Ed. Hoepli, Milano. Design of Building Components AA.VV., Manuale di progettazione edilizia, volum1 1-5 2, Hoepli, Milano, 1999 Baldo G.L., con M. Marino e S. Rossi, Analisi del ciclo di vita LCA. Materiali, prodotti, processi. Edizioni Ambiente, Milano,2005 E.Schunck, H.J. Oster, R.Barthel, K.Kiessl, Roof construction – Pitched roofs. Birkhauser, Edition Deail, Munich 2003 Herzog, Krippner, Lang, Façade Construction Manual. Birkhauser, Edition Deail, Munich 2004 (690.12 HERZT) Quaderni del Manuale di progettazione edilizia – Le chiusure verticali. Hoepli, 2011 S. V.Szokolay, Introduzione alla progettazione sostenibile. Hoepli, Milano, 2004 S.F.Brivio, Schermature solari e tende tecniche. Arketipo monografie, 2010 F.Tucci, Involucro ben temperato. Alinea, Firenze, 2006 F.Butera, Dalla caverna alla casa ecologica. Edizioni Ambiente, Milano, 2004 M.Sala, E.D’Audino, A.Trombadore, Schermature solari. Alinea, Firenze, 2000 Dassori E., Morbiducci R., Costruire l’architettura. Tecniche e tecnologie per il progetto. Edizioni Tecniche nuove, Milano, 2010 Lechner N., Heating, cooling, lighting. Wiley, 4th edition, Hoboken (NJ), 2015 Environmental Control of Buildings Fisica tecnica ambientale (Yunus A. Çengel, Giuliano Dall'Ò, Luca Sarto, McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN-10: 883861556X). Fondamenti di termodinamica applicata (Gianni Comini, Ed. S.G.E., ISBN:8886281250). Lecture notes about “Thermo-technical plants” (volumes from I to VI) authored by Prof. Cammarata of the Università di Catania, freely downloadable from the website http://www.giulianocammarata.it/

Extended program and lessons calendar can be found on Moodle (http://moodle2.units.it) at the Architecture Construction Laboratory page.

Given lectures for the discussion of the theoretical parts of the three teaching modules and in parallel developed a project of a multi-storey building with reinforced concrete frames and adequate types of construction elements used for the building technological system. The project, to be developed in group, has to consider the required details necessary to permit students to understand with sufficient clarity the phases of the sizing of reinforced concrete structures, the design of the construction elements that compose the building and the choice of materials that guarantee the energy performance required by current standards. The development of the project is checked by the teachers and their collaborators, during revisions that are scheduled during the semester and at the end of it (intensive seminars).

The final project has to be presented in the following form: 1a. Drawings in A1 (or A0) format that illustrate the choices related to the structural aspects. The project drawings concerning the structural part have to be quoted and have to include: foundation plan, plan of the floor and roof slabs with clear indication of the structures, two vertical sections in two perpendicular directions, structural details of beams, columns, shear walls. 1b. Descriptive report of the structural choices (structural scheme) should also be produced, including the sizing and verification at both ultimate and serviceability limit states of foundations, columns, beams and floors. 2a. Drawings in A0-A1 format containing the graphic description of the detailed design of the elements of walls and floors with their relationship with the load-bearing elements of the building. 2b. Technical report describing the reasons for the choices made for the types and the materials used with particular reference to examined sustainability themes. 3a. Drawings in A1 (or A0) format that illustrate the choices referring to the plant engineering aspects. The project drawings for the plant part have to be listed and have to included: plan of the various floors, construction details of characteristic nodes in relation to the thermal bridges. 3b. Calculation report indicating the energy class of the building have to be produced. These documents, in hard copy and in digital format, constitute an additional requirement for admission to the examination.

To be admitted to the final exam it is necessary to have attended the lectures, the seminars and the workshops, to have gained the credits of all the exercises and of the intermediate tests related to the theoretical parts. The final score takes into account the evaluations achieved in the various tests and in the final project. For the final exam, students have to deliver the materials provided in digital format on the scheduled delivery days and on the day of the exam they have to prepare an exhibition of graphic materials and present the project orally to the examination committee. The committee evaluate the project and its exposition. The overall evaluation of the laboratory will be the arithmetic average of the marks assigned to each of the three courses within the Laboratory. Honors will be awarded basing on teachers' collegial evaluation.

This Laboratory explores topics closely related to one or more goals (SDG) of the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development of United Nations, and in particular those related to the conscious and responsible consumption of resources, sustainable materials, energy saving and efficiency (main SDG 7 and 11).