This open access book explores key issues and presents recent case studies in areas of importance for the transition to a circular model of development in emerging African countries that will minimize resource consumption and waste production. The topics covered include the development of sustainable housing models, energy and environmental issues in building design and technical systems, recycling for a sustainable future, models for humanitarian emergencies, and low-cost and web-based digital tools with applications in architecture and archaeology.
The aim is to contribute to a necessary paradigm shift with respect to urban planning and usage of territories, moving from a linear urban metabolism based on the “take, make, dispose” approach to a circular metabolism. Such a change requires a focus on the relationship between the architectural, urban, and physical aspects of new developments, climate, and energy demand, as well as the identification and integration of strategies and infrastructures to achieve a high level of efficiency and self-sufficiency. The book will appeal to all with an interest in sustainable development in the African context.
Stefano Della Torre, who graduated in Civil Engineering and in Architecture, is a Full Professor of Restoration at the Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy, and Director of the ABC Department (Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering). He is the author of more than 360 publications. He served as an advisor to the CARIPLO Foundation (Cultural Districts), the Italian Government and Lombardy Region (policies on planned conservation of historical-architectural heritage). He has been President of BuildingSMART Italia – the national chapter of BuildingSMART International (2011-2017).
Niccolò Aste is Full Professor of Building Physics and Building Energy Systems at the ABC Department, Politecnico di Milano. He graduated cum laude in Architecture and then gained a PhD in Technological Innovation and Architectural Design at Politecnico di Milano. Since 1995, he has been actively engaged in research activities relating to energy efficiency of the built environment and to the exploitation of renewable energy sources and their use in the building sector. He has participated in several national and international research programs on the sustainable architecture, energy efficiency, and renewable energy sources. Major clients of his research consultancy include the United Nations (UN-Habitat), the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Lombardy Region, FIAT, GSE, Whirlpool, ENI, and ENEL. He is the author or co-author of several scientific handbooks and more than 100 publications in leading international and national journals and conference/seminar proceedings.
Corinna Rossi is Associate Professor in Egyptology, Director of the Italian Archaeological Mission to Umm al-Dabadib (Egypt), and Principal Investigator of the project L.I.F.E. (Living in a Fringe Environment), funded by ERC Consolidator Grant no. 681673. She graduated in Architect from University Federico II Napoli and gained an MPhil and a PhD in Egyptology from Cambridge University. She is the author of a number of publications on the relationship between architecture and mathematics in ancient Egypt. Since 2001 she has been working on the first scientific exploration of the Kharga Oasis in Egypt’s Western Desert, where she has discovered and documented several archaeological sites.
Rajendra Adhikari is Associate Professor of Building Physics and Building Energy Systems at the ABC Department, Politecnico di Milano. He graduated in Physics and holds a PhD in Advanced Technologies for Solar Energy Utilization and a Master’s degree in Energy and Environmental Economics and Management. His research work is mainly focused on renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings, and energy conservation. He has participated in various national and international research projects, including IEA activities (SHC-Task 25, Task 38 and PVPS-Task 10). He is the author or co-author of more than 100 publications in leading international and national journals and conference/seminar proceedings. He has been a member of the technical committees of various international conferences and is a life member of ICTP-India Chapter (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy).
