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Biography
Dr Sergio Altomonte (BArch DipArch MPhil PhD) is Associate Professor and Course Director of the Diploma in Architecture (RIBA Part 2) at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, where he teaches and researches in the field of Architecture and Environmental Design.
He was born in Reggio Calabria (Italy) in 1974. He is a registered Architect in Italy since 1999, and a member of the Italian Institute of Architects, section of Reggio Calabria, n. 1402. He fluently speaks Italian, English and French.
After High School classical studies (Italian, Latin, Ancient Greek, Philosophy), he obtained cum laude his Diploma in Architecture in 1998 (1st class honours degree) at the University of Rome La Sapienza.
In 2001, he was awarded the "Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture and Sustainable Development" (PGDip) and the "European Master in Architecture and Sustainable Development" (MPhil) by the associate institutions EPFL (Polytechnic of Lausanne, Switzerland), UCL (University of Louvain, Belgium) and EAT (School of Architecture of Toulouse, France), with a final dissertation (in French) on "Innovating Materials and Sustainable Architecture", supervised by Prof. Andre' De Herde (UCL).
In 2001/2003, he participated as an external expert at the European project SWIFT (SWItchable Façade Technology), coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE, Germany), on switchable façades (electrochromic and gasochromic glazing able to dynamically change their optical properties). Dr Altomonte was the author of the first part (pages 1-56) of the "SWIFT Architectural Guidelines - Handbook for designers and end-users", an extensive manual on the integration potential in architecture of dynamic switchable façades (http://www.eu-swift.de/pdf/swift-031011-guidelines.pdf).
In 2004, he was awarded his PhD in Environmental Design at the University of Rome La Sapienza with a thesis on "The building envelope as a dynamic interface - Advanced transparent materials and intelligent glass façades for a sustainable and bioclimatic architectural envelope". The thesis has been published in Italy as a comprehensive single-authored book, L'involucro architettonico come interfaccia dinamica, 386 pages, Alinea Editrice, Firenze, 2005 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Involucro-architettonico-come-interfaccia-dinamica/dp/8881258560).
Between January 2004 and December 2006, Dr Altomonte has divided his life and academic/research activity between Italy and Australia. In Italy (each year from January to June), he worked as principal of the Architectural Firm "Altomonte Associati" and lectured and developed his research activities at the Department ITACA, School of Architecture "L. Quaroni", University of Rome La Sapienza, and at the School of Architecture of Ascoli Piceno, University of Camerino. In Australia (each year from July to December), he was a full-time Lecturer at the School of Architecture & Building, Deakin University (Victoria), being an active member of BERG (Built Environment Research Group) and taking part at the research activities held in the context of the MABEL (Mobile Architecture and Built Environment) Laboratory .
In 2005/06, Dr Altomonte participated at the CH2 Study and Outreach Program, a coordinated research effort promoted by the City Council of Melbourne to consolidate opportunities for research, documentation and promotion related to the design and construction of the Council House 2 (CH2) building in the Melbourne CBD, the first six-Green Star rated sustainable building in Australia. Dr Altomonte was the author of the Lighting and Physiology study, one out of ten technical papers written by independent researchers investigating the design and sustainable systems adopted in the CH2 building prior to occupancy and availability of operational performance data (http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Environment/CH2/aboutch2/Pages/Research.aspx).
Dr Altomonte has served since June 2009 as the Principal Investigator and Coordinator of the EU Action EDUCATE (Environmental Design in University Curricula and Architectural Training in Europe), funded by the European Commission under the "Intelligent Energy Europe" Programme. With a duration of 36 months and a budget of 1,65 M€, the Action aims to deconstruct the pedagogical barriers to the effective integration of sustainable design in higher education and the practice of architecture and propose the harmonisation of academic curricula and registration criteria across Europe. EDUCATE is built on a consortium of 7 European leading Universities and has received the support of the Chambers of Architects in all participating countries, of international building professionals and of associations of educators and practitioners (http://www.educate-sustainability.eu).
Dr Altomonte is author of over 35 research publications, including 1 single-authored book, 5 essays/chapters in books, edited research publications and refereed papers in peer-reviewed international journals and proceedings of conferences. In 2002, he was awarded the PLEA AWARD for his Poster Paper Switchable Façade Technology in Environmental Design, and in 2004 he received in Brisbane (Australia) the ies: the Lighting Society Award.
Since July 2010, Dr Altomonte is an Associate member of PLEA (Passive Low Energy Architecture), an international organisation engaged in a worldwide discourse on sustainable architecture and urban design through annual international conferences, workshops and related activities (http ://www.plea-arch.org).
Expertise Summary
In the past fourteeen years, Dr Altomonte has initiated, coordinated and participated at various national (in UK, Italy and Australia) and international (European Framework Programs, Cost C13 Action, Intelligent Energy Europe) research projects and study programs, demonstrating his abilities to face major challenges in the field of the integration in architecture of advanced technologies and design strategies, and his capacities to develop independent initiatives and lines of thinking, as shown in the diverse publications he has produced. In particular, Dr Altomonte has developed interdisciplinary interest, skills and expertise on:
- Daylight in buildings (e.g., advanced daylight systems and components, physical, physiological and psychological human response to daylight and lighting conditions, etc.);
- High-performance building envelopes (e.g., advanced facade systems, switchable glazing and automated control, fixed and movable shading devices, integrated lighting strategies, etc.);
- Education for Sustainable Environmental Design in Architecture;
- Curricular Development for Zero-/Low-Carbon Buildings;
- E-learning and Interactive Pedagogical Tools.
Research Summary
Dr Altomonte's research interests focus on the relation between architecture, climate change and a sustainable development of human activities, trying to stimulate the implementation of innovative… read more
Recent Publications
ALTOMONTE, S., RUTHERFORD, P. and WILSON, R., 2012. Mapping the Way Forward: Education for Sustainability in Architecture and the Built Environment Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management: Special Issue. (In Press.)
VILLALOBOS, R., ALTOMONTE, S. and RUTHERFORD, P., 2012. Place Attachment and Place Identity as a Source of Resilience in the Aftermath of a Natural Disaster In: Designing Place International Conference.
RUTHERFORD, P., WILSON, R., ALTOMONTE, S. and DOWNING, C., 2012. Place, Perceptual Congruence and Musical Performance In: Designing Place International Conference.
Current Research
Dr Altomonte's research interests focus on the relation between architecture, climate change and a sustainable development of human activities, trying to stimulate the implementation of innovative solutions and approaches that not only guarantee the optimisation of energy management in buildings for heating, cooling, acoustic, ventilation and lighting needs - and thus reduce the impact of human interventions on the environment (CO2 emissions, wastes, etc.) - but also optimise the physical, physiological and psychological comfort and well-being of the occupants, while also enhancing the architectural quality of building design. Further streams of investigation are related to the implications of sustainability to the curricular development of architectural education and the integration of innovating pedagogies, tools and methods of delivery and assessment via the use, for example, of Information and Communication Technologies (e.g., e-learning). Through his participation in research projects and initiatives, international conferences and symposia, Dr Altomonte has established contacts and joint collaboration with world-class experts, leading research institutions and industrial groups throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA. He currently coordinates the European Project EDUCATE (www.educate-sustainability.eu) and leads other research initiatives at national and international level.