1. Study of farms, of the rural built environment and of features
and characters of rural landscape aimed at supporting rural
building design, through GIS and digital architectural modelling
techniques.
2. Development of methods for multi-time and multi-level spatial
analysis in rural landscape.
3. Analysis of landscape resources, of the evolutions in the
planning framework and of critical issues of rural areas, aimed to
establish innovative criteria for the enhancement of local
resources.
4. Definition of conceptual GIS models for site-suitability and
land-suitability problems aimed at finding the best location for
new developments and infrastructure in rural areas and assessing
the interactions among the project components and landscape
features.
5. Integrated analysis of landscape and architectural features
aimed at defining criteria for the reuse of historic rural
buildings and their regulation within spatial and landscape
planning.
1
The study of farms and their functional needs, of the rural built
environment and of features and characters of rural landscape aimed
at supporting the design of the rural built system is carried out
through integrated procedures developed jointly with the other
members of the research team, both through remote sensing and GIS
techniques and on-site surveys, also on sample study areas. The
research also focuses on the development of methods, based on the
integration of GIS and digital architecture modelling techniques,
aimed at the iterative definition, testing and calibration of
design criteria based on historical and typological consistency and
thus aimed at approaching the historic characters or at reducing
the perception of inconsistent elements. The specific goal of
the research is to identify, through codified, repeatable,
objective and shared methodologies, reference criteria and
parameters for rural building design.
2
The study of changes in rural landscape is carried out through the
integrated investigation of the agricultural, structural,
infrastructural and settlement systems. The research focuses on:
development of ad hoc methods for wide-area spatial analysis aimed
at multi-time investigation of several features of rural landscape;
integration between different close-range and remote survey
techniques and between geographical and alphanumeric data,
characterized by different origin, date, datum, spatial and
spectral resolution and metric and informative content; definition
of areal sampling techniques aimed at surveying and analysing
quantitative indicators about landscape change; development of
models and criteria for the interpretation of spatial trends and
driving forces.
3
Analysis and planning mainly deal about landscape resources,
changes in planning and programming regulations and critical issues
of rural areas, in order to define criteria, tools and innovative
strategies for the exploitation of local resources. The goal is to
identify spatial-planning and landscape-design criteria based on
sustainable land development. The research deals thus with the
integrated analysis of space and time trends in the rural built
environment and planning and programming policies, in order to
assess the efficiency of various land development models and to
develop criteria inspired by efficiency and environmental
sustainability, with regard to rural areas and suburban fringes.
The elaboration, calibration and development of methods for the
visual analysis of projects and for landscape analysis are
fundamental for developing planning and design criteria aimed at
the landscape integration and enhancement of farms' open spaces and
at the design of urban and periurban green areas.
4
Within the definition of criteria and building typologies at
architectural and farm scale aimed at conciliating agricultural
competitiveness and environmental and landscape compatibility,
landscape and interactions between structures and the environment
are in particular investigated. The research focuses on developing
conceptual models implemented through GIS aimed at identifying the
most suitable site for the location of developments and
infrastructure in rural areas and the assessment of interactions
between components of the project and landscape features, in terms
of basic perception elements and contrast and dominance at
landscape scale.
5
The research about the theme of the protection of historic rural
buildings focuses on the integrated analysis of both architectural
features and landscape characters, aimed at the calculation of
synthetic information about historic rural buildings and their
relationships with landscape and contemporary buildings. The issues
regarding the reuse of historic farm buildings and their regulation
within planning policies are also analysed, considering the
characteristics of buildings, infrastructure, environmental and
landscape critical issues and potentials.
