Biographical note

Alessandra Battisti Prof. Battisti is a Professor of Architecture with a PhD in Environmental Design. She is a practicing architect, she is a Professor of Environmental Design and Technology of Architecture at the School of Architecture of Sapienza University of Rome, where she oversees the Master’s programs in “Landscape Architecture” (2016-2019) and “Architecture-Urban Regeneration” (2019) and serves as the Director of the level-2 Master’s program in “Valorisation and Enhancement of Small Historical Centres” (2013 to the present). She is on the Faculty Board and teaching staff of the Ph.D. program in Environmental Design & Planning (since 2013). An expert consultant for the European Community - DG XXII – on energy in the building sector; expert consultant to the Rolls of Consultants and Permanent Rolls of the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research. Member of the Work Group on Energy Efficiency of the Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. She has personally published more than 200 scientific publications and 14 books and winner of more than 30 international Architectural Competitions. Since 1992 she has been carrying out research, teaching and experimentation activities on topics such as technological innovation for environmentally aware architecture, buildings’ ecological and energetic efficiency, bioclimatic approach in design and environmental sustainability from and architectural point of view and environmental sustainability from an architectural and urban fabric point of view. From 1996 she has taken part in numerous research projects, where she was the Scientific coordinator for Faculty Researches and Coordinator for DAAD, MIUR, Athenaeum and Third Party Researches. Since 1997 she has been a Visiting Professor at Italian and Overseas Universities, in Master Programs, Postgraduate Courses in Italy and abroad on subjects linked to Innovative technologies and Bioclimatic and Sustainable Experimentation in Architecture.

Cristina Piselli is Assistant professor of Environmental Applied Physics at the Department of Architecture (DIDA), University of Florence, Italy. She holds a master degree in Building Engineering - Architecture from the University of Perugia, Italy, and a PhD in Energy and Sustainable development from CIRIAF - Interuniversity Research Centre on Pollution and Environment “Mauro Felli”, University of Perugia, Italy. She works in the field of Environmental Applied Physics and Building Physics. She has participated in several national and international projects aimed at promoting the energy transition through building energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and human wellbeing in the built environment, such as the H2020 INPATH-TES project, the H2020 ZERO- PLUS project, the H2020 SWS-HEATING project, the H2020 GeoFit project, and the H2020 NRG2peers project. Moreover, she is an expert member of IEA EBC Annex 79 - Occupant-Centric Building Design and Operation and she was part of the previous IEA EBC Annex 66 - Definition and Simulation of Occupant Behavior in Buildings. Up to 2021, she was a member of the EAP Lab (Environmental Applied Physics Laboratory) research team at the University of Perugia, dealing with building energy efficiency and, specifically, occupant behavior and human comfort in the built environment, dynamic analysis of building energy performance, active and passive innovate solutions for building and communities energy efficiency and urban heat island mitigation, energy systems, and energy communities. She is continuing the collaboration with this group and research in those topics. She has been working on the applied research and tech transfer topics of (i) development and novel testing of new smart materials and energy systems for the built environment, (ii) human-centered design of indoors and outdoors through multidimensional comfort analysis and occupant behavior investigation, (iii) modeling and monitoring of buildings and districts for urban heat island mitigation and inter-building optimal operation, and (iv) refrigeration in the commercial sector.

Eric Strauss is trained as both a land use lawyer and as an urban and regional planner. He is an academic who has taught in both fields. He has held faculty positions in the following disciplines: agriculture; architecture and urban design; environmental studies; geography; law; public administration; public affairs; and urban and regional planning. Dr. Strauss began his career working in Wisconsin. He then joined the University of Kansas where he was the Chair of the Graduate Program in Urban Planning. He served as a city attorney and as planning director for various cities and counties. He also taught for brief periods at Indiana University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Jackson State University. In 2001 he moved to Michigan State University where he was Director of the Urban and Regional Planning Program. He has taught at Universities in Ireland, Germany, Romania, South Korea and Turkey. Dr. Strauss was a Fulbright Specialist in the Municipality of Panama City, Panama focusing on urban planning and transportation issues and a Fulbright Scholar in the Faculty of Public Administration at Babes-Bolyai University in Romania. He has published in a variety of academic and professional publications. He recently co-authored a textbook on land use law. His research has been funded by federal, state and local governments as well as private profit and non-profit organizations. He is currently President of the Advisory Academic Council for Signage Research and Education.

Etleva Dobjani, PhD, is an architect and urban planner who currently serves as the Head of the "Department of Architecture and Design" at Barleti University in Tirana, Albania. In addition to her academic leadership, she plays pivotal roles in several significant initiatives, including the coordination of the Tirana Architecture Triennale, the management of the Creative Europe [Temporaneity] project, ArkiLab, and the coordination of "Smart City" conference and Lab. Dr. Dobjani has been actively involved in organizing national and international conferences and also contributes as a member of the scientific committee or as a jury member in international competitions. She earned her master degree as architect from the Faculty of Architecture in the Polytechnic of TURIN in 2008, ITALY. She also earned a post master degree from POLIS University in collaboration with Erasmus University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, in 2011, and in 2016, she earned her "Doctor of Science" title from La Sapienza University, in ROME, ITALY, within the department of "Architecture, Theory, and Project". Her doctoral dissertation focused on the quality of living space in Tirana, providing fresh perspectives on sustainable development. In addition to her academic pursuits, she has worked at Metropolis Architecture Studio and as a freelance architect and energy auditor in Albania. Throughout her career, she has actively participated in diverse research projects, solidifying her reputation as a prominent figure in the realms of architecture and urban planning.

Saimir Kristo, P. hD. is an architect and urban designer, currently Deputy Dean and Lecturer at the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Creative Industries at BARLETI University. Founder of Tirana Architecture Triennale - Architecture Fund in Albania, Open House Tirana and curator of Tirana Architecture Week 2014 - [En] Visioning Future Cities and Tirana Design Week 2015 - Design NOW! He is an APLS 13 Alumnus invited by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IVLP Alumnus invited by the US State Department representing civil society in Albania. As an active member of civil society, he is engaging communities to develop a common educational platform in the field of architecture and urban planning. He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture and Urban Planning Focused on city morphology and urban catalysis and their role in the transformation of public spaces, a research result of his experience as a project leader in Urban Regulatory Plans in Albania. His scientific activity extends with monographs and publications but also as a jury member in international competitions. He serves as the Independent Nominator for the “EU Mies van der Rohe Award” appointed by the Fundacio Mies van der Rohe for Albania. Since its establishment, it has been a board member of "Fundjavë Ndryshe"; foundation.