The awareness of the heavy impact that the building sector exerts on the natural environment is now widely shared, leading to a wide spread of tools (rules, regulations, voluntary rating) to control and guide towards building environmental sustainability. In this shared vision, the natural environment is perceived essentially as an asset to protect. But nature is not just something to be protected, it is also a key factor to improve the quality of our built environment and our well-being. Numerous studies analyze the positive impact of the introduction of natural elements in building design (i.e. green walls, indoor green, aquatic elements, etc.), including: reduced energy consumption, improved IAQ, benefits on users' attention capacity in office settings, stress-reducing effects in healthcare environments. However, despite this evidence, the use of natural elements in common building practice is still not quite widespread. There is therefore a need to promote awareness and use of the potential of the natural elements in design. This paper aims to assess and promote the enhancement of the natural elements in the voluntary green rating systems, as active tools in promoting environmental sustainability to all the actors of the building process. To this end, the study was developed through the following steps: 1. in the literature, identification of the elements of nature-based design with more evidence on environmental performance; 2. in green rating systems, identification of the weight given to the natural elements, evaluation of their current level of enhancement within the systems and identification of possible areas of development.

No abstract

The inclusion of greenery in our cities is a key factor for sustainability. Considering the shortage of green urban areas, building can play a positive role itself: through the inclusion of greenery systems (GS) such as green roofs and green walls, the building envelope can act as a multiplier of urban green surface. Nevertheless, despite the benefits achievable, GS implementation in the Italian context is still poor. The aim of this study is to produce the Italian state of art in terms of appreciation and promotion of GS solutions as urban quality agents and, on the other hand, in terms of the residual barriers to their spread. This framework can be used as a knowledge base for actions to encourage the adoption of GS in Italian cities. To this end, the study was carried out in three steps: review of GS benefits at urban scale; assessment of the Italian incentives for the GS diffusion; analysis of the current barriers to GS diffusion in the Italian context. The results show an extensive list of achievable benefits at the urban level (e.g. reduction of heat island, rainwater management, etc.) and their recognition in the Italian policies. Nevertheless, the study highlights a shortage in promotion tools, such as tax breaks, and the persistence of barriers to the GS spread (cost's gap between GS solutions and traditional; poor diffusion of GS technological culture). A greater commitment is hoped both in proposing effective incentives, both in a joint effort between administration and research in assessing benefits in relation to local needs and in spreading the technological culture of GS among professionals and consumers.

No abstract

BACKGROUND: With the ageing of the working population, it is becoming crucial empowering staff of all ages to perform at its best. To this end, organizations can act on the built environment, adapting the workspace to the changing characteristics of workers and using it as a tool for health promotion. OBJECTIVE: To provide an overview of office workspace requirements to optimise the wellbeing and productivity of older workers. METHODS: The search, by Scopus, Web of Science core collection and Medline, produced 290 records. The screening process, according to the Prisma method, reduced the records to 13 included in the review. RESULTS: The results show the needs and preferences of the ageing workforce, such as personal control over the environment in terms of both comfort and use of space, as well as negative opinions on specific solutions, such as the extensive use of open offices and the introduction of shared workstations. The included studies report mainly subjective data, derived from interviews and questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: The review provides a first framework for acting on the office workspace to improve wellbeing and productivity of older workers. However, further studies, evidence-based and with subjective and objective measurements of specific solutions, are needed to develop guidelines for an inclusive workspace for all ages.