SESANA Marta Maria

Passionate about building design and construction technologies for sustainability, circularity, adaptability and disassembly by the life cycle thinking approach and performance assessments with a focus on the potential for circular design practice and policies that facilitate the scaling of innovative construction products, systems and can boost material and embodied carbon reduction.

She is currently Associate Professor (Sept, 2024) in Building Architectural Engineering at the University of Brescia, Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics (DICATAM). She is the co-coordinator of the Ph.D. Programme Civil, Environmental Engineering, International Cooperation and Mathematics (DICACIM) of the University of Brescia.

She is Deputy Director of the BEELab, an interdisciplinary and multisite research team of young and experienced researchers and professors of Building Architecture Engineering who collaborate at BEEpilot, a living lab prototype funded under the MEZeroE H2020 EU project located in the Campus of Lecco of Politecnico di Milano.

  • In July 2024 she has been visiting professor at the Coimbra University, Civil Engineering Department and Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE) under the COST ACTION CA21103 Implementation of Circular Economy in the Built Environment, WG 3 Circular KPIs framework.
  • From June 2024 she is member of the CEN TC350 Sustainability in Building Construction Committee and member of the Working Group UNI CT 033/GL 02 Sostenibilità in edilizia as an expert on the topic with the contribution to the revision of regulations with a focus on sustainability and impact assessemnt for steel construction in relation also to the partecipation to the CEN TC14.
  • From September 2023, she is member of the TC14 – Sustainability & Eco-Efficiency of Steel Construction as an expert on the topic with the contribution to the revision of regulations with a focus on sustainability  for steel construction.
  • From June 2023 she is member of the Cost Action CA 21103, a project that aims to develop a common international framework of a circularity assessment tool with key performance indicators (KPIs) based on current EC construction best practices, state-of-the-art and ECEAP. Specifically, she is member of the following Working Groups: WG1 Circularity strategies and best practices and WG3 Circular KPIs framework.
  • From April 2022, she is the scientific coordinator of the Sustainability Commission of the “Fondazione Promozione Acciaio“, a national cultural organisation that promotes the development of steel construction and infrastructure in Italy.
  • From March 2022, she is member of the eLUX (Energy Laboratory as University eXpo), a living lab for research, training, and services on smart-grids, smart-living and electric vehicles within the Engineering Campus of University of Brescia.
  • From September 2021 to August 2024 she has been Assistant Professor (tenure track RTDB) at University of Brescia in Building Architectural Engineering, DICATAM department.
  • From January 2021, she is the Deputy Director of the Building Energy Efficiency pilot (BEEp), an experimental prototype for testing, evaluating and monitoring innovative building envelope products or materials, in term of thermal, acoustic, and comfort performances (funded by EU MEZeroE project), designed and built in collaboration with Prof. G. Salvalai of Politecnico di Milano. 
  • From January 2019 to August 2021, she worked as senior research specialist leading the Research Support Office ofLecco Campus of Politecnico di Milano and she has been Post-doc researcher at ABC Department of Politecnico di Milano from 2011 to 2018, where she actively collaborated in both management and scientific activities, for EU projects focused on energy efficiency, construction technologies, refurbishment approach, and regulations framework.

EDUCATION

  • Visiting researcher at Drexel University in 2018, during her post-Doc at Politecnico di Milano, where she collaborated with prof. G. Ellis and prof. S. Hoque.
  • Visiting researcher at Colorado University of Boulder (Engineering and Applied Science dept.) in 2017, during her post-Doc at Politecnico di Milano, where she collaborated with prof. G. Henze.
  • Ph.D. in Building Engineering System from Politecnico di Milano (2011) with a thesis on “Net Zero Energy Houses in Temperate Climate Toolbox for an integrated design approach.
  • Visiting researcher during her PhD at Fraunhofer Institute in Freiburg im Breisgau (ISE, 2008/2010) where she worked in the research group of Dr. Sebastian Herkel.
  • M.Sc. in Building Architecture Engineering (110/110 cum laude) from Politecnico di Milano (2006).
  • Diploma scientifico (100/100) from from Liceo Scientifico G. B. Grassi (2000).

RESEARCH AREAS, MEMBERSHIP, NETWORKS AND PUBLICATIONS

  • Her main research topics and interests are: building engineering, construction technologies, performance building design with user-centric approach, building energy modeling, sustainability and resilience assessment with life cycle approach, open innovation approach for construction sector, building data management.
  • She has high experience on both theoretical and applied research, performed in collaboration with SMEs and companies of the construction sectors, with special focus on thermal and confort testing on envelope solutions tested and evaluated at the BEELab. She is member of Advisory Boards for research projects and international and local association related to the building sustainability assessment.
  • She is author of more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific publications and member of editorial boards and scientific commitees related to her research areas.

HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS

  • 02 ottobre 2021 – Selection for the ADI DESIGN INDEX 2021 – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale con il Mechano Steel Frame, section “Design dei materiali e dei sistemi tecnologici”, Company ScaffSystem – Team: Marco Imperadori, Licio Tamborrino, Marta Maria Sesana e Graziano Salvalai. TIPOLOGIA: materiali per la produzione e componenti semilavorati MATERIALI: profili metallici strutturali pressopiegati a freddo e fissaggi reversibili, gesso fibra, gesso rivestito e fibrocemento (lastre e pannelli). TECNOLOGIA: sistema CFS (Cold Formed Steel), sistemi stratificati a secco (involucro).
  • From March 2018 / now – Admitted and enrolled in the register of scientific experts for the scientific evaluation of Italian research REPRISE of MIUR. The platform gathers Italian and foreign experts as the best reviewers for technical and scientific evaluations of research projects for the Ministry. Registered for the following sections: Competitive industrial research and for social development, Dissemination of scientific culture, Economic-financial evaluation, Applied research and Scientific popularization.
  • From November 2017 / now – Training expert of NZEB in Italy within the “Open training and Qualification Platform on NZEB construction and renovation” for professionals involved in nZEBs .
  • 2006 – Winner of 1st prize student section at the International Architecture Award: “Innovative Architecture: design and sustainability” – 1st edition Novelis, Somfy and Frames magazine with the project entitled: “Nautilus”, team: Marta Maria Sesana, Alessandro Mauri and Massimo Corbella.
  • 2003 – Certificate of Merit for grades achieved during the 2002/2003 academic year at the Faculty of Building Engineering/Architecture awarded by Rector Prof. Giulio Ballio. 

HOBBIES

Being a very curious person, she has various hobbies, but the most important ones are: family, travelling, running and hiking in mountains, reading mystery and art books, listening to music, singing and playing guitar. She practices regularly pilates and mindfulness. She loves cooking and baking for her family and friends to share with them precious time, good food, and a glass of wine.