Maria Paola Gatti

1989 Degree  in  architecture  from  the  IUAV  University  of  Venice,  awarded  during  the  academic year 1988‐89 (110/110 cum laude) with degree thesis entitled "Le viles della Val Badia: costruzione e trasformazione dell'architettura e del paesaggio" ("The viles of the  Val  Badia:  construction  and  transformation  of  architecture  and  landscape"),  supervisor Prof. Alberto Cecchetto.

In  1991  she  was  awarded  a  study  grant  from  the  Italian  National  Council  for  Technological Research and Innovation (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche tecnologiche e innovazione), ASI 75 disciplines (notice no. 201.11.18 of 12/07/90) "Wood in the built environment"  ("Il  legno  nell'ambiente  costruito"),  based  at  the  Institute  for  Wood  Technology,  San  Michele  all'Adige,  Trento,  and  the  University  of  Trento's  Building Technologies Laboratory.  

Academic career

2018 full professor in sector 08/C1, Design and Technological Design of Architecture.

2004 associate professor in ICAR/10 group disciplines.

1993 researcher in technical architecture (H08A -ICAR/10 group disciplines).

Teaching Activities in 2021-22

Architecture and building construction 2 with Workshop (12 ects) in the Master’s Degree Course in Building Engineering – Architecture

Building restoration and preservation (6 ects) in the Master’s Degree Course in Civil Engineering.

Advanced Building Construction 6 ects) in the Bachelor’s Degree Course in Civil Engineering.

The research activities as a whole are characterised by an interest in themes related to the history of building, the refinement of construction technologies and the genesis of building typologies, construction techniques and materials as the result of adaptation to the requirements of the environment, set in the context of the complex process to construct new buildings and recover the existing.

The research has been concentrated along a number of principal lines of study, including the theme of vernacular architecture, founded on:

1. The construction of vernacular architecture, including its dependence on the geographical area in morphological, technological, economic and cultural terms, to achieve the sustainable reutilisation and innovation of the built heritage, with particular reference to research into settlement and building typologies in mountainous areas.

The theme of vernacular architecture is approached on different scales, from the urban to the single building. On urban scale, the techniques for analysing the built fabric and morphological matrices of the urban and agricultural settlements are studied in depth, verifying the methods used to construct the aggregations of buildings in their historical stratification and deducing the characteristic mechanisms shaping them during the various periods. On an individual building scale, an analytical method has been developed to determine the state of degradation of existing structures on a technical and construction level and provide indications for the correct formulation of reutilisation and reclamation projects. The objective of the research is thus to define focussed and congruent recovery strategies, hypothesising compatible transformations and assuming expansion and development measures coherent with the environmental and architectural characteristics.

The research has developed a cataloguing method to define the settlement, architectural and construction characteristics of individual places.

To develop the study, numerous surveys have been carried out on buildings and districts using traditional and innovative techniques (laser scanner), followed by rendering with breakdown of the built objects.

2. The evolution of the construction techniques of these aggregates, with particular reference to experimentation in construction materials and technologies in cultures where self-build architecture once predominated. The intention is for the knowledge to form the basis for identification of congruent recovery projects, compatible with the built fabric. The study sets out to verify the material and technological sustainability of the built fabric, analysing the bioclimatic and bioarchitectural aspects of the spontaneous architecture on individual building and settlement scale.

This line of research involves in-depth study on the front line, given that the use of wood predominates in Alpine architecture. 

The research projects concern:

2.1. The construction of modern architecture, studying buildings from the first fifty years of the 1900s, with particular reference to technical-structural aspects. The aim of the research was to explore the link between the architectural and structural forms, including study of construction materials.

Specific studies were carried out into the concrete used for military and civil buildings between 1880 and 1950. The research included an analysis of work to produce the inventories-catalogues widely used in the last thirty years, including an initial analytical phase to record the description of each individual element in order to "know" the historical-architectural heritage in its unitary entirety, the complexity of relations existing between the constituent parts and its indissoluble relationship with history and the territory.

Recognising that production of the inventories-catalogues also acted as a stimulus to improving knowledge of the local area and its cultural heritage, an attempt was made to give it an objective, thus avoiding sterile generalisations.

The research led to an exploration of residential architecture constructed during the early 1900s in a number of cities in Trentino Alto Adige (Arco, Trento, Rovereto), analysing the work of civic architects (specifically, Annibale Apollonio for Trento, Wilhelm Kürschner for Bolzano and Ettore Gilberti for Rovereto), technical experts little known to architectural critique, but who have left their mark on the architectural and technological evolution.

The research analysed military architecture (forts, infrastructure, barracks) constructed between 1880 and 1950 and together representing a morphological, formal, constructional and technological experimentation, defining a rational building construction and management process.

2.2. The preservation and valorisation of modern architecture, with application to sample buildings.

The activity necessarily led to a survey of architectural structures carried out using both traditional and innovative methods (architecture constructed during the first 50 years of the 1900s: Villa Becker at Arco, hydroelectric power station at Arco, City Hall in Bolzano, rationalist architecture: G.I.L. in Bolzano and Gorizia, school of Adalberto Libera in Trento, hospital at Arco, industrial building in Bolzano, Ina Casa buildings, etc.).

The aim of the research was to identify the architectural value of the individual buildings and homogeneous aggregates.

Development of construction techniques, with particular reference to experimentation in building materials and construction technologies.

The activity led to collaboration with firms operating in Italy (e.g. Volteco) to identify the most congruent materials for the recovery work.

The research activity was carried out thanks to public and private economic contributions, italian and european.

Example

2018-2021 The University of Trento Interdepartmental FAMA Project, network/workshop for the study and assessment of Fragilities in Alpine Mountain Environments, Coordinator Prof. Maria Paola Gatti

2008-12 Autonomous Province of Trento APSAT program of major research projects, 2008-2012, " Architettura e paesaggi d'altura: le architetture fortificate " ("Architecture and Landscapes of Upland Sites: fortified architecture"), Coordinator Prof. Giampietro Brogiolo (Padua University), Local Coordinators Prof. Giorgio Cacciaguerra, Prof. Maria Paola Gatti 

2007-09 Scientific research program of significant national interest PRIN for 2007-2009, postponed to 2012, "I manufatti e le opere per la produzione dell'energia elettrica. Opere di architettura da valorizzare e riutilizzatore" ("Buildings and structures for generating electricity. Architecture for valorisation and reuse"), national scientific research program coordinator Prof. Franco Storelli, local coordinator Prof. Maria Paola Gatti "Le centrali idroelettriche del basso Sarca " ("The hydroelectric power stations of Basso Sarca").

2005-07 Scientific research program of significant national interest PRIN for 2005-2007, "L'architettura militare" ("Military architecture"), national scientific research program coordinator Prof. Franco Storelli, local coordinator Prof. Maria Paola Gatti "L'architettura militare del primo novecento tra tradizione e innovazione: studio dei caratteri tecnologici e funzionali per la sua valorizzazione, conservazione e manutenzione" ("Early 20th century military architecture, tradition and innovation: a study of the technological and functional characteristics for valorisation, preservation and maintenance").

Membership of Scientific Companies and Committees

Since 1995, member of DO.CO.MO.MO International, Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, sites and neighbourhoods of the modern Movement.

Since 1996, member of DO.CO.MO.MO Italia.

Since 2000, member of ISTeA Italian Society of Science, Technology and Engineering of Architecture.

Since 2002, member of Ar.TEC Italian Scientific Society for promotion of relations between architecture and building techniques.

Since 2007, member of CICOP, the Centro Internazionale per la Conservazione del Patrimonio Architettonico Italia (International Centre for Preservation of the Architectural Heritage - Italy).

Since 2013, member of the association UNISCAPE, European Network of Universities for the implementation of the European Landscape.

Peer review activities 

Since 2015, reviser of WIT Press Journals [journals@witpress.com] Int Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning.

Since 2017, reviser of Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture Research (ETHAN).

Since 2017, reviser of group journals of MDPI.

She has participated a much participation in national and international congresses and conferences.