Lasting change comes from within, which is why our Innovation Lab was founded. By educating future industry leaders and delivering evidence-based research, we aim to lead change and progress across the sector and impact policy. Since its launch, the Innovation Lab has been a catalyst for multiple new partnerships, collaborations, and research projects that have delivered tangible benefits for all stakeholders and leveraged substantial additional research funds.
Research is a key pillar for this transformation, and the Innovation Lab’s research portfolio is directly aligned to the needs of the industry, with a strong emphasis on technology and innovation. Our research themes include energy efficiency, innovative refurbishment, integrated digital delivery, net-zero carbon, design for manufacture and assembly, and digital twins. Our academic staff, PhD students, and research associates collaborate with partners across academia and industry. This collaboration offers the industry access to the brightest minds and the opportunity to benefit from evidence-based research targeting specific challenges.
We invite partnerships to engender the research, innovation, leadership, and impact that will transform the future of the construction industry. Please contact our Innovation Lab Director to discuss how to get involved in current or future research, or how we can help solve your problems.
Claudia De Amicis
Claudia De Amicis, licensed engineer, is a Junior Technical Researcher at RIMOND working on energy and MEP systems. She studies the relationship between refurbishment operations, energy performance, and certifications by extracting energy simulation data from company software and combining them with off-the-shelf institutional project validation interfaces. This builds up a robust dataset for companies that enables the reliable provision of impactful refurbishment measures, from system design to architectural layouts. It also supports quick optioneering in the early design phases. She recently applied this expertise on the EU project REZBUILD, validating the RIMOND design for the energy refurbishment of architectural components.
Stefano Ciprigno
Stefano Ciprigno, licensed engineer, is the head of the MEP Department at RIMOND and is a Senior Technical Researcher on the topics of energy generation, saving and monitoring. He provides advice and coordinates studies across the company and has a unique capacity to integrate abstract topics and practical issues. For example, he combines simulation and BIM methods to connect performance calculations with actual installation constraints, thereby guaranteeing site efficiency and achieving the design intent. He provided advice on the actual performance of custom-designed components during research projects such as Smart Living (O&M Digital Twin), REZBUILD (Custom BIPV and BAPV), and REDREAM (energy communities).
Lorenzo Pirone
Lorenzo Pirone, Architect and Digital Design Specialist, is a Senior Technical Researcher at RIMOND. He works on digital tools aimed at integrating different issues – namely, structural systems and fabrication constraints – into the design and manufacturing of unique architectural components. He recently oversaw the engineering and design integration for the Al Wasl Plaza at Expo 2020, the 60m high dome which was the core of the exhibition in Dubai and the world’s largest projection surface. He also managed the design-to-fabrication stream of custom components for research projects REZBUILD and REDREAM (PV integration) and Solar Decathlon (Thermodynamic parapet and lightweight textile PV).
Rezbuild
The REZBUILD project (Grant ID 768623) developed a refurbishment ecosystem for deep NZEB renovation to diverse residential renovation typologies and interconnected both building renovation stages and stakeholders. This methodology was applied to three completed interventions at demo sites in Italy, Norway, and Spain, and was measured by the fulfilment of three KPIs: 60% primary energy reduction, 30% reduction of installation time, and a return on investment (ROI) of just 12 years.
Redream
The REDREAM Project (Grant ID: 957837) enables the effective participation of the consumers and prosumers in the energy market. It develops a strategy for the creation of a value generation chain based on a revolutionary, service-dominant logic paradigm by collecting the demand response tools and energy/non-energy services capable of enabling consumers to participate in the energy market. The project is exemplified by the constitution of energy communities in Italy, UK, Spain, Croatia.
Solar Decathlon Europe
This research was conducted by members of RIMOND team in the research consortium coordinated by Roma Tre University and consisting of researchers and technology providers. The aim was to design, engineer, assemble, and drive prototypes of high-performance ZEB/energy positive residential units. The projects were awarded in the 2012 and 2014 editions of the competition and included the development of innovative interfaces for energy related digital twins.
Smart Living
This research was conducted under a grant by the Italian region of Lombardy for the development of innovative digital systems for the facilities management (FM) of complex healthcare buildings. The research produced an innovative digital twin interface that was used as a bridge between FM standard software and Open BIM models, published in a shared, web-based environment. The research provided an integrated system based on a new organizational model and aligned to the needs of the client’s facility manager.
Wed Software Environment for BIM-based FM
RIMOND developed the “Rimond Hub”, a software service based on Open BIM technology. It provides an environment for comprehensive facility management that integrates the entire process, including documentation, maintenance, IoT data-hosting, and building occupancy regulations.
Production Facility: custom façade panels
RIMOND can fabricate concrete panels from custom moulds at our dedicated facility. The single panel production can also be integrated into larger, off-site building components – including glazing and insulation – for a complete cellular façade renewal or refurbishment.
Publication: digital mirror: a method to shape smart citizenship.
By Tonelli C., Converso S. (2014). Article on the digital twin system developed for the monitoring of performance of the ZEB home prototype developed for the Solar Decathlon 2012 International Competition. Published in ENERGY AND BUILDINGS, vol. ENB5008, ENB-D-14-00023, ISSN: 0378-7788., doi: DOI information: 10.1016/ j.enbuild.2014.04.032
Publication: symbiosis between solar technologies in the building envelope.
By Tonelli C., Converso S. (2015). A paper submitted to a scientific conference of Advanced Building Skins on the experience of a façade panel for building refurbishment. The aim was to improve energy efficiency by embedding a thermodynamic panel to combine passive and active effects. Published in: Advanced building skins. p. 161-169, Munich: Economic Forum, ISBN: 978-3-98120538-1, Bern CH, 3-4 November 2015
Publication: more documentation, less automation. A strategy of user involvement in domotics at Solar Decathlon 2012
By Converso, S., Tonelli, C., Bellingeri, G. A paper showing the strategy developed to involve users in the management of energy, exemplified by the home prototype developed with Roma Tre University. Published in EAAE Transactions on Architectural Education no 61, 2013.
Software: MTI – Modeling Tower Information
Client: INWIT – ICT Wireless Infrastructure National Provider. A widely used Open BIM data infrastructure and user interface for the management of over 18,000 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS). The system is based on locally sourced and provided BIM models and provides their validation, data extraction and insertion into a national shared database that represents a digital twin of their portfolio, now used in daily maintenance and for client acquisition.
By bringing together the brightest minds to solve some of the industry’s toughest problems, we can help drive change throughout the sector. To do this, we partner with leading universities for our research, as well as collaborate with experts and R&D departments of different specialist suppliers to produce innovative building products, services, and systems.
