After every catastrophe, the importance of the building context and its effects in any environmental disaster becomes clear – whether such disasters are natural or human-induced.
This is true, although less evident, in humanitarian disasters caused by wars
and conflicts as well as social hardship – which in most cases is related to problematic living conditions – whether they are inadequate, lacking, denied or lost.
Therefore, architecture confirms its essential role, time and time again, even
in periods of less favorable academic relevancy. However, the contribution
of architectural culture isn’t limited to pinpointing the appropriate quality
of a settlement; it can go significantly beyond in scope and offer its tools as
a magnifying glass to analyze pre- and post-disaster phenomena.
The breadth of its look ranges from the planetary to the human scale, and
the richness of its codes – interwoven with the many humanistic and scientific disciplines it interacts with – make up an exclusive apparatus of tools to understand and act upon reality.
Ar. Roberta Lucente is researcher at the University of Calabria. She is member of the Academic board of the Doctorate in Civil and Industrial Engineering in the same university. She is director of the Spanish session of the International Master of Advanced Studies in Project Management of Complex Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome. Her papers have appeared in international and national publications and magazines.
Ar. Nicoletta Trasi is researcher at Sapienza University of Rome. She is member of the Academic Board of the Doctorate in Architecture-Theories and Design in the same University. She is Director of the International Master of Advanced Studies in Project Management of Complex Architecture, Sapienza University of Rome. Her papers have appeared in international and national publications and magazines.