Valeria is a lecturer in Regenerative Design. Her interests are in buildings physics with a particular focus on moisture and health in buildings. Valeria is looking into the use of innovative materials and development of building elements that can improve the indoor air quality, have high hygrothermal perfomances and being sustainable. 

Valeria completed her MSc degree in Architectural Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy, during which she developed a deep knowledge about technical solutions and energy performances of buildings.  Valeria collaborated with Fraunhofer IBP, the research Institute of Building Physics in Germany. She acquired experience on hygrothermal dynamic simulations coupling WUFI Plus and WUFI Pro calculation software. Valeria also worked at Fraunhofer CSI (USA). She worked as research assistant on thermal and condensation modelling for innovative glazing systems and participated in the development of synthetic and vacuum insulation panels.

Over the past ten years, Valeria focused on building physics and building material technologies, working in an international environment in Italy, Germany, USA and the UK. During her PhD, she developed a method to quantify the impact of construction materials on the indoor environment and indoor air quality by investigating the functioning and impact of moisture buffering in an indoor environment. She performed full scale testing, where the response of rooms to passively regulate the indoor moisture content was tested.

In 2019 Valeria worked as reasearch associate for the Circular Bio-Based Construction Indutry project.  She led the life cycle assessment of bio-based construction system. Valeria employs and questions common methods and standards around LCA, looking at alternative method to approach it . 

• Hygrothermal performance of materials, building elements and buldings
• Indoor Air Quality
• Health and Wellbeing of building occupant
• End-of-life and durability of innovative construction materials (bio-based materials)
• Life cycle assessment and sustanability targets