Call n. 23

Number TWENTY-THREE VENTITRE

Introduction to issue n.23 of 2026:  Materials and Nature in Sustainable Design

Following recent interdisciplinary studies, and according to new scientific visions for built environment management, from the blue economy to social justice aspects[1], this next issue offers a combination of two subjects, already focussed on several years ago, which today, strongly present in the academic and research world, have undergone further advances and developments, and - sometimes substantially - modified their goals and operational tools. The two subjects are that of construction materials, an area already examined in issue no. 8 (Matter and Culture), and that of Nature. The latter was addressed in issue no. 10 (Biotic/Abiotic) in conjunction with other contents and often present in ecological and landscape controversial (issue no. 21, Landscape and Sustainability: Cooperation and Ecological Transition). The connection between these two subjects stems from research that began during the first energy crisis of the 1960s and continued with the boom in green architecture: it seems impossible to consider a construction sustainable without using manufacturing processes that consume less energy, water, and precious raw materials, and above all, that do not emit dangerous and harmful substances into the air, water, or soil.

The application of wood is renewed with alternative and more eco-conscious extraction and production technologies, old materials and traditional systems are engaged, resources that were typically exploited for other human sectors are employed, and waste from the construction sector or other activities is being reused (or recycled).[2]

Other streams of thought and practice refer to nature to draw inspiration from the principles of cooperation, resilience, and durability, thus also pursuing the origins of anthropogenic construction methods.[3].

Judging by the widespread adoption of these subjects, it seems that what has been mentioned were becoming commonplace, and that the construction industry were finally undertaking a respecting path for the environment, wildlife, and humankind itself.

This issue aims to assess the situation, so as to verify whether and to what extent these hypotheses and goals have truly become achievable, and in which cases they have actually been put into practice.

It is therefore meant to encourage potential new authors to describe not only any applied research on the topic of sustainable design with materials and nature, but also, and mainly, to identify virtuous examples implemented in the construction world.

Issue n. 23: Materials and Nature in Sustainable Design, in particular declined according to the following sub-topics:

1. High-Level-of-Naturality Material Resources in Architecture
2. STEM role^[4] in the Selection of Sustainable Materials
3. Materials, Nature, and the City
4. The Role of Industrial Design in Material Selection
5. Technologies Compatible with High-Level-of-Naturality Materials
6. The Role of Nature for New Construction Systems
7. Social Benefits of Sustainable Materials
   
   

[1] Cfr. Haddad A. N., Hammad A. W.A., Figueiredo K. (2024) Materials Selection for Sustainability in the Built Environment. Environmental, Social and Economic Aspects, Woodhead Publishing.

[2] Cfr. Ormondroyd G. A.,  Morris A. F. (2019) Designing with Natural Materials, Routledge; e anche: Abera Y. A. (2024) Sustainable building materials: A comprehensive study on eco-friendly alternatives for construction, in Composite and advanced materials Vol. 33.

[3] Cfr. Bormashenko E. (2025) Bioinspired Materials and Metamaterials. A New Look at the Materials Science, Routledge.

[4] Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

All submitted papers will be assessed by the Editorial Board and “double peer blindly” reviewed by an international panel of experts in the specific sectors.

The Journal is:

• Indexed in SCOPUS since the issue n. 9; SCOPUS starting from number 9;
• Included in the Italian ANVUR Scientific Journals from October the 31st, 2018 (thus, the papers here published have also a recognition as VQR (the research assessment criteria) products;
• Included in the Italian ANVUR classification of Journals as A Class, from April the 7th, 2020, with a retrospective recognition since 2016.

Magazine main subjects - Construction technology, Material science, Survey and representation, Construction procedures and security, Urban planning, Land transformation and perception, History of architecture, Landscape design, Hydraulics, Geological impacts, Architectural and Engineering design, Energy saving, Structural and Technical physics, Industrial design, Environment and land sociology and Legal studies - are all connected with the sustainable construction in the Mediterranean region.

The magazine will provide cultural and information exchange between researchers, professionals, scientists, technicians as far as the achievement in the field of their actions and studies are concerned. Joined with the acceptance of the paper, the specific template, according to which the final version of the paper should be edited, could be downloaded by the authors from the SMC platform.