
I am Scientia Lecturer and City Futures Research Centre (CFRC) Fellow (2021-2024) in the School of Built Environment (BE) - Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) at UNSW Sydney, focusing on building energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment. I am one of the members of High Performance Architecture Research Cluster and History and Theory of the Built Environment Research Cluster in the School of BE and Investigator at the Material and Manufacturing Institute (MMFI) at UNSW. I am a Civil Engineer with a Ph.D. in Energy Engineering from the University of Perugia, Italy. In 2017, I was Postdoctoral Associate and Building and Construction expert at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), in Singapore. In 2016, I was Postdoctoral Fellow at the Inter-University Research Center on Pollution and Environment “Mauro Felli" (CIRIAF), University of Perugia, Italy. My research collaboration network touches different countries: Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Denmark, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Sweden, USA, Canada, India, and Australia.
My research touches on different fields of research, from engineering to architecture, material science, urban climate, among others, and addresses all of them from the same perspective of sustainable urban development. My practical and theoretical research in the field of built environment touches on the global problem of climate adaptation and mitigation, but also social challenges, such as energy inequality. My research aims to improve the thermal-energy, environmental, and acoustic performance of buildings and cities to enhance their liveability through the development and the implementation of advanced passive solutions. I led the design and construction of the 1st cost-effective Net-Zero Energy Settlement in Europe (2015-2021). This work led to commercial exploitation and an essential change in the Italian energy regulation, where it was introduced the Renewable Energy Communities concept in residential settlements for the 1st time in 2020. This achievement is gaining international impact and recognition at the academic and industry level.
Editorial Responsibilities
International Research Networks
Memberships
University/Faculty service roles
My Research Supervision
Please include the following documents when contacting me for a supervision request:
I suggest PhD applicants complete the self-assessment through https://selfassessment.research.unsw.edu.au/ and send me the result at g.pignatta@unsw.edu.au. I will then contact you if I believe it is feasible.
Available PhD scholarships: https://www.unsw.edu.au/arts-design-architecture/study-with-us/scholarships-and-prizes
If you are interested in the "Anita B. Lawrence PhD Scholarship in Acoustics" and you are looking for a supervisor, don't hesitate to get in touch with me via email at g.pignatta@unsw.edu.au (please write "Anita B. Lawrence PhD Scholarship in Acoustics" in the subject line when sending the email).
My Teaching
My teaching interests combine the areas of landscape architecture, sustainability, advanced materials and technologies, and climate responsive design to create a more livable built environment. I have completed the FULT Programm in 2019. Currenlty, I am: