The Italian Design Day reaches its 10th edition in 2026, with the theme RE-DESIGN: Regenerate spaces, objects, ideas, relations which aims to offer an opportunity for reflection on the role of design and architecture in improving everyday living spaces and the well-being of communities.

On this occasion, Prof. Alessandro Rotta Loria, Louis Berger Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University, will introduce the project Underground Climate Change, presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Developed through a study by the Subsurface Opportunities and Innovations Laboratory (Northwestern University), GEOEG, and ENERDRAPE, the project examines the effects of underground infrastructure and services in cities and the resulting creation of heat islands. This phenomenon, known as an underground climate change, is causing ground temperatures to rise by up to 2.5°C per decade, with local anomalies exceeding 70°C. These temperatures pose risks to building foundations, underground transportation systems, public health, and the environment. However, underground climate change also presents valuable opportunities to retrofit building envelopes and deploy geothermal technologies to reduce the diffusion of waste heat in the urban subsurface and enhance the sustainability of cities.

Free event with registration