Innovative materials in technology teaching: training approaches and design experiments

To contribute to the creation of a more sustainable urban environment, it is important that attention is also paid to the materials used, and in this regard, innovative materials that draw on the renewable resources of our planet have great potential. Currently in the construction sector, in fact, is of particular importance the search for innovative materials that can allow you to create building structures not only comfortable and functional, but also sustainable and energy efficient. Innovation and sustainability are, therefore, linked by a very close relationship that is based on the opportunity to use construction systems with low environmental impact. Particular attention, therefore, is paid to those materials that allow the improvement of functional performance and at the same time are also attentive to the environmental effects extended to the entire life cycle. To this end, in the field of innovative materials, a fundamental role is played by those with a natural matrix (biomaterials), especially to sensitize the world of industrial production to promote production cycles that integrate the efficiency of materials with environmental compatibility in order to preserve and enhance ecosystems and biological cycles of nature. Starting from these premises, this work illustrates the didactic experiences carried out by the authors as teachers in the context of some university courses in the architectural technology sector, focusing its attention on the role played by innovative materials as key elements of sustainable technological progress in the construction sector.