Brands Laboratorio di Design per la Sostenibilità (Dipartimento DIDA, UNIFI)

The Sustainability Design Laboratory (LDS) is a hub open to students, researchers, citizens and companies. LDS is part of DIDA Labs of the Department of Architecture at the University of Florence, and it focuses on sustainability issues. LDS applies sustainability- intended in its broadest sense by including environmental, social, cultural and economic aspects- investigating the contribution of design to these thematic challenges.

The team is composed of designers, architects, and engineers as well as PhD students and professionals. This interdisciplinarity is precious for research work and it guarantees a more systemic vision of the project. In the laboratory, both applied and experimental research projects are focused on technological transfer, and they are developed through a dense network of companies, cooperatives, research institutions and start-ups. The Sustainability Design Laboratory (LDS) of the Department of Architecture at the University of Florence deals with strategic design projects for eco/efficient business innovation, in line with the principles of the circular economy and with a specific focus on the interior, camper and nautical sectors. These activities, aimed at combining ecological and digital transition, are carried out synergistically with the territorial business systems.

At the same time, the Sustainability Design Laboratory (LDS) of the Department of Architecture at the University of Florence deals with sustainability’s communication and investigates the contribution of design to sustainable socio-ethical innovation by collaborating with local social enterprises.

The Research Hub is also a partner of MATREC. Students and professionals can access a digital archive that contains more than 2.000 materials, divided into 2 categories: natural materials and recycled materials. Thanks to MATREC platform, designers can access the environmental properties of materials, as well as physical and mechanical, through detailed materials’ datasheets. The laboratory also has a constantly updated library of physical materials where it is possible to handle a collection of about 200 samples.

The Sustainability Design Laboratory (LDS) of the Department of Architecture at the University of Florence  also owns the SENTE library, a constantly updated collection of sensors together with open-source datasheets. The purpose of this library is to provide designers with a tool by which technology can be used more consciously and responsibly, facilitating the processes of integration, inspection, disassembly, and replacement of smart components of the objects.

Among other activities, the laboratory operates between research and teaching and periodically organises conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and seminars in which participants are led to reflect on the themes of design for the circular economy and social innovation.