Smart materials. Technological innovations in architecture between product and process

The revolutions that affected the construction process have traced a precise path also for the whole building sector, in which the innovation of materials and components become a priority. The construction of sustainable buildings was thus accompanied by new challenges: the development of a new generation of smart buildings fits into this context. In this transition, the building envelope certainly plays a significant role thanks to the possibilities that new intelligent materials opened up in this field. The present contribution intends to investigate this domain, with the aim to demonstrate how these product innovations can determine process innovations in the organization, management and control during all the phases of building’s life cycle, allowing the construction of tailor-made constructions towards a more efficient architecture.