Webinar “Technical Thursday meetings” with the participation of AIA Platinum and Gold 2025 Supporters

Thursday, 9 October 2025  1.30-2.30 pm

Webinar “Designing Indoor Acoustic Comfort: Sound-Diffused and Sound-Absorbing Acoustic Systems, Aesthetics and Functional Design”

Chairman: Francesco Martellotta (Politecnico di Bari)

Careful design allows us to place individual well-being at the center, while complying with current regulations and specific quality standards for the intended use of the space. An integrated approach allows for interventions to control speech intelligibility and reverberation time, without neglecting aesthetics: acoustic systems and products are selected and integrated in harmony with the design mood board. At the same time, particular attention is paid to the CAM regulations in force for public procurement and environmental sustainability, evaluating the impact of the materials used throughout their life cycle.

Emanuele Bonifazi for Polymaxitalia, Polymaxitalia is an Italian company specializing in the production, processing, and distribution of acoustic insulation and sound-absorbing products, under the SUITEPAD and UACOUSTICS brands. With many years of experience and an approach focused on innovation and sustainability, the company offers customized solutions to ensure high performance, durability, and reliability. The product range includes: impact sound insulation layers, underfloor heating, insulation for brick partitions or drywall structures, insulation for false walls, system insulation solutions, and sound-absorbing coverings. Polymaxitalia constantly invests in research and development, collaborating with customers and partners to create solutions that meet the needs of ever-evolving markets while respecting the environment. Thanks to a flexible organization and attentive customer service, the company stands out for its ability to combine technical expertise, speed, and customization, consolidating its position as a point of reference in Italy and abroad.

Francesco Martellotta, graduated with honors in Civil Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Bari in 1998 and received his PhD in Technical Physics from the University of Ancona in 2001. He has been a Full Professor of Environmental Technical Physics at the Polytechnic University of Bari since June 2021. His research focuses on architectural acoustics, sound field modeling, noise and its effects, as well as indoor environmental well-being, building energetics, and sustainability applied to buildings and materials. He is the author/co-author of over 150 scientific papers, including 66 articles in international journals, 3 books, and several contributions to books. He is a member of the Acoustical Society of America, the Audio Engineering Society, and the Italian Acoustics Association, of which he also serves as Secretary. He currently serves as Associate Editor for the international journal “Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.”

Thursday 16 October 2025   1.30-2.30 pm

Webinar “Software solutions for the recognition and characterization of sound events: Search engine; AI; Descriptor calculation; Reporting”

Chairman: Gaetano Licitra (ARPAT)

These are a series of essential tools for reducing noise and for understanding and optimizing noise that cannot be eliminated.
Starting from noise measurement surveys (time profile and/or audio recording) performed simultaneously at different locations, these tools allow technicians to:
• view and compare measurement results
• identify and characterize noise sources
• validate and estimate the effectiveness of mitigation solutions.

Michel Karroum for Svantek: Svantek Italia Srl, headquartered in Carugate (MI), is the Italian subsidiary of Svantek, the parent company. It was founded in February 2006 to manage the marketing and, specifically, the service of instrumentation for the Italian market. Svantek Italia’s philosophy is to provide high-tech solutions while guaranteeing its customers the best quality/price ratio for acoustic and vibration measurement instruments. Svantek Italia continues to pursue the goal of offering its customers ergonomic and easy-to-use instruments and software, designed specifically for the Italian market and compliant with relevant regulations.

Gaetano Licitra, a Physics graduate with a specialization in Health Physics, has been working in environmental acoustics since 1988. A director of ARPAT (Italian Regional Agency for Environmental Protection) and a contract professor at the University of Pisa, where he has taught acoustics for over 25 years, he earned his qualification as a full professor in Applied Physics in 2020. He is a member of expert groups established by the European Commission DG Environment, the WHO, and the EAA, as well as of ISO committees on rolling noise assessment. He has collaborated in the organization of numerous national and international AIA conferences (AIA DAGA 2013, ICSV in Florence 2015, AIA 2014 in Pisa, AIA 2010 in Syracuse, etc.) and numerous seminars on environmental regulations, noise mapping, European directives, etc. He is a member of the AIA board of directors and previously served as coordinator of the environmental acoustics group.

Thursday 30 October 2025 1.30pm-2.30pm

Stefania Manzo for Saint-Gobain Italy, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures, and distributes materials for safety and living comfort, found in all living spaces: buildings, transportation, infrastructure, and many industrial applications. With over 360 years of history, Saint-Gobain offers next-generation materials, 90% of which are produced in Italy, and integrated solutions aimed at making living spaces more comfortable and sustainable, contributing to people’s well-being and protecting the planet. Saint-Gobain is a global leader in the efficient use of natural resources and respect for the environment, thanks to an innovative approach to product development, process efficiency, and a special focus on raw material suppliers and transportation. The Group’s ambitious goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Luca Barbaresi, associate professor in Environmental Technical Physics at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Professor of “Technical Physics and Systems” in the Bachelor’s Degree in Building Engineering and “NOISE CONTROL IN HEATING AND LIGHTING SYSTEMS” in the Master’s Degree in Energy Engineering at the University of Bologna. Currently head of the 2nd Operating Unit of the Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research at the University of Bologna. He deals with the acoustic characterization of building materials and the study of lateral noise transmission in buildings, in particular for wooden structures. He is the author of over 40 publications in scientific journals and international conference proceedings.

Thursday 13 November 2025 1.30pm-2.30pm

Webinar  “Retrofit Building Isolation, a case study of Cambridge House, London, UK”

Chairman: Alessandro Schiavi (INRIM)

The Cambridge House complex includes 3 buildings, one new, one 250 years old and one 400 years old that are impacted by the Knights Bridge Underground Subway Line and subjected to various levels of vibration and noise from London’s Underground rail system. Based on the vibration analysis conducted at the site, the Acoustical consultants recommended bridge bearing isolators with varying natural frequencies based on the distance from the source. Natural frequencies of support were specified and ranged from 6 Hz to 11 Hz and the most difficult building to isolate was the 400-year-old structure that required structural renovations to receive our bearings and total separation from the foundation. Another difficult task for the structural engineer was analyzing a 400-year-old structure and determining point loadings, with some bearings being changed after installation. All three buildings are properly isolated and now function as required at the specified levels of vibration reduction, we wish to discuss the entire process from design through completion

Douglas G. Valerio for Mason Industries, Mason Industries was founded in 1958, I joined the company in 1984. Im president and owner, and Jim Sadler is vice president and in charge of sales globally, we are both engineers.  We will do our best to educate the attendees on our capabilities, which are varied, and focus on engineering excellence.  We will also refer to the independent testing we have conducted over the years and discuss our plans for future growth.

Alessandro Schiavi – Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Metrological Research (INRIM), for over twenty years he has been involved in measurements and instrumentation in the field of mechanical vibrations, structural and building acoustics and for the characterization of material properties. He is responsible for the vibrations Primary Standards, member of the Consultative Committee of Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibrations of the BIPM (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures), member of the Technical Committee of Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibrations of EURAMET, member of the Technical Committee “Vibration Measurement” of IMEKO, and member of the Auditors Board, in the Board of Directors of AIA (the Acoustical Society of Italy). He is adjunct professor at the Politecnico di Torino (for Industrial and Environmental Technical Physics), and teacher in several seminars at universities, companies and institutional bodies, also at international level. Author and/or co-author of over 200 scientific publications.

Thursday 6 November 2025 1.30pm-2.30pm

Webinar “Indoor Acoustic Comfort: Rockfon Solutions, Case Studies, and …Insights from the Construction Site”

Chairman: Louena Shtrepi (Politecnico di Torino)

Indoor acoustics—whether offices, schools, restaurants, shops, or healthcare facilities—are becoming increasingly central to the design process. The quality of spatial perception is now recognized as a fundamental value, increasingly requested by clients themselves. Rockfon offers sound-absorbing ceilings and a wide range of design solutions that combine high technical and aesthetic performance, adapting flexibly to the specific needs of each project and concept.

Gianluca Tereo for ROCKFON, Rockfon is a leading manufacturer of innovative acoustic solutions, specializing in stone wool ceilings and wall panels. Our solutions are designed to improve acoustic comfort and well-being in indoor environments. With a strong commitment to sustainability, Rockfon uses natural and recyclable materials. The company offers products that combine aesthetics, functionality and high acoustic performance. Rockfon is part of the ROCKWOOL Group, a world leader in stone wool solutions.

Louena Shtrepi is an Associate Professor at the Politecnico di Torino in the Galileo Ferraris Department of Energy. Her research and teaching interests are primarily in applied acoustics. In particular, since 2012 she has been working on acoustic perception, acoustic material properties, acoustic simulations, and measurement uncertainty. Furthermore, her research goal is to raise awareness of the management of acoustic issues and solutions from the early stages of the design process by actively involving both architects and designers. These aspects have been extensively studied in multidisciplinary research that has also involved subjective perceptual tests. Her research results have been published in renowned international scientific journals and have received awards at numerous conferences. She is a member of the board of directors of the AIA (Italian Acoustics Association), the ASA (Acoustical Society of America), the FTI (Italian Technical Physics Association), and the ATI (Italian Thermotechnical Association).

Thursday 4 December 2025 1.30pm-2.30pm

Webinar “Soundscapes and Intangible Heritage: A Psychoacoustic Approach”

Chairman: Samantha Di Loreto (Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara)

Soundscapes represent a fundamental component of the cultural identity of places, constituting a form of intangible heritage that requires scientific methodologies for its documentation and preservation. This study presents an innovative psychoacoustic approach for the characterization and preservation of environmental acoustic identity. The research draws on Schafer’s theoretical framework for soundscapes, translating it to a quantitative level through the use of advanced measurement technologies from Head Acoustics. This methodology captures not only the physical parameters of sound, but also, and more importantly, the perceptual ones, precisely simulating human listening and providing a thorough understanding of how sounds are interpreted by the ear. The proposed approach allows for the creation of characteristic “soundprints” of specific environments, providing an objective and reproducible mapping of a territory’s acoustic identity. The results obtained can be applied to develop soundscape conservation policies, monitor environmental changes over time, and support more acoustically sensitive urban planning. The methodology represents a significant contribution to the documentation of intangible cultural heritage, combining scientific rigor and cultural sensitivity for the preservation of the sonic identity of communities.

Marco Di Giusto for HEAD acoustics, since its founding in 1986, HEAD acoustics has been studying acoustics, vibrations, speech, and sound quality using binaural recording systems. The company is recognized as a world leader in the production of scalable hardware and software solutions and in the provision of engineering consulting services for noise and vibration analysis and sound quality optimization in industrial and environmental settings, as well as for the measurement and optimization of speech and reception quality in the infotainment and telecommunications sectors. We have developed a dedicated tool for binaural analysis for SOUNDSCAPE as required by ISO 12913, which includes simplified hardware and extremely simple and intuitive software.

Samantha Di Loreto holds a degree in Electronic Engineering and a PhD in Energetics from the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona. She is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Chieti-Pescara, where she conducts research in the fields of acoustics, energy conservation, and air quality. She teaches the doctoral program in Psychoacoustics and Soundscape, as well as the qualifying courses for the ITACA Prassi UNI/PDR 13:2019 certification and the Master’s degree in Expert in Energy, Urban Planning, and Green Architecture. A registered professional with the Order of Engineers of the province of Ancona, she works in the fields of acoustics, energy conservation, and energy-environmental sustainability. She has been a AIA member since 2019.