Jacopo Sazzini, visiting researcher; Main field(s) of research/activity: architecture, sustainability and wellbeing, timber construction

• Where were you living in childhood and where do you live now?

I’ve always lived in Italy. I grew up in a small town in Emilia-Romagna, in the province of Bologna, about halfway between Bologna and Ferrara. Now I live in Cesena, still in Emilia-Romagna but much closer to the coast. I moved here to attend university, and later decided to stay for work. It is also where I met the team I work with today.

• What have you studied and what were the motives for your decision?

I’m still studying. After getting my degree in Architecture at the University of Bologna, I did a second-level Master’s in Timber Construction at DICAM, also in Bologna. Right now, I’m in my second year of a PhD in Environmental Sustainability and Well-being at the University of Ferrara.

I decided to become an architect and chose to specialize in timber construction thanks to my early work experiences with my family. My dad, and later my mom too, run a little business selling building materials, mainly construction wood.

• How would you describe your work to someone outside your field?

I’d say my job isn’t just about drawing all day. It’s a mix of managing clients, paperwork, and being on-site. I mostly work on residential projects, both new builds and renovations, with my studio based in Cesena and San Marino. The creative and experimental side of things comes out more in my PhD, where I get to dive into innovative and sustainable construction techniques.

• What does your typical working day look like?

Honestly, it’s hard to pin down a “typical” day because I juggle different roles. Most of the time I’m at my desk working on the computer, whether it’s for the studio or for university. At the studio, that can quickly shift to site visits, client meetings, or dealing with local authorities. On the academic side, it’s a mix of desk work, PhD lectures, and events. So it’s a bit of everything, depending on the day.

• What makes you excited about your work?

On one hand, is the opportunity to see a physical building take shape from an abstract idea, and to follow and oversee the entire process from start to finish. On the other hand, there’s the chance to contribute to the spread of construction technologies that respect nature and promote sustainable living.

• And what is the biggest challenge at your work?

One of the biggest challenges I face is finding a balance between the ideal and the practical. I’m working to promote construction systems that are environmentally sustainable, but at the same time, I have to stay grounded in the real-world constraints of design, like tight budgets and limited resources.

• Which scientist or scientific achievement are you fascinated by and why?

In my field, I find smart materials particularly fascinating. In my opinion they represent a crucial meeting point between the hard sciences and more technical disciplines like engineering and architecture. More broadly, I believe that AI is and will continue to be the invention that most radically transforms the way many professions work and, as a result, the world of work as I’ve known it so far.

• Tell us about the work of art (books, music, movies, theatre, dance, visual arts) that has a special place in your life.

One of the books I’ve enjoyed the most is the novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. I’ve read it at different points in my life, and each time it has offered me new meanings. I’ve always listened to a lot of music, especially ’70s and ’80s rock. If I had to name the first two LPs that come to mind, and that I’ve listened to over and over, they would be Selling England by the Pound by Genesis and Ziggy Stardust and the spider from Mars by David Bowie.

• What have you read, listened to, or watched lately?

The last book I read recently is Asylum by Patrick McGrath.

• Which place on the Slovene coast do you like the most?

It’s my first time in Slovenia, and I’ve only seen the small town of Izola so far, which I find really charming. I hope that during my mobility period I will visit other cities and places around the country.

• What makes you enthusiastic?

Listen to music, going to the gym and watch movies.

• What does the charm of wood mean to you?

For me wood is more than just a material. It’s a direct connection to nature, but also to my own past. I started working with it when I was young, alongside my father, so there’s something deeply familiar and personal about it.