The people who make it possible

Full Professor and Scientific Director

Ingrid Maria Paoletti

Ingrid Paoletti is Full Professor of Architectural Technology at the Politecnico di Milano. She got the PhD in Building Technology from the same university and was a research associate at MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the founder of Material Balance, a research group focused on theoretical and design experimentation with innovative technologies and materials, aiming to foster a new and responsible material culture. Since 2023, she has served as the Rector’s Delegate for Exhibitions and Events. In May 2022, she was a speaker at TEDxMilano. Her most recent book is Siate Materialisti! (Einaudi, 2021). In 2025, she is the curator of the special project Material Bank – Matter Make Sense at the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale.

Technical Coordinator

Saverio Pasquale Spadafora

PhD Student

Federica Pradella

PhD student at the DABC Department of Architecture, Building Engineering, and the Built Environment of the Polytechnic of Milan. Graduated in Architecture, Built Environment and Interiors at Politecnico di Milano, she is part of the Material Balance research group, where she deals with technologies and materials for innovative prefabrication.

PhD Student

Roberta Salierni

ROBERTA SALIERNO is an architect and PhD candidate in Management Engineering and Technology of Architecture at Politecnico di Milano. She holds a master’s degree in architecture, with a thesis centered on additive manufacturing, digital fabrication, and bio-based materials for room acoustics. Her doctoral research investigates strategies for scaling up the use of bio-based materials in architecture and construction. She completed a research stay at Aarhus University in Denmark and collaborated with the architecture firm Henning Larsen.
She has also held academic teaching roles, serving for three years as a teaching assistant in the bachelor's course Building Technology Studio, and as a lecturer in three editions of the I and II level master’s program "Material Balance Design" where she taught computational design.

Research Fellow

Giorgio Castellano

PhD Architectural Technology, MA Architecture, BA History of Art.
Registered architect at the Ordine degli architetti of Milan.
Founder of baka studio in Milan, a space where research and architectural design blend.

He has worked as a design architect in international firms – Sou Fujimoto (Tokyo), Studio Fuksas (Rome), MAD Architects (Beijing) – developing an approach that ranges from object design to large-scale interventions, engaging with diverse cultural contexts.

PhD Student

Pietro Augusto Falcinelli

An academic background with experiences in Europe and the United States, Pietro Augusto Falcinelli was trained in Architecture and Built Environment, developing a particular interest in research and innovative materials. Through a multidisciplinary approach, his current PhD Research aims to explore new perspectives in the field of materials. Considering the importance of imaging and X-ray technologies in the medical field, what impact could these techniques have if applied to the study of materials?

Fellow Researcher | Project Manager

Danilo Casto

Danilo Casto is a Researcher and Project Manager at MaBa.SAPERLab, Politecnico di Milano, where he focuses on the coordination of cultural events in the fields of architecture, design, and sustainability. He has contributed to initiatives such as Milan Design Week, the Venice Architecture Biennale, and the Triennale di Milano, managing logistics, content, and stakeholder relations. He also manages the Master in Material Balance Design and has completed advanced training in Project Management at the University of Udine.

Associate professor

Massimiliano Nastri