Alessandro Bruttini has been part of the chair team since November 1, 2021, and will be working on his doctorate here until the end of March 2022. In this interview, he tells us what he is researching and what he is very excited about.

Alessandro is a native of Florence. He studied civil engineering at the University of Florence in his bachelor's and master's degree. Through his master's thesis, he discovered the field of occupational health and safety in the construction industry for himself and subsequently began his doctorate there. This is entitled: "Data driven workplace management -Enhancing workers' well-being and productivity with AI."

Even before his doctorate, he had the opportunity to conduct research in the field of workplace management. In the joint research project "BIM – La sicurezza aumentata" they developed a Virtual Reality experience for a case study construction site to be tested on construction workers for site specific health and safety training. It became clear how important the exchange of knowledge between worker and site planner is, both for the planning phase as well as for the active later use of buildings. This insight inspired Alessandro to write his doctoral thesis.

What exactly is your research topic about:

Alessandro: In Building Information Modeling, the focus is very often on the building and not on its actual operation, which usually involves many individuals. Buildings that are intended and planned as workplaces does not necessarily provide the best environmental conditions for the needs of every employee, so that the best workplace satisfaction is achievable.

In my doctoral thesis, I am concerned with what environmental conditions employees need in order to feel comfortable and therefore to be able to work as productively as possible. These conditions refer to many factors that affect the building and the facility itself, such as temperature, light, volume, sufficient space and also cleanliness. When a building is already built and in operation, the responsibility for organizing, managing and administering it passes to facility management. This group of people is responsible for the effective operation of the facilities, from the systems maintenance to the furnishing arrangement, so that work can take place in the best possible way.

But in order to know exactly what employees need to have the ideal conditions, data must be collected, for example, through subjective surveys or objective measurements. However, it will be a while before I reach this point, as I am currently in the research phase of which factors are the most relevant in this regard.

How do you like it in Germany and at the chair?

Alessandro: I like it very much. I have been at the chair for a month now and I really like the interdisciplinary exchange. I also like Germany and the Ruhr area. Of course, it's very different from Florence, but it has its own charm. Currently, I try to see and get to know a lot, especially on the weekends. I have also enrolled in a German course at the RUB to learn a bit of German.

Do you have a special hobby that you are very enthusiastic about?

Alessandro: I am a very active person who especially likes to be outdoors. Riding a bike, jogging and especially hiking is a lot of fun for me. What I like best are the hikes of the different Camino de Santiago trails. Especially the first one, the Camino Francés, has remained in my memory.