On October 3rd, 2024, the SUPSI Campus in Mendrisio hosted “The State of Solar – Dialogue Between Solar Energy and Architecture,” a multidisciplinary event dedicated to exploring the role of solar energy as a design driver in contemporary architecture. The initiative was part of the European project SEAMLESS, which aims to foster high-quality integration of solar technologies in the built environment through research, innovation, and knowledge transfer. This is one ot the Country-workshop initiatives carried out by Seamless-PV
The afternoon opened with welcoming remarks by Dr. Francesco Frontini (Director of ISAAC SUPSI) and Ivano Pola (3S Swiss Solar Solutions), setting the scene for a dialogue between research, professional practice, and industry. An introductory keynote linked the event to the special issue “ARCHI 3/2024 – Il punto sul solare”, outlining key intervention strategies in architecture: design, tools, technology, and education.
The program continued with a series of thematic contributions:
- Design, illustrated through the renovation of a school building in Vezia, presented by Marilena Quadranti (Baserga Mozzetti Architetti);
- Tools, focusing on a façade solar potential estimation model developed at SUPSI, presented by Domenico Altieri (SUPSI);
- Technology, addressing integrated solar solutions and BIPV product typologies, presented by Ivano Pola (3S Swiss Solar Solutions);
- Education, highlighting innovation in solar architecture, reskilling strategies, and the second edition of the training program SOL(AR)CHITECTURE – Essentials, presented by Stefano Zerbi, Pierluigi Bonomo, and Greta Battaglia (SUPSI).
The Solar Coffee break offered participants the opportunity to visit an exhibition dedicated to the special ARCHI issue, curated by Greta Battaglia. The exhibition presented and displayed selected pages from the magazine, showcasing some of the most significant Swiss projects in building-integrated photovoltaics, and fostering informal discussion around exemplary case studies where solar technologies are fully embedded in architectural design.
The event concluded with guided visits to SUPSI’s PVLab and outdoor experimental facilities, and an informal networking aperitif, reinforcing collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Overall, “The State of Solar” confirmed the growing relevance of solar energy not only as a technical solution, but as a cultural and architectural opportunity, fully aligned with the objectives of the SEAMLESS project to promote integrated, high-quality, and sustainable solar architecture across Europe.
