Numerous seismic events in recent decades have highlighted the great vulnerability of Italy's and the world's building stock, causing thousands of victims and enormous economic losses. At the beginning of the 20th century, Prof. Modesto Panetti, at the Polytechnic University of Turin, stated that the effects of earthquakes on structures were problems of a dynamic nature that were too complex to be analysed. The numerous efforts made by researchers in the last century have improved knowledge in the field of earthquake engineering and have led to the production of valid documents oriented towards the study of structural seismic response with a view to safeguarding human life. However, in order to achieve a certain level of performance for living environments, it is not sufficient to ensure adequate structural behaviour, but non-structural elements must also be taken into account, thus studying the whole "building system". The numerous seismic events that have occurred in recent years have highlighted how, despite good seismic design can ensure adequate structural performance, buildings may still be unusable due to damage to non-structural elements (Fig.1).

This is the context for this project, the aim of which is to develop safe living environments, in which all elements are able to respond adequately to extreme situations thanks to the integration of systems that use domotics applied to building automation. To this end, the optimisation and realisation of new technologically innovative, intelligent, eco-sustainable products and non-structural systems integrated in a domotic environment is envisaged to reduce the global risk in buildings. The performance of these elements will be assessed through the definition of a classification and certification process that will allow designers to evaluate and select products based on expected performance and structural and functional requirements (Fig.2). To this end, standardised procedures for the design, development, monitoring and certification of intelligent and technologically advanced non-structural elements will be developed.

The objectives of the project will be pursued through both numerical and experimental studies, also thanks to the potential of Eucentre's 6DLab (https://www.eucentre.it/laboratorio-6dlab/).

The project will bring about a radical revolution in the decision-making process of planning and optimising the resources invested in improving living environments. If until now the choice of particular non-structural elements, such as fixtures, furnishings and partitions, was mainly linked to architectural and energy issues, the introduction on the market of new products for which seismic certification is also provided and which at the same time are perfectly implemented in building automation, guaranteeing their prompt response in emergency situations, will represent a radical turning point in the improvement of living environments and occupants' well-being.