Gramegna Silvia Maria

Designer and PhD, member of Lab.I.R.Int. - Laboratory of Innovation and Research on Interiors – Silvia Maria Gramegna is an assistant professor at the Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano.

Her research investigates the strong anthropological value of design, focusing on how spatial, sensory, and relational dimensions can support wellbeing, inclusion, and care. In particular, herwork addresses the development of therapeutic environments for older adults living with dementia within the framework of GRACE_Lab, an interdisciplinary experimental laboratory dedicated to designing spatial solutions and devices that enhance the effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.

A further area of her research concerns the enhancement of sensoriality and the perceived quality of places, both in interiors and urban environments, through an inclusive design perspective. This approach reflects the evolution from Inclusive Design towards Design for Diversities, with specific attention to ageing societies. It acknowledges different forms of fragility, including physical, sensory, communicative, and cognitive vulnerabilities, as well as broader conditions of marginalisation. Within this field, she has developed and participated in several action-research activities aimed at promoting more inclusive, responsive, and meaningful environments.

In addition, there are further lines of research, such as:

#2 Role of Design as an activator of change and development of new intercultural collaborative practices and social innovation to which various research, teaching and training experiences in multicultural contexts refer, aimed at exploring how Design can activate design practices and innovations from the encounter of different cultures;

#3 Investigation and development of new tools, design practices and innovative didactic instruments to which reference is made to research experiences aimed at identifying tools, languages and themes characterising the contemporary national and international debate

#4 Promotion of the Culture of Design, of Made in Italy and of the fundamentals of Design for the identification of new disciplinary scenarios in national and international contexts to which reference is made to experiences aimed at framing and disseminating the Culture of Design, current trends, design innovations and the fundamentals of the discipline of Interior Design.