It is with great regret that we announce the passing away of our dear colleague, Luigia Binda of the Politecnico di Milano.
Luigia had a distinguished career at the Politecnico where she became Associate Professor of Structural Engineering, before being appointed Full Professor of Restoration. Upon her retirement she was made Honorary Professor at the Politecnico, where she continued carrying out research in architectural heritage.
She will be remembered with deep affection for her passion for teaching and research and her dedication to the Politecnico and her students.
She continued until very recently to lead a course on Historical Buildings Degradation and Diagnostics, carrying out research work on historical masonry structures and their durability as well as the effectiveness of different types of interventions.
Luigia was able to encourage with her passion for cultural heritage her many students in the School of Architecture including those in doctoral programmes.
She was recognised internationally as an authority in her field having written numerous papers and edited and authored several books.
Until recently, Luigia participated in the Structural Repair and Maintenance of Architectural Heritage (STREMAH) Conferences organised by our Wessex Institute in different locations around the world, being part of the International Scientific Committee. In 2011 she was Chair of the Conference when it was held in Tuscany and was awarded the Eminent Scientist Medal of our Institute in recognition to the excellence of her research and in the field of structural heritage restoration at the 2007 STREMAH Conference which took place in Prague.
She was also editor of a unique volume on “Learning from Failure: Long Term Behaviour of Heavy Masonry Structures” published by our WIT Press.
Luigia will be missed by all her colleagues throughout the world who appreciated her knowledge and professionalism, but most by those of us who were also privileged to be considered her friends.
Carlos A Brebbia
Wessex Institute
Wessex Institute