Elisa Pilia (Cagliari, 11.06.1988), after the bachelor's degree in Technologies for the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (cum laude) in 2010, she obtained a Master's degree in Preservation of Architectural and Environmental Heritage (cum laude) in 2012, both at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari. In the same university, in 2017 she became PhD in Civil Engineering and Architecture - XXIX cycle ("Urban Ruins. Memorial value and contemporary role"). In 2021 she also achieved the title of Specialist in Architectural and Landscape Heritage ("Dual-use redevelopment of the "Spolette" Military Establishment in Torre Annunziata. Restoration project of the former Royal Arms Factory") at the University of Naples "Federico II".

Since 2012, she has collaborated with the chairs of Restoration, Geomaterials and Surveying for the bachelor’s degree in Architectural Science and the Master’s degree in Architecture at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari, conducting research, academic assistance and teaching activities.

From 2019 to 2022 she taught the elective course 'Restoring Ruins. Significations, values, projects", an in-depth course on Restoration topics for both the bachelor’s degree in Architectural Science (L17) and the Master’s degree in Architecture (LM4) at the Department of Civil-Environmental Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari. Since 2020 she has been Teaching Assistant in the discipline of Restoration - SSD ICAR 19.

She held a Research Fellowship (Area 08 - Civil Engineering and Architecture - S.C. 08/E2 - Restoration and History of Architecture - SSD ICAR/19) and seven research grants at the University of Cagliari (Department of Civil-Environmental Engineering and Architecture and Department of Humanities, Languages and Cultural Heritage).

Since 1st March 2023 she is Researcher on a fixed-term contract (type A) in the academic field of Restoration (SSD ICAR 19), at the Department of Civil-Environmental Engineering and Architecture of the University of Cagliari, as part of the research project entitled "IMASS CHAIN - (Infrastructure Management Support System Chain)" funded by the Ministry of Defence, with resources from the National Military Research Plan 2020.

The studies developed during the years of academic collaboration, documented by 37 publications, can be summarised in the following research areas:

1. study of ruins in rural and urban contexts both nationally and internationally (with a focus on the Italian and Scottish contexts), for which, through a transdisciplinary approach, the architectural, historical, urban planning and social aspects are explored in depth, with a view to their conservation and possible reuse;
2. study of disused (and not) military complexes and structures with perspectives of restoration, re-use and dual-use, starting from the archival investigation, to the survey and thematic representations, with the examination of national and international experiences of re-functionalisation and re-use;
3. knowledge of the historic built environment, on the architectural, urban and territorial scales, through the application of indirect and direct methods of analysis (including non-destructive diagnostic techniques and tools) - supported by: a) archaeometric, mineropetrographic and mensiochronological studies referring to traditional masonry construction techniques, b) studies of the archaeology of elevations and urban stratigraphy, starting from the monument to the widespread built environment - for the definition of relative and absolute chronologies of historic permanence, with particular attention to minor historic centres;
4. theory and history of restoration, with an in-depth study of some protagonists related to the preservation and intervention on pre-existing buildings in Italy in the second half of the 20th century;
5. study of conventual religious architecture from a typological, historical-cultural and architectural points of view with the aim of designing conservation, protection and re-functionalisation projects on a regional scale;
6. study of abandoned villages in Sardinia for the proposal of future scenarios through a multidisciplinary approaches;
7. use of HBIM digital systems, technological tools and development of innovative approaches to support the scientific research and the restoration project.

Her works have been presented at numerous national and international conferences.

She has carried out scientific consultancy and professional activities, particularly in the areas of restoration and consolidation, architectural, material and weathering survey, archaeological survey and historical-stratigraphic analysis of structures.

Internationally, since 2016 she has been collaborating with the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies in Edinburgh where she carried out one year of visiting research and continues to carry out research and teaching collaborations.

Internationally, she has been collaborating with research and teaching activities since 2016 with the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies, where she has held a PhD year visiting research and continues to carry out research and teaching collaborations (MOSTA 2024) and from 2023 with the School of Architecture, the University of Portsmouth (MGR 2023).

Currently, she teaches Restoration Module (co-teaching with Donatella Rita Fiorino), part of the Integrated Building Course: Construction and Restoration, bachelor’s degree LP01 and Archaeological Restoration (co-teaching with Donatella Rita Fiorino) and Archaeometric Surveys for the knowledge of materials (co-teaching with Silvana Maria Grillo) at the School of Specialization in Architectural and Landscape Heritage of the University of Cagliari.

As part of her research and teaching activities, she organises and coordinates seminars of national and international relevance on topics related to her scientific discipline, which are attended not only by restoration experts, but also by specialists from other disciplines, as well as members of the professional world and conservation institutions.

She actively takes part in national cultural associations, being currently member of SIRA - Società Italiana del Restauro Architettonico (since 2018), of ReUSO ETS Association (since 2021) and of AIPAI - Associazione per il Patrimonio Archeologico Industriale (since 2022). Since 2015 she has been member of the Italian Institute of Castles onlus – Sardinian section, with which she collaborates in the organisation of study sessions, conferences and scientific publications on fortified heritage.

Updated to 22.04.24