www.buildingsandcities.org/about/virginia-gori.html
Virginia Gori
Dr Virginia Gori is a Lecturer in Buildings and Energy at the UCL Energy Institute, University College London. Her research focusses on using data-driven approaches to understand the operational performance of buildings, to provide evidence-based insights for better design and decision-making in the building industry and policy landscape. Her expertise lies at the interface of building physics, in-situ monitoring and energy modelling and analytics, often with a focus on retrofit.
Virginia is Technical Committee member for the European Committee for Standardisation and has been expert member in the International Energy Agency (IEA) Annex 71, Annex 81 and Task 59/Annex 76 projects.
Latest Commentaries
The Search for Urban Recovery in Lebanon
Lebanon’s history has been shaped by recurrent cycles of war, disaster, and economic collapse, with each episode leaving enduring imprints on the country’s urban and social fabric. Howayda al-Harithy (American University of Beirut) critically examines Lebanon’s historical cycles of destruction and reconstruction. Recovery involves more than rebuilding buildings; it requires a framework that is people-centered, heritage-led and place-specific together with an emphasis on restoring social relations, cultural identity, community agency while addressing structural inequalities.
Rebuilding Energy Infrastructure after War
Marco Nicola Binetti (University of Bremen) argues that energy reconstruction should be understood as a core pillar of post-conflict recovery rather than a narrowly technical undertaking. Restoring electricity and fuel supplies enables essential services, supports economic growth, strengthens state legitimacy, and reduces the likelihood of renewed violence. However, successful reconstruction requires overcoming substantial financial, logistical, institutional, and political obstacles. Reconstruction strategies must also adapt to emerging threats and vulnerabilities created by modern warfare.