Danila Longo

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS IN SOUTHERN EUROPE: CHALLENGES AND DESIGN STRATEGIES

The increasing attention paid to energy effi ciency in buildings by researches has led toward solutions favoring the adaptation of the European passive house standard, developed and codifi ed mainly in cold contexts, to different climate contexts, in particular the Mediterranean one. In warm areas, energy effi ciency is related to summer performance and the passive cooling of buildings. In southern and central Italy, the main factor is the heat control, which regards just the summer period during which situations of overheating occur – this implies signifi cant energy consumption due to conditioning systems, therefore it has to be restricted. It may be possible that the energy required to cool buildings exceeds the requirements for heating. This implies that the criteria for energy effi ciency projects should be revisited and adapted to specifi c national climatic situations, even by recovering and updating design criteria and techniques adopted in traditional building. Relevant experiences are also developing in Italy, where the Mediterranean climate has different characteristics compared to the cold climates of central and northern Europe. An interesting project is presented as an indicative case study of experimentation in this fi eld.

High density suburbs redevelopment and social housing retrofitting for cities regeneration

The suburbs of modern cities have become key elements in the scenarios of ever changing cities: once considered problem areas, they are now defined as important components for a general urban redevelopment in planning projects. The issue of suburbs is today ever present in the processes of strategic urban planning: they are considered as areas of integrated transformation, ranging from the landscape and cultural heritage enhancement to buildings retrofitting interventions, up to an economical uplift and to an improvement of the infrastructural systems. The most important Italian case studies and the conditions of the suburban areas in modern cities (in disrepair, or interested by upgrading processes) have identified some of the prevailing critical aspects of urban planning carried out to date. This paper proposes the analysis of one case study, the Pilastro neighborhood, a significant example of a social housing high density settlement, located in the outskirts of Bologna (IT). This district is an imposing housing estate, chosen for its representation of the social housing heritage in Italy. This paper highlights the technical, functional and social factors the level of quality of the settlement depends on, as well as the phenomena of social unease it resulted in. It also highlights some elements that may be considered as an obstacle against improvement measures. Architectural and social quality are the two elements to be aimed for, for a correct strategy of redevelopment and regeneration of the Pilastro neighborhood.

RESILIENT COMMUNITIES. SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURES FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF URBAN AREAS.A CASE STUDY

Climate change, natural and human-made disasters, overcrowding spaces, waste production, and energy access are just a few of issues that our cities have to deal with. At the same time, cities offer a promising intervention field to foster collaborations in planning and managing sustainable infrastructure for sustainable growth. Creating resilient cities has both social and physical dimensions. Reinforcing local identity and culture contributes to positive relationships among individuals, improving their collective ability to face change. The City of Bologna is engaged in the definition of pilot actions to promote the active participation of stakeholders for the acceleration of Local Urban Environment Adaptation Plan for a Resilient City, linked to Common Goods Regulation: act together (collective regeneration of urban spaces), live together (new welfare, health and well-being), grow together (collaborative spaces for innovative jobs and enterprises). In this context the Research Group of the University of Bologna is involved in the development of a flexible and replicable methodology to support the transition to more sustainable urban context. This paper illustrates this methodology and the experimental study carried on to establish active mechanisms of engagement of citizens, associations, creative communities, private bodies, aiming at increasing community resilience and sensitivity and fostering sustainable growth.

Green buildings and design for adaptation: Strategies for renovation of the built environment

The recent EU Directives 2010/31 and 2012/27 provide standards of nearly zero energy buildings for new constructions, aiming at a better quality of the built environment through the adoption of high-performance solutions. In the near future, cities are expected to be the main engine of development while bearing the impact of population growth: new challenges such as increasing energy efficiency, reducing maintenance costs of buildings and infrastructures, facing the effects of climate change and adjusting on-going and future impacts, require smart and sustainable approaches. To improve the capability of adaptation to dynamics of transformation, buildings and districts have to increase their resilience, assumed as ‘the capacity to adapt to changing conditions and to maintain or regain functionality and vitality in the face of stress or disturbance’ (Wilson A., Building Resilience in Boston, Boston Society of Architects, 2013). This paper describes the research methodology, developed by the Department of Architecture, a research unit of Technology for Architecture, to perform the assessment of resilience of existing buildings, as well as the outcomes of its application within Bologna urban context. This methodology focuses on the design for adaptation of social housing buildings, aiming at predicting their expected main impacts (energy consumption, emissions, efficiency, urban quality and environmental sustainability) and at developing models for renovation.

Environmental Quality And Energy Efficiency: Sustainable School Buildings Design Strategies

The design and construction qualities of buildings play a key role in limiting energy consumption, while ensuring proper comfort conditions. The existing school buildings stock is mainly characterized by a low level of architectural quality and of performance leading to a high consumption of energy and to an indoor microclimate below comfort level. School buildings play a dual role: on one hand, they have to ensure adequate technical and morphological standards to all spaces used by the students, and on the other, they have to effectively communicate the criteria of sustainable design that have been used for their construction. This paper proposes some innovative case studies projects, highlighting criteria, and strategies adopted in the design for spaces dedicated to children. The aim is to promote sustainable design and construction strategies that combine high levels of energy effi ciency, performance standards, and environmental indoor quality, including innovative strategies to integrate the building and its related systems. Best practices can also effectively encourage experimentations and contribute to formulate sustainable construction strategies that should be widely adopted.

Learn to save: sustainable schools

The existing school buildings are mainly characterized by a low level of architectural quality and performance which leads to a high consumption of energy and an indoor microclimate below comfort level. The design and construction quality of buildings plays a key role in limiting energy consumption, while ensuring proper comfort conditions. Best practice can also effectively encourage experimentations and contribute to formulate sustainable construction strategies that should be widely adopted. School buildings play, in fact, a dual role: on one hand they have to ensure adequate technical and morphological standards to all spaces used by the students; on the other one, they have to effectively communicate the criteria of sustainable design which have been used for their construction. The aim of attaining higher level of sustainability in the construction sector has led to consider school buildings perfect case studies for testing sustainable technical solutions. This paper proposes some of the most innovative case studies within Italy, highlighting criteria and strategies adopted in the design for spaces dedicated to children. The aim is to promote sustainable design and construction strategies that combine high levels of energy efficiency, of performance standards and environmental indoor quality, including innovative strategies to integrate the building and its related systems.

Resilient cities: Mitigation measures for urban districts. a feasibility study

More than 70% of the European population live in cities, which are affected by several critical issues, such as the depletion of energy and material resources, decreasing of food security, increasing of greenhouse gas emissions levels with relevant environmental impacts and management issues (e.g. waste treatment). Urban areas emit about 80% of the global CO2 emissions and they are responsible for about 80% of global energy consumption. Therefore, cities offer a possible action field for decisive local initiatives to address sustainability challenges, especially in terms of policy and societal actions, inspiring specific projects, which could be translated into more systematic programs at higher levels of governance. In order to mitigate climate change effects, the European energy policy is focused on buildings’ energy efficiency due to its substantial savings’ potential. This paper describes the integrated design approach developed by the Research Unit of the Department of Architecture of the University of Bologna, (RU) with the aim to identify scenarios of resilient actions for renovating existing buildings and districts, as well as for framing effective refurbishment design criteria at district level. This integrated approach combines energy efficient solutions and technologies, which have positive and sustainable impact on the environment with customer oriented strategies in order to ensure gains and customers’ expectations and requirements at the same time. The paper highlights: the link between mitigation strategies and the built environment; the application of the proposed Integrated Design Approach (IDA) inside the real context of Bolognina neighbourhood (Bologna, IT); the link between life cycle assessment (LCA), mitigation measures and IDA; analysis of results, impacts and potentialities of replication.

Co-design for Resilience: Solutions, Services and Technologies for Urban Spaces

Resilience design strategies anticipate significant detrimental climate change to create optimal conditions to face the continuous and deep changes of urban environment, acting on the causes (mitigation) and on the effects (adaptation). The paper illustrates a methodology that combines technological and social aspects for the transition to resilient districts and communities with the aim to co-deliver city-based solutions and services and to drive sustainable growth in vulnerable contexts.

Transition To Sustainable City: An Integrated Design Approach For Transformative Districts – A Proposal For Replicability

Effective strategies for renovation of the existing building stock are essential to meet climate change challenges, improve energy security and alleviate fuel poverty. More than 80% of existing dwellings will still be in use in 2050 and in need of retrofitting actions. Residential building renovation is one of the objectives of the EU 2050 Roadmap and replicable solutions are needed to meet the EU’s ambitious target. The Research Unit of the Department of Architecture of Bologna has developed a feasibility study for renovation of social housing in Bologna, focusing on Bolognina neighbourhood, a 1920s/1960s district with high replication potential. This building stock requires a comprehensive renovation strategy capable of increasing energy performance, improving the quality of living and integrating the district and its community into a more sustainable city vision. The aim is to speed up innovative actions to energy renovation in order to boost transition towards more resilient and efficient environment. An integrated design approach is adopted to develop flexible and non-disrupting solutions, define keydesign parameters and their interrelation at district scale, implementing innovative energy and environmental assessment methodologies. This paper explores the importance of ‘replication’ in a complex built environment, developing effective strategies at district scale and identifying further researches branches for future transitions to 2050.

Product innovation: lessons learned from some experiences of collaboration between University and SMEs

EU standards and rules concerning energy efficiency in the building sector are pushing to achieve ever-higher performances. This also represents a strong driver for innovative construction techniques, inducing manufacturers to invest professional and financial resources in the development of building components that can meet the highest quality and performance standards. During the last decades, many components have been developed to improve the energy efficiency of the building envelope. This paper summarizes three research activities entrusted by private companies to the Department of Architecture of the University of Bologna from 2009 to 2012, aiming at increasing the energy performances of building components and systems. Several themes had to be addressed: two different dry construction systems and a range of installation configurations for airtightness for high quality windows. Although focused on different and specific issues, some criteria common criteria were applied on all three researches: it allowed to outline an approach suitable to be applied in further contexts.