Valentina Sforzini

Eco friendly service buildings and facilities for sustainable tourism and environmental awareness in protected areas

Starting from the multi-year experience in environmentally friendly building projects gained by CITERA of the Faculty of Architecture (Sapienza University of Rome), the main goal of this paper is to apply this expertise for the planning of environmentally sound service buildings and facilities in natural protected areas, in order to increase tourist facilities avoiding the subsequent environmental impacts that too often are produced in areas with high environmental and landscaping values. Therefore, this paper will take into account the relationships between service buildings for tourism and their eventual ecological impacts in the surrounding areas, in order to pinpoint innovative envelope technologies as well as technical smart solutions for a sustainable promotion of tourist facilities, including, in addition to service buildings, even the requalification of paths and water routes. The other central aim of the project is to propose practical methods for the use of these service buildings and facilities as favourable places to disseminate environmental protection notions. Furthermore, the project foresees the application of a case study in the Bracciano-Martignano Regional Park. The obtained results may be used by other protected areas administrations as possible solutions for improving environmental sustainability of their tourism management plans.

A Sustainable Requalification Of Bracciano Lake Waterfront In Trevignano Romano

This paper describes the first interventions carried out in accordance with the results of the three years bilateral research SoURCE (Sustainable Urban Cell) performed by CITERA (Inter department Centre for Territory, Building, Conservation and Environment) of the Sapienza University of Rome and the Department of Urban Planning and Environment of the Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm (KTH) regarding urban redevelopment and distributed micro-generation of buildings. The location is the municipality of Trevignano Romano in the area (urban cell) of the lake waterfront aimed at the integration of all facilities that will increase the tourist accommodation of the area. The concept of the project is to utilize empty spaces, in all lake waterfronts, for the construction of public toilets and showers, introduction of electric boat and bike rental for sightseeing with charging stations and construction of an energy efficient wooden prefabricated building to be used as a general shop for tourists (closest analogue service is about 3 km). The research is included in the executive programme for the scientific and technical cooperation between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Italy, in the area defined ‘Energy and Environment: Sustainable Cities’.

Advanced technologies for sustainable building in the protected areas: Two case studies in Italy

For some years now the General Directorate for the Protection of Nature of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea, and the Department of “Fisica Tecnica” of the “Sapienza” University of Rome have been collaborating on issues such as sustainable development in protected areas and new technologies concerning innovative low-impact materials to be used in areas of particularly high environmental sensitivity. The first case study presented for the Protected Areas deals with a pilot project in a suburban green area jointly individuated with the “Assessorato all’Ambiente” of the Municipality of Rome designed to evaluate low-impact building in contexts of environmental “Excellency”, such as parkland in urban areas, city outskirts, green areas and national parks. In line with the Strategic Environmental Evaluation, the reversibility of such buildings has been evaluated with particular care, although other considerations, such as aspects related to the education towards sustainability in architecture, were also looked into. Research has been oriented towards pinpointing ‘new’ envelope technologies in which to assembly components and technical solutions already known as “sustainable” and/or “energy efficient” (such as coat insulation, roof garden, ecologically compatible materials such as wood, etc.), but whose combined application has not yet been tested as a whole complex system. During the realization of this 500mq eco-sustainable structures the following technologies have been included: wooden structures and sheathing for a low energy consumption and naturally recyclable material; green roof coverings; systems for water cycle management; solar collectors for hot water production and photovoltaic systems; high performance glass in terms of light transmission, solar control and thermal insulation. The second case study, coming from the experience of the pilot project, is the realization of a 15 mq infopoint that is energetically self sufficient in the Eco-Architecture III 551 www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3541 (on-line)

High performing building as a pier for sustainable tourism in the protected area of bracciano lake in Italy

This work deals with the design of an energy highly performing wooden building on the lake shore, inside the protected area of Bracciano-Martignano (Italy, neighbourhood of Rome). It is a structure housing a bar, a box office and a small pier for a mini-cruise service, with the view of promoting sustainable tourism in the Trevignano area. Up to now, according to local legislation, only electrically powered navigation is allowed in Bracciano Lake: the mini-cruise service, utilizing a boat used no longer by the coast guard and carrying 20 people at most, will be equipped with an electrical device of 8.6 kWp integrated with the roof of the building. The architecture and plant designs of the wooden building are based on new envelope technologies solutions with a large use of local natural materials and pre-fabricated systems. According to Italian regulations on building energy classification, the designed building is classified “A+”, the best efficiency class, due to a high performing wooden envelope system associated with remarkable production of electrical and thermal solar energy. The green building certification system, the so called “Protocollo Itaca”, shows that the structure design (classified in the second best category) is an important pattern of eco-architecture and of strategy against the loss of biodiversity. Eco-Architecture IV 175 www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3541 (on-line) WIT Transactions on Ecology and The Environment, Vol 165,

Technology Park In Connection With National Filing Of Radioactive Waste

The starting project idea arises from the need to provide a national disposal for radioactive waste as required by the European Union, in order to adjust Italy to the rest of the other European countries. The site will replace the temporary disposals realized near to the four former nuclear plants in the Italian territory, to permit plants decommissioning and the subsequent environmental rehabilitation of those areas. The disposal will be realized according to the most modern standards of environmental safety and ensuring maximum sustainability of the site thus using all the ‘Best Available Technique’ for the construction of Near Zero Energy Buildings and energy production systems from renewable sources. The Project is based on data coming from SOGIN (the Italian society for the decommissioning of nuclear plants) for the national radioactive waste disposal able to contain 90,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste and divided into two parts, allowing separate storage of the waste of first and second level, respectively, in quantities of 15.000 mc and 75.000 mc. The Technology Park close to the disposal, will be done with maximum transparency criteria, so to make the site not only accessible to citizens, but even a tourist attraction and a meeting area for the scholars, university students and researchers. In this technological park there are strong requirements for high security systems and an adequate transport and mobility plan designed even for critical situations. In fact in the designed Park there are even special protection systems from physical agents with the possibility, in case of danger, of an access to the closed collection points that are able to insulate workers and visitors from fire or radiation danger.