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I progressi tecnologici degli ultimi decenni e l’integrazione di discipline come la tecnologia e il restauro architettonico stanno progressivamente migliorando la cultura del progetto nella conservazione del patrimonio moderno e contemporaneo. I risultati dello studio sono focalizzati sugli effetti che un intervallo di tempo relativamente breve (50-100 anni) ha prodotto su un ampio numero di edifici, stimolando una discussione sia sul ruolo della tecnologia nell’azione di conservazione di casi esemplari del Moderno sia sui potenziali impatti di questo fenomeno sul cosiddetto patrimonio minore, offrendo strumenti per supportare una diffusa campagna di miglioramento che rappresenta una delle sfide più impegnative dei prossimi decenni. The technological advances of recent decades and the integration of disciplines such as architectural technology and restoration are progressively improving the culture of design in the conservation of modern and contemporary heritage. The results of the study are focused on the effects that a relatively short time interval (50-100 years) has produced on a large number of buildings, stimulating a discussion both on the role of technology in the conservation of exemplary cases of Modern heritage and on potential impacts of this phenomenon on the so-called minor heritage, offering tools to support a widespread improvement campaign that represents one of the most demanding challenges of the coming decades.

The effort spent in the last decades to improve the building envelope performances, in order to meet energy saving standards and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has led to significantly rethink the envelope concept, its functions and the related architectural features. Many interrelated parameters contribute in defining a quite complex functional framework highly influenced by varying environmental conditions on daily and seasonal basis that are undergoing radical alterations due to the effects of climate change. This book explores the wide range of solutions in building envelope design particularly focusing on the use of shading systems to contribute in regulating indoor conditions providing a reflection about the main drivers of innovation and evolution in this sector. It also provides a systemic analysis of the main characteristics of shading systems according to their geometrical, functional, technical features offering a flexible and inclusive classification methodology. A specific attention is given to adaptive solutions intended as a tool to equip the building of a responsive behaviour to variable conditions that largely influence its comprehensive performances. The book investigates the innovative trends in this sector, carefully considering the uncertain path that leads to develop completely different approaches and strategies as well as the experimental nature of the examined solutions, offering a concrete example of application. The scope is not to provide conclusive positions but to open the design perspective to tomorrow’s challenges.

The paper describes the methodological approach proposed within H2020 ROCK project, on the adaptive reuse of public spaces in the historic city, particularly focussing on accessibility. The methodology is applied in a test-bed site of the historical context with the aim to identify integrated and effective strategies capable of shifting attention from the single building to the urban scale, following a performance-oriented approach. The goal is to contribute, through a light infrastructure, enabling technologies and new services, to the definition of a barrier-free built environment suitable to satisfy the citizen’s environmental well-being in an equitable manner. The integrated approach involved users and key factors such as: disabled associations, sectors of the Municipality, representatives and operators of cultural institutions., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 19 (2020): The public space

European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes, N.0 (2018)

The renewed interest for under used sites of historical city centres is addressing a change in design paradigms on existing buildings involving local communities in the process from the very beginning. The paper reports a recent cooperation, named “Anteprima Lab”, between the Department of Architecture (DA) of University of Bologna, the City of Bologna and Urban Center. The action is intended as an enabler of initiatives aimed at enhancing those places assumed as common goods by local communities. The pilot defined the functional and spatial features of an innovative participated environment that follows the socio-political trends characterizing the modern age of Bologna., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 14 (2017): Architecture and social innovation

During the last decades the general belief in the building sector was that the progress of technology would enable it to meet all the new arising challenges. However it did not consider the growing demand in terms of energy and resources and its related impacts on the environment. The issue of energy saving has recently led to relevant changes in perception going beyond technology, according to a more conscious approach based on a balance between the results achievable through adequate technological solutions and the required investments (energy, materials, etc.). By going beyond technology, it is meant first of all increasing the effectiveness of the measures and solutions adopted and reducing non-technical and contextual barriers. This paper points out a number of potential barriers, such as insufficient or not so restricting regulations, a lack of incentives or subsidized funds, implications related to final users behavior, etc. that influence the success of any interventions. This study is based on the experience acquired by the Research Unit of the Department of Architecture of the University of Bologna in the field of renovation and retrofitting actions at building and urban level, during several research programs and activities. The final objective of these activities was to outline suitable design criteria and suggest strategies and synergies for overcoming existing barriers.

In the near future, the influence of climate change on the living conditions, on indoor and outdoor comfort as well as on energy demand will assume a more increasingly importance in defining adequate and effective strategies to regenerate and renovate the built environment while supporting the transition process to a low carbon society. In this general framework, the integration of dedicated approaches in the design phases as well as the adoption of useful ICT tools to manage the complex interaction of the interrelated factors investing the urban environment represent a specific challenge. After providing a picture of the main challenges and progresses in this field, the paper describes the methodological outcomes of complementary research activities focused on the development of Smart District as a core strategy to improve the adoption of climate responsive design option both at building and district scale. This means the adoption of sustainable renovation option and energy savings measures while facilitating the integration of smart devices, sensor and controller to collect data and monitor the behaviour of buildings as well as of the shared spaces between them with the goal to increase urban quality. The paper includes some examples of how design options can be implemented into a comprehensive interactive platform, of expected impacts (energy consumption, emissions, efficiency, urban quality and environmental sustainability), of key indicators taking into account technical and non-technical barriers.

This paper presents the outcomes of a constructive-energetic survey carried out among 384 dwellings in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. The study emerges in response to a national interest and priority for the efficient and rational use of energy in the residential sector. The methodology used enables the presentation, with a reliable precision, of data concerning the dwellings characterization; the determination of the predominant building systems; the energy demand for heating and the main hydro-thermal comfort problems. The results have been analyzed in relation to the energy demand for heating and to the thermal transmittance of the constructive systems. All buildings belonging to the studied stock show that constructive solutions, insulation materials and heating equipments are not suitable for the Andean Patagonian climate. It is evaluated that the heating energy needed per unit floor area is 218% higher than the corresponding one in Sweden, being gas almost exclusively the main energy source. In view of the results of this study, it is encouraging to detect that the potential for improvement is very high. In many cases very simple solutions would produce significant energy savings and moreover a high proportion of users recognized the need for such improvements.

The European historic city centres are currently experiencing innovative approaches for rehabilitation of urban spaces afflicted by social and physical decay. The revitalization challenges are a consequence of the integration of contemporary technologies and solutions to achieve new requirements and of the impacts of socio-economic dynamics. Understanding and boosting the drivers connected to the cultural potential of the historic city centres can play an important role in adaptive re-use. This paper focuses on the synergy between cultural heritage and urban development, cultural heritage preservation and local economic growth, proposing adaptive reuse design practices applied in historic city centre, through the adoption of a multi-criteria methodology for heritage-led regeneration., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 12 (2016): Architecture Memory Contemporaneity

According to the Directive 2012/27/EU, Member States are required to boost renovation processes involving the public buildings with a 3% rate. In this general framework a key role can be played by educational buildings which in Italy – with 42.000 units – represent a remarkable quota of the existing public building stock. Recent surveys outlined the oldness and obsolescence of this stock, that is affected by a number of deficit, and underlined that renovation actions represent a priority in the very next future. A key topic in this field is to provide adequate tools to allow PA to prioritize interventions according to economic availabilities and to a general plan of scheduled investment. This paper summarizes the first stage of a study aimed at defining a multi-criteria evaluation process useful to prioritize renovation action, with the general goal to provide a speedy detection kit which allow to easily define the obsolescence level and to prioritize actions in schools optimizing costs and benefit.

Il paper si propone di sintetizzare gli elementi chiave di una ricerca avente per oggetto la definizione e lo sviluppo di una piattaforma multi-layer volta a supportare processi di rigenerazione urbana e in particolare di approfondire gli aspetti legati al miglioramento delle condizioni di comfort. Il paper descrive la metodologia adottata e le principali fasi in cui la ricerca è organizzata. La dorsale della piattaforma multi-layer è descritta in funzione dello scopo e degli impatti attesi. È inoltre approfondito il ruolo di questo strumento e del supporto ICT nell’aumentare il livello di consapevolezza degli utenti nei confronti dei potenziali benefici derivanti dall’adozione di soluzioni ad alta efficienza e di misure per la riduzione della domanda energetica. Una riflessione riguardo le possibili barriere a ulteriori sviluppi e le più promettenti opportunità di implementazione completa il testo. The paper provides an overview of the key elements of a research project focused on the development of a multi-layer platform aimed at supporting regeneration process at district scale particularly for what concerns the improvement of comfort conditions. The paper describes the adopted methodologies and the main stages in which the research is organized. The backbone of the multi-layer platform is described according to the purpose and to the expected impacts. The role of the tool and of ICT in increasing the end-users’ awareness about the potential benefit deriving by the adoption of efficient solution and energy saving measures is discussed. A reflection concerning the barriers to further developments and the most promising implementation opportunities completes the text.

The world economic crisis has further depressed the Italian production of social housing but it dramatically increased the demand of affordable rental dwellings. A refurbishment and retrofitting campaign of the social housing stock appears to be as a credible and effective strategy, able to be applied in the short term to bring this gap, at least partially. Some results of a research in progress on the topic are presented in this paper. The first one is a classification model of the main typology of retrofitting and densification of social housing projects, issued from an investigation on several European case-studies. On this base, the research established a set of design criteria, able to couple the improvement of energy, functionality and comfort performances with the increasing of the use intensity of the built stock. Finally, an application of this method on a pilot-case is described., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 4 (2012): Social housing

Superata la fase volta a ricondurre la domanda energetica in fase d’uso a soglie prestazionali nettamente migliorative rispetto al comportamento medio del parco esistente, l’attenzione della comunità scientifica si è progressivamente spostata sui fattori capaci di influenzare positivamente il passaggio dal concetto di edificio energeticamente efficiente a quello di Nearly Zero Energy Building. Il saggio delinea le principali tendenze in questo ambito.

The progressive worsening of the Italian school stock – in terms of comfort, environmental quality, energy efficiency and functional equipment – is widely documented in several surveys, that indicate severe levels of inadequacy, particularly acute in the regions of Southern Italy. Over the last thirty years, the need to operate an obsolete stock has absorbed a large share of investment in school buildings, which is in drastic decline. Some legislative measures recently adopted aim to correct this situation, with investments in both the renovation of the large stock already in service, and the construction of new schools. In addition to replacing the share of inadequate buildings, the increase in the rate of renewal may allow to fully experience up-to-date design approaches and solutions, oriented not only to satisfy updated functional standards, but also to provide modern educational methods to adequate learning spaces. Called to deal with the social changes, the evolution of educational needs, the organizational and technological innovation, the unconventional scheme of funding, the design of new schools can become reference that also inspires the refurbishment of the existing building stock., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 9 (2015): Architecture for health and education

This book provides a coherent and realistic vision of the implications of the energy issue in the future development of our cities. It places emphasis on the links between very specific and technical topics and the most challenging issues concerning energy savings and the transition to a low carbon society. A great part of the built environment in most European cities consists of buildings dating from the 60s to early 90s, for residential purposes: this stock clearly presents several problems related to its functional layout, as well as its energy/thermal behaviour. Applying sustainable and energy savings principles to retrofitting interventions on the existing stock is one of the most urgent challenges to be met in the very near future. Giving some examples and case studies, this book investigates retrofitting interventions in terms of energy balance: from design strategies to choice of materials and components; from market trends analysis to economical assessment; and from the targeted energy performance to the energy investments needed for achieving it. The reader will benefit from the real life experiences and related results described in this book and acquire the tools for a constructive evaluation of the different options available to him/her, when faced with retrofitting interventions, thanks to a global view of all the issues involved.

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., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 7 (2014): Architectural technologies research and development

Il paper si propone di sintetizzare i principali vantaggi derivanti dalla razionalizzazione del processo indotta dall’utilizzo di tecnologie a secco, nella riqualificazione dell’esistente, evidenziando anche i principali ostacoli all’applicazione su vasta scala di tali soluzioni tecnologiche nelle operazioni di recupero.

A number of studies and surveys at the EU level and Eurostat data show that the existing European building stock requires urgent adaptation to current and future needs. The renewal of this stock to meet energy standards and face climate issues will be one of the most important challenge in Europe to be considered in the next decades. This paper provides a description of some findings related to a current research line of a Department of Architecture research group. A focus area of the on-going analysis consists in developing an integrated system for building regeneration through smart grids upgrading process with the aim of increasing the quality of the built environment and well being of the end users. One of possible results is an Interoperable Platform, in which an “ID card” for a specific building is provided, and it could be implemented and tested to acquire, contain and manage data related to consistence, function and consumption of buildings and grids.

Renovation processes as well as the development of new housing will be relevant fields of interventions in shaping the future of contemporary cities and strategic sectors to revive industrial activity, job markets and competitiveness. At the same time they represent the greatest opportunity to face global environmental challenges, such as climate change and natural resources scarcity, through innovative perspectives assuming the built environment as a whole and no more individual buildings as the core of design strategies. The rapid and wider diffusion of “eco-innovation” can have a leveraging effect on environmental, as well as on economic and social improvements, by enabling win-win synergies able to increase the rate of successful processes both in terms of architectural and economic sustainability. As incremental innovations alone cannot achieve an absolute decoupling of economic growth from environmental impacts, increasing the market potential for more radical and systemic eco-innovations is becoming of particular importance to enable a long-term transition to a greener economy. In recent decades, environmental analysis in the built environment has focused on issues relating to life-cycle and energy performance at the scale of individual buildings, establishing energy savings technologies and design strategies that reduce energy use and improve indoor comfort. There has been comparatively little focus on the impacts on the outdoor microclimate at district or neighbourhood scale. A joint study, involving the Universities of Bologna and Westminster, is focused on climatic adaptive-mitigation strategies to support the transition of the built environment to a low-carbon society. The paper outlines the general framework and methodology of the study providing a picture of the design strategies and innovative approaches. In order to encourage industry to take up economic opportunities from developing and diffusing eco-innovative products and services, the study examines the key elements for fostering initiatives at an urban scale, the principal drivers to boost transition, the strategic tools as well as the main barriers to reach successful interventions.

Recent surveys on the condition of the Italian school building stock provide information on its relevant seismic behavior and fire safety levels, however no information is made available on its thermo-hygrometric conditions and energy behaviour, despite the fact that the former has a considerable impact on the use and physical conditions of indoor environments and the latter plays a fundamental role in limiting the buildings operating costs, as literature abundantly shows. This paper reports the results of a study carried out on a sample of Italian school buildings, substantiating their high levels of energy consumption, and describes the application of a specific method of analysis used for identifying the main causes of these, therefore allowing to propose some possible strategies for retrofitting, aimed to improving the building energy efficiency and environmental quality, by way of simulations and validation of their relevant effects and benefits., TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment, TECHNE 5 (2013): Environment emergency

The target of achieving high energy efficiency standard in order to comply with the EU Directives is leading to remarkable efforts to improve the performance of the building envelope. Excellent thermal insulation and airtight sealing of leakages are of the utmost importance to fulfil the expected targets. Unfortunately airtightness produces the negative effect of increasing the indoor concentration of air pollutants like radon. Despite the seriousness of the problem is generally misconceived, long-term exposition to radon is acknowledged to be the second cause of lung cancer after smoke. The paper outlines the implications for the building sector and focuses on design and preventive criteria as well as on mitigation and remedial techniques.

The progressive reduction of public investments in the last 20 years for the residential sector has reduced the Italian stock of social housing to less than one and half million units, which represent only 5,8% of the residential buildings in use. This stock – built up between the ’60s and ’80s – is affected by many and relevant lacks in functionality and performances, due to its age and void of maintenance. A research project – which follows a research program lead in cooperation between the Faculty of Architecture of IUAV University of Venice and ATER (Territorial Agency for Residential Building) of Venice – assumed a social housing complex, built in the ’70 and placed in the Venice hinterland, as case study in order to investigate the refurbishment opportunities. The paper will outline the results of refurbishment scenarios performed on the case study describing the transformation strategy adopted, the functional and technical upgrade and the obtained energy savings.

This paper presents a synthesis of the most relevant results of a study carried out by the Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, concerning the potential of energy retrofitting actions on existing terraced homes. This research proposes a preliminary analysis of the users’ behavior in relation to the building functional features and energy demand. A set of different conditions concerning the layout, the functionalities and the upgrading of systems was listed and their related costs - in terms of maintenance and energy costs - were highlighted. Some innovative renovation strategies were investigated in order to provide both an increase in volume and surface and quality of the building as well as an improvement in energy efficiency, in order to drastically reduce the energy demand.

More than 60% of the existing building stock in the EU27 area, and especially in the housing sector, is expected to be renovated during the next few decades in order to comply with the energy efficiency standards foreseen by the EU Directives (31/2010, 27/2012) and meet high levels of performances. Service life prediction and residual service life evaluation are key tools useful to define the lifespan expectancy of the building after renovation and to assess economic payback time as well as energy investment amortization.

The contribution presents a synthesis of some results obtained from an on-going national research program carried out at the University of Bologna, Department of Architecture, focusing on sustainable renovation processes and effective solutions for increasing the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock. The proposed methodological approach is based on a step by step retrofit strategy, tested by a simulation model, aiming to reduce the energy demand from the current significant present value to at least 15 kWh/m2y. This performance level was assumed as the target of the retrofit action that has been developed by assessing the effectiveness of the different technological solutions adopted. This methodology and simulation set are going to be used for a further development of the retrofitting solution that foresees the use of pre-fab wood panels.

A growing interest towards the regeneration of the existing building stock is taking place in several European cities in order to face the need of a drastic reduction of energy demand and in order to provide new strategies for improving the quality of the built environment. The paper presents a part of the results of a research, lead by the University of Bologna, concerning the cost effectiveness evaluation of technological solutions to be adopted in retrofit intervention on a high density housing building. Different strategies have been explored and the payback periods have been compared.