marta.calzolari

Gli edifici storici rappresentano una parte significativa del patrimonio costruito, in particolare per il loro valore culturale. Un modo efficacie per preservare questa importante testimonianza per il futuro è quello di adeguarla costantemente alle esigenze evolutive della società. Le innumerevoli possibilità di intervento danno luogo a interessanti sperimentazioni per l’upgrade funzionale e prestazionale degli edifici, ma aumentano, conseguentemente, la possibilità di insorgenza di rischi per la conservazione dei fabbricati. I rischi connessi a interventi poco consapevoli o mal progettati si aggiungo, infatti, a quelli causati dal degrado derivante dal fisiologico deterioramento delle strutture e degli apparati decorativi. Dopo una disamina dei principali fattori di rischio di danneggiamento naturale dei fabbricati, utili anche per l’impostazione di progetti di restauro e retrofit energetico, l’articolo documenta brevemente la ricerca europea HeLLo che si occupa di studiare i principali rischi connessi all’intervento di innalzamento prestazionale e alle attività di monitoraggio di edifici antichi.

Historic buildings represent a significant part of the built heritage, particularly for their cultural value. One important way of preserving built heritage for the future is to guarantee the prolonging and continuous use of such buildings, constantly adapted to the evolutionary needs of society (ad example people accessibility and/or comfort levels or improved energy performance levels). Rethinking an historic building to accommodate new uses enhances preserving it in the memory of all, avoiding its transformation into a museum.
As known, specific conservation obligations are due when a building is listed (subjected to a protection measures). This heritage cannot be destroyed, deteriorated, damaged or used for purposes that are not compatible with their historical or artistic nature, in other words to prejudice its conservation (Italian legislative decree 42/2004, article 20, paragraph 1).
In one hand, the countless possibilities of intervention give rise to interesting experiments for the functional and performance upgrading of buildings. On the other, such interventions increase the likelihood of risks arising for the conservation of buildings: inherent risks due to the degradation produced by the physiological deterioration of the structures and decorative apparatuses, added of those related to inadequate or poorly designed interventions.
Understanding all the potential risks related to any intervention (starting from those which concern the natural degradation of the building) is therefore of utmost importance.
The importance of determining the condition of the building as the first step to be taken to plan adequate and effective conservation measures for cultural heritage has been remarked in several European projects as well as in the “Linee guida di indirizzo per il miglioramento dell'efficienza energetica nel patrimonio culturale” del MiBACT (2015). It has been suggested that this survey is supported by a document useful for the "assessment of the conditions and risks of the building under study" in which the type and state of conservation of all the technological elements of the building, its testimonial and architectural characteristics, dimensional and plant engineering aspects, movable elements or technical installations and equipment are indicated (Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism, 2015 - Appendix).
In this context, the article proposes an analysis of the main risk factors of natural damage to buildings, which are also useful for setting up restoration and energy retrofit projects. After this, a documentation of a European research, the HeLLo project (Heritage energy Living Lab onsite), is followed. This research deals mainly with the study of the risks associated to the interventions of energy retrofit of such buildings related with the choice of the materials and the typology of installation, including also the risks associated to the monitoring activities conducted in historic buildings.

La ricerca ha l’obiettivo di sviluppare il modello per la progettazione di un software capace di gestire operazioni di efficientamento energetico su ampi patrimoni immobiliari, comprendendo analisi di fattibilità e processi di ottimizzazione, per supportare ed indirizzare l’iter decisionale. In particolare, nel caso di beni storici, l'efficientamento energetico è un'operazione estremamente complessa, costosa e difficile da governare, soprattutto se estesa a grandi portafogli: diventa allora cruciale valutare numerosi scenari alternativi di intervento per identificare le azioni che possano portare all’allocazione ottimale delle risorse, bilanciando al meglio risparmi e costi.

This research aims to develop a model for the design of software capable of managing energy efficiency operations in large property assets, including feasibility analysis and optimization processes, to support and direct the decision-making process. Whether applied to historic or traditional assets, energy efficiency is a complex and expensive operation, especially if broaden to large building stocks: it becomes crucial to evaluate alternative scenarios and identify the actions that can lead to the optimal resources allocation, considering the best balance between energy savings and total costs. The assessment at the early stage of economic convenience is strategic, including methods capable of controlling both the energetic behavior of the buildings and the monetary amounts involved. This study, hence, intends to elaborate a replicable model for the preventive economic evaluation in retrofit operations, especially for large property portfolios, where it is harder to define which combination of interventions leads to the optimal result. In particular, this model is processed starting from the project, "Unife sostenibile: screening energetico del patrimonio edilizio dell’ateneo di Ferrara e proposte preliminari per la fase di programmazione degli interventi di retrofit", developed by the Research Center “Achitettura> Energia (Unife).” The project chosen has analyzed a group of buildings in Ferrara, finding their thermo-hygrometric behavior, their annual consumption and other information about their installation systems, giving us a significant database necessary to implement the economic evaluation model to a detailed case-study. Thus, the goal of the research is to produce a calculation tool which can be easily used, and which can quickly identify the best retrofit scenario. Moreover, the model should be exportable and applicable in other contexts as well by varying the input data only.

La ricerca ha l’obiettivo di sviluppare un modello per la progettazione di un software capace di gestire interventi di efficientamento energetico su ampi patrimoni immobiliari, comprendendo analisi di fattibilità e processi di ottimizzazione, per supportare ed indirizzare l’iter decisionale. In particolare, nel caso di beni storici, l'efficientamento energetico è un'operazione estremamente complessa, costosa e difficile da governare, soprattutto se estesa a grandi portafogli: diventa allora cruciale valutare numerosi scenari alternativi di intervento per identificare le azioni che possano portare all’allocazione ottimale delle risorse, bilanciando al meglio risparmi e costi.

This research aims to develop a model for the design of a software capable of managing energy efficiency operations in large property assets, including feasibility analysis and optimization processes, to support and direct the decision-making process. Whether applied to historic or traditional assets, energy efficiency is a complex and expensive operation, especially if broaden to large building stocks: it becomes crucial to evaluate alternative scenarios and identify the actions that can lead to the optimal resources allocation, considering the best balance between energy savings and total costs. The assessment at the early stage of economic convenience is strategic, including methods capable of controlling both the energetic behavior of the buildings and the monetary amounts involved. This study, hence, intends to elaborate a replicable model for the preventive economic evaluation in retrofit operations, especially for large property portfolios, where it is harder to define which combination of interventions leads to the optimal result. In particular, this model is processed starting from the project, " Unife sostenibile: screening energetico del patrimonio edilizio dell’ateneo di Ferrara e proposte preliminari per la fase di programmazione degli interventi di retrofit", developed by the Research Center “Achitettura> Energia (Unife).” The project chosen has analyzed a group of buildings in Ferrara, finding their thermo-hygrometric behavior, their annual consumption and other information about their installation systems, giving us a significant database necessary to implement the economic evaluation model to a detailed case-study. Thus, the goal of the research is to produce a calculation tool which can be easily used, and which can quickly identify the best retrofit scenario. Moreover, the model should be exportable and applicable in other contexts as well by varying the input data only.

L’articolo presenta i primi risultati della ricerca “Unife sostenibile. Screening energetico del patrimonio edilizio dell’ateneo di Ferrara e proposte preliminari per la fase di programmazione degli interventi di retrofit”. Il lavoro prende avvio da una duplice esigenza dell’Amministrazione universitaria: possedere appropriati strumenti per una corretta analisi energetica del proprio patrimonio edilizio indirizzata alla pianificazione di opportune strategie di efficientamento, cosi come richiesto dal D.Lgs. n. 102/2014, e produrre gli Attestati di Prestazione Energetica, obbligatori per gli edifici Pubblici.
Il lavoro ha come obiettivo la messa a punto di uno strumento di analisi e programmazione degli interventi di riqualificazione energetica, semplificato e speditivo, utile alla gestione di grandi patrimoni immobiliari.

The paper presents the first part of the research “Energy screening of the building heritage of the University of Ferrara and preliminary proposals for the retrofit strategies planning phase”. The research moves from two needs of the university administration: having appropriate tools for an effective energy audit, to comply with the D.Lgs. n. 102/2014 that demands for the Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) of all public buildings in the near future; having a tool for planning an effective building refurbishment with the limited financial resources. The objective of the study is to set specific guidelines for the development of retrofit strategies on new, recent or ancient buildings based on a simplified procedure.

Il rapporto tra clima e costruzione è sempre stato simbiotico e ha condizionato profondamente le scelte tecnologiche e costruttive del passato. Per questo, un approccio corretto ai manufatti antichi deve tenere conto, oltre ai caratteri costruttivi dei componenti edilizi, anche della costruzione dal punto di vista spaziale e del sistema ambientale, di cui fanno parte la qualità termica interna e soprattutto i sistemi di ventilazione naturale. L’importanza di questi ultimi è prioritaria in particolare nel momento della progettazione dell’intervento di recupero, sia per conoscerne gli apporti positivi sia per poter limitare eventuali aspetti negativi. Attraverso alcuni esempi significativi verranno ripercorse alcune delle principali tecniche di condizionamento estivo ed invernale, usate nel passato, che facevano uso della ventilazione naturale.
 

The connection between climate and construction has always been symbiotic and it has deeply influenced the technological and constructive choices of the past.
For this reason, a correct approach to ancient buildings has to take into account, in addition of their constructive characters, also of their environmental system, which includes natural ventilation systems. The importance of the latter is a priority, especially in the process of intervention for their reuse and integration with new system’s components.
The Architecture of the Arab world influenced the role of Mediterranean architecture as a climate control system, with the introduction of several transition spaces b(like the porch) which provided an intermediate level of comfort between the inside and the outside (Grosso, 1997; Picone, 2009), until, in Europe, the concept of Villa was established between the '400 and the '500. Many stratagems for the summer air conditioning can be traced in this period, like the ones of the sixteenth century aristocratic villas in Costozza (Vicenza).
The ingenious system consists of the so-called "ventidotti", a series of underground tunnels where air from caves, at a constant temperature, is conveyed by natural convection to the rooms, allowing a natural cooling in summer, and to mitigate the low temperatures in winter. Also the so-called "rooms of the scirocco", of which there are famous examples in Palermo, are well known.
A big progress towards the current concept of air conditioning systems took place in the nineteenth century with the invention of what Cetica (2004) called " ventilation - heating binomial." Thanks to this new concept, in fact, natural ventilation was going to be also used as heating system and not only as cooling system. It is the invention of proto-equipment of centralized air conditioning.
The principle of operation is to channel the stove hot air to warm every room in the house, creating a parallel process of expulsion of stale air and intake of fresh air so to ventilate the indoor environments.
This was the main heating system for most of the North American residences in Victorian times. An interesting example of this system has been found in the house of figures 2-5. Also the case study of figures 8-10 presents a system of this type. The importance to deeply know the presence of the past conditioning systems is widely demonstrated by this building. In fact, during the recovery intervention, a relief of all the old channels was made with the intent to reuse them to insert the piping for the new air conditioning system.

In vaste aree del mondo, sin da quando l’uomo ha iniziato a costruire le proprie abitazioni ha dovuto confrontarsi con il tema della raccolta e del riuso dell’acqua piovana, per affrontare i lunghi periodi di siccità o le condizioni climatiche avverse. Lo sviluppo tecnologico dei moderni sistemi di raccolta e riuso dell’acqua affonda le proprie radici nelle brillanti soluzioni trovate nel passato.

In many large areas of the world, ever since men began to build their own homes, they had to face with the theme of rainwater collection and reuse, to deal with the long periods of drought or poor weather conditions. The modern technological systems of water collection and reuse originate from the bright solutions of the past.

L’articolo presenta un approccio innovativo alla progettazione dell’illuminazione notturna da applicare in contesti architettonici storici, per fornire un’alternativa alla prassi frequente che tende a falsare la corretta lettura degli organismi edilizi. L’illuminazione, quale parte della progettazione dell’architettura stessa, ha il compito di restituire una “identità notturna” ai luoghi della città.
La strategia per raggiungere questo risultato si basa principalmente sulla riduzione dell’intensità luminosa in ambiente urbano e al contempo sulla valorizzazione degli elementi plastici, materici e cromatici delle sue costruzioni.

The paper presents an innovative approach to lighting design, to be applied to historic architectural contexts, as an alternative to the general illumination trend that tends to distort the correct reading of the building.
Lighting design, as a part of the whole architectural project, is responsible for the restoration of the urban “night identity”.
To achieve such result, the strategy goes toward the reduction of lighting intensity in the urban environment, and the valorisation of constructions’ sculptural, material and chromatic characteristics.
To define the lighting model, the study has followed two stages: the first, to investigate the light’s physical characteristics; the second, to study and test lighting devices and identify the suitable ones for the valorisation of historic buildings. To this regard, Palazzo Tassoni Estense in Ferrara was selected as case study. To be more specific, the on-field test sessions were operated on its East façade, conceived as a sum of three overlapping layers: the first layer interests the outer skin; the second concerns indoor environments (perceived from outside through the openings); the third is made by protruded and cave-in spaces of the façade (porches, terraces, windows intradoses, singular features as decorated frames or extruded elements, etc.).
For each layer, specific lighting strategies and typologies were elaborated.
The proposition for layer 1 criticizes the exterior lighting style made with concentrated spotlights, which arbitrarily highlight certain sector and features of the façade leaving others in total darkness. As a counter-proposal, a uniform base light is suggested: a faint “moonlight-looking” effect to integrally illuminate the building elevation without emphasizing particular spots.
However, the achieved effect tends to flatten the sculptural values of the façade; therefore it is combined with the lighting strategies introduced by layer 2 and 3.
The final result is reached, after several test on the case study, thanks to the use of the LED technology, which allows for a better management of the light, electronically changing its main features (colour temperature, intensity, colour).
Finally, a lighting device prototype has been designed to turn the illumination program into practice.

Il progetto per la messa in sicurezza e per miglioramento sismico del Teatro Sociale di Finale Emilia (MO) ha previsto interventi che garantiscano una completa riparazione dei danni causati dal sisma ed il ripristino della fruibilità pubblica, con proposte indirizzate alla conservazione e alla valorizzazione delle caratteristiche peculiari dell’edificio.

The project for the safety and seismic improvement of Teatro Sociale in Finale Emilia has involved interventions to ensure full reparation for the damage caused by the earthquake and the restoration of public accessibility, with proposals addressed to the conservation and enhancement of the particular characteristics of the building.

La ricerca parte dall’ipotesi che le tipologie di calcolo oggi disponibili (metodo analitico standardizzato e semplificato) presentino limiti di applicazione all’architettura storica, le cui caratteristiche tecnologiche e morfologiche si differenziano molto rispetto ai fabbricati nuovi e di recente costruzione.

This research starts from the hypothesis that the types of calculation available today (analytical standardized and simplified method) present some limits of applicability, for the evaluation of historical architecture, which has technical, and geometric characteristics that differ significantly from the ones of newer buildings.

Si documenta la parte della ricerca che si occupa della sperimentazione di un metodo di indagine strumentale per la definizione delle prestazioni energetiche degli edifici storici allo stato di fatto. La mancanza di specifici strumenti di indagine del comportamento energetico per questo tipo di costruzione spinge a elaborare un metodo alternativo di analisi che permetta di ottenere un dato quanto più preciso possibile. Tale dato di partenza, infatti, consente di progettare al meglio l'intervento di riqualificazione energetica e guida verso la scelta di strategie operative, tecnologie e materiali più adeguati per il rispetto dei valori architettonici e testimoniali del bene e verso la conservazione della capacità intrinseca di un edificio storico di controllare il microclima interno.

The paper presents the research about the testing of a method of survey instruments for the definition of the energy performance of historical buildings. The lack of specific tools for calculating the energy performance of ancient buildings leads to apply the general rules (UNI TS 11300) also to the historical, without taking into account some technological and morphological characteristics of the old building, which instead can make the calculation of the energy behaviour for a correct design of interventions particularly difficult.
The greatest problem lies in the difficulty of ascertaining the real composition of the housing envelope, especially in situations where the most valuable is not even possible to perform small investigative surveys. This makes it impossible, in many cases, to apply the analytical method in a comprehensive and precise way, with the risk of affecting the final result. The heterogeneity of the walls makes it extremely difficult to estimate their transmittance, because in many cases they are made of bricks of different nature, with the presence of empty spaces or mixed textures.
Another difficult aspect to consider is the presence of thermal bridges borders, such as the detachment frame-wall flues hidden, previous restoration, ceiling concealed by works of decorum or the presence of local buffers (ie basements, attics) that can cause dynamic changes to the conditions governing the thermal exchanges. Only when the building is equipped with its own heating system (if not very common), you can identify these features with the help of thermography. Otherwise, you need to trust only to the study of the sources and proceed by analogy with similar cases. This is not always possible. For this reason, it is necessary to investigate, on the one hand, the instruments now available to the designer to make these evaluations, on the other, provide simplified tools for the estimation of these parameters. The objective of the memory is to highlight the first results on the testing of a simplified method of instrumental survey.