Case Study: Villa Fastiggi

Short Description

The project area is situated between the agricultural fields and the urban zone of Villa Fastiggi. The surrounding landscape is characterized by different context: the natural heritage and the villas of San Bartolomeo’s Hill in the north and north-east, the Pesaro’s plain to the east, sweet hills to the south, Foglia river’s Valley to the west. For its position, the high proportion between not built and built area and the creation of green areas and kitchen gardens, the project obtains to keep the continuity between the built-up and the agricultural area and to preserve the original marks of agricultural landscape.

The orientation of the area and the lack of relevant outdoor obstructions permit to enhance the use of solar radiation: solar water heaters are used for the achievement of domestic hot water and the main facades of the buildings face south in order to obtain the most solar gain during winter. Different building envelope are used according to solar orientation and local winds are exploited for natural ventilation.

The site spreads on 15 hectares and includes 360 housings of which 130 are built by COPES and 230 by other housing organizations.

Key Elements

Project Management

Multi-disciplinary design team has been involved in order to find solutions to technical and non technical issues.

Work with Residents

In the phase of briefing design and construction phase, dialogue meetings with future users were organised.

In the phase of delivery of the dwellings, a simplified manual will be delivered to inhabitants.

Moreover, the local residents of Villa Fastiggi have participated in dialogue meetings about the project.

Funding

The project has been co-financed by the EC in the VFP: 35% of the costs of innovative aspects was covered by the EC.

The cost for construction only is 854 k€ and the investment cost (IC) for the project is 1 243 k€ (without tax), i.e. 2601€/m2.

The investment overcost for building sustainable housing is assessed to 137 k€, i.e. 11 % of the IC and 287 €/m2.

Thermal Insulation

High thermal inertia of external walls: use of clay bricks with high thickness (≥ 40 cm.)
The characteristics of the external walls layers differ depending on the exposition: north external walls are more insulated in order to contain the thermal losses, while those facing south, west and east have a higher thermal inertia.

Windows and Shading

Building orientation tends to expose to south/south-east life-spaces of the dwellings. The windows are right oriented and shaded with the purpose to reduce heat gains during hot season and maximize them during cold season.

Indicated window solar factor for each window orientation are 0,1 for South and West, 0 for North, during winter season; 0,9 for South, 0,8 for West and 0 for North during summer.

Solar views have been made to check daylight availability and the influence of external obstructions.

Overhanging concrete roof and balconies toward south and west, and brise-soleil with steel structure and wood slats towards south are provided as shading devices.

Shape, typology and location of the windows consider the distribution of luminance levels, in order to achieve an adequate Daylight Factor in primary spaces.

Ventilation

Active systems for cooling and ventilation are not foreseen. The right exposure, inertia and U values of the building envelope, together with the shading devices (overhangs and brise-soleil) of the windows, contribute to limit the heat gain. Each dwelling is natural ventilated through direct connection with the roof, which creates chimney effect. Cross ventilation is allowed by windows on opposite sides (N-S) of the building.

Heating and Hot Water

The heat system is constituted by a centralized condensing boiler which provides a more efficient fuel exploitation and heat distribution.

Boiler activity depends on external temperature and radiant heating with zone temperature control inside the dwellings is provided, in order to supply the adequate thermal power in different conditions and avoid energy wastes.

No active HVAC systems are used. Each dwelling has full autonomy on heat flux management and thus separated metering.

Solar Thermal

Solar thermal panels (around 30 m2) are integrated on the structure supporting the balconies.

Solar Photovoltaic

Based on the future choice of inhabitants, solar PV could be integrated on the same structure that are now integrating the solar panels.

Water Saving

Measures at settlement scale:
The start point is the analysis of the main and secondary water shade that define the hydrographical basin in which the area is sited and the analysis of the minor grid characterized by underground ditches, a spring and two wells. At settlement scale the project considers: some ditches in the area planning for their partial conservation and valorisation; soil permeability, favouring a low water consumption green system. All water collected by paving is stored in 2 reservoir for stormwater control and conveyed into green areas for recharging aquifer with two existent ditches (San Pietro and Fabbrecce ditch).

Measures at building scale:
Each residence has individual metering for both cold and hot domestic water. Sinks with single-lever combination set and water pressure reduction are scheduled and water flow reducing devices are applied at each water supply. Toilets with double-flush type (6 and 10 liters) are planned. Recovery of rainwater from roofs it is realized, by a water captation system, and it will be used for flushing the toilets, watering the garden and car wash.

Environmental Design

Different studies had been carried out though a detailed site analysis: traffic problems, water surface system, landscape, botanical aspects, lack of amenities and cycle roads, parking, etc.
Reduction of sources of acoustical pollution at urban and building scale.

Main Results

• This project is one of the first eco-district built in Italy;
• Exemplar site analysis has been carried: the planning process in this new building area had firstly focused the targets at the urban scale in order to improve the connection with the neighbourhood;
• Reduction of sources of acoustical pollution at urban and building scale;
• The maintenance cost includes the maintenance of the building and repairing. Maintenance does not include the utilities expenses (or operating costs). The annual maintenance cost is 0.15 % of the investment cost. The operating cost includes essentially energy and water costs;
• The project improves the energy efficiency with an energy consumption of 70 kWh/m2 for heating and hot water in regards to 130 kWh/m2 in a traditional new building. The electricity consumption also decreases from 30 to 20 kWh/m2.The water consumption reaches 51 m3 per flat (0.86 m3/m2) compared to 74 m3 for a traditional flat. The operating cost is 5.6 k€ i.e. 11.7 €/m2, in regards to 8.9 k€ (18.6 €/m2) for a traditional building;
• Reduction of 25% energy consumption for heating comparing with reference building;
• Reduction of 25% water consumption comparing with a traditional dwelling;
• Life-Cycle Cost assessment is available: the SET-SHE model was worked out by La Calade in partnership with SHE consortium and uses the Overall Life Cycle Costing approach as a decision aid tool for builders to analyse and assess the economic, social and environmental costs of different construction options at the design stage so as to promote sustainable housing;
• Energy monitoring has been carried out;
• This new housing development has contributed to the greening of the local Construction Code;
• Participation has been introduced in the project of Pesaro since the upstream phases of the district planning. A multidisciplinary group has been constituted during 2000-2001 years for the definition of the Detailed Plan and the meetings with all the figures involved allowed to define a common strategy for the whole district and common standards to be applied to all the housing projects.

Lessons learned

• Support, enthusiasm and understanding from key politicians and decision-makers are vital;
• Communication and access to information throughout the process is key to ensuring a good understanding of the project;
• The awareness raising activities with local authorities and building companies could be extremely challenging and time consuming but were usually successful;
• Team working is vital to overcome technical as well as non-technical resistance to doing things differently;
• An occupancy review is essential in order to assess the operation of the building post-occupancy and to understand how the building performs compared to expectations. Adjustments can then be made to future designs;
• Consultation with the tenants and local communities is vital in order to increase the levels of participation and democracy in the local areas.

Additional Information

This project was one of the demonstration projects of the European project “SHE Sustainable Housing in Europe - Moving from the extraordinary to ordinary” (March 2003 – March 2009),  co-ordinated by Federabitazione and co-funded by the European Commission (VFP)

Received awards:

• Sustainable Energy Europe Award 2007
• Energy globe Award for Italy 2007
• Eurosolar Award for Italy 2008

For further information, please contact:

Dott. Giancarlo Tofanelli - Consorzio Nazionale CasaQualità
Email: g.tofanelli@casaqualita.it

Arch. Piero Mei - Ufficio Tecnico COPES
E-mail: progettazione@consorziocopes.191.it

Ing. Angelo Mingozzi - Ricerca&Progetto Galassi, Mingozzi e Associati
E-mail: studio@ricercaeprogetto.it