Case Study: nZEC - New construction of 10 dwellings in Via Berlinguer, Montaione, Italy (UNDER MONITORING)

Short Description

The project “Montaione, via Berlinguer” aims at realising a new building, made up of 10 apartments in the Municipaity of Montaione, to be reserved to lease rent (affitti agevolati) and it’s the first building owened by Publicasa spa.
Montaione via Berlinguer is the first test in Tuscany for a X-LAM wood building of 4 floors. the aim of the project was to test X-LAM structure in social housing building, in terms of energetic and acoustic performance, speed of realization, and last but not least costs.

The structure of 4 floors consists of wood panels Cross-Lam, while the basement used to garages and cellars is reinforced concrete. The foundations are of reinforced concrete bored piles. The roof is pitched with wooden frame and ventilated. The apartments are 10: 1 flat of 84 sqm, 4 bedroom apartments of 65 square meters, 3 bedroom apartments from 40 to 48 sqm and n. 2 duplex apartments of 48 square meters.

The wooden structure consists of wooden walls with a thickness of 10.5 cm for the ground floor and 8.5 cm for the upper floors, while the floors are of wood 16.5 cm thick and 14 for those inter-, 5 cm for the cover.

The thermal insulation consists of mineral fiber panels with a thickness of 16 cm placed on the outer face of the timber walls and panels from mineral fiber thickness of 4 cm places on the inner face.

The windows are high efficiency thermo-acoustic transmittance values equal to Uw = 1.2 W / mqk and sound insulation equal to Rw = 44 dB.

The heating-type radiators and hot water are both powered by a condensing boiler to methane. The production of hot sanitary water is integrated by the presence of n. 10 solar panels. The electricity needs of the parties condominium is partly powered by a plant energy production with photovoltaic panels of the power of 10 kWp.

Key Elements

Certification

A+ (according to Decreto Legislativo n. 192/2005) - CasaClima A.

Project Management

Publicasa dedicated specific resources to:

1. Improve its expertise as far as X-LAM frame.
2. Increase its general knowledge about nearly zero energy buildings, also through EU best practices.
3. Elaborate a communication strategy able to inform about the benefits of NZEB, to involve citizens, residents and various interested subjects.
4. Build up an informal network of stakeholders, interested in increasing the attention on the issue and exchanging information and knowledge.
5. Involve public administrations and policy makers in order to inform them about the benefits of NZEB, in environmental and economic terms and the potentials of wood constructions.

In particular, we recall some activities linked to points 3-5:

Within the activities of “Publicasa verso energia zero”, the company organised, in collaboration wuith University of Florence, CNR (Centro Nazionale di Ricerche), the Municipality of Montaione eand with the support of Regione Toscana, a seminar about X-LAM and the perspectives of its use in social housing in order to decrease building’s energy consumption, to increase the use of bio materials and to improve quality of living of residents.

Publicasa made two calls for tender, for the design and the practical realization of the building. In the first one a high level of energy efficiency was requested (class A) and in the second one it was specified that proposals should use eco compatible materials.

Capacity Building

Publicasa staff was trained on X-LAM structures carachteristics and started a stage on this issue, including a young architect in its team, with the support of Regione Toscana. Staff was trained also on the importance of residents involvement in all phases and to monitoring and evaluation procedures.

Work with Residents

Residents, citizens and policy makers have been involved through the seminar and the open day (see above) in order to increase their awareness about the objects of Europe 2020 strategy and the benefits of NZEB.

Publicasa staff will organise quarterly meetings on energy saving issues with the residents. Furthermore, Publicasa prepared a guide for the correct use of the systems and for general energy saving advices.

Funding

50% Regione Toscana, 50% Publicasa spa

Partnership Working

Building companies, University of Florence, CNR were involved in the open days and in the seminar on X-LAM and its potential use in social housing.

Thermal Insulation

Mineral fiber panels with a thickness of 16 cm placed on the outer face of the timber walls and panels from mineral fiber thickness of 4 cm places on the inner face.

Windows and Shading

Windows with U-values ​​equal to Uw = 1.2 W / mqk and sound insulation equal to Rw = 44 dB.

Ventilation

Natural ventilation.

Solar Thermal

20 mq (n. 10 panels di 2 mq each).

Solar Photovoltaic

10kWp installed on the rooftop.

Monitoring

Click here to access the monitoring data on the HIVE Database!

Main Results

Energy outcomes not yet recorded.

Lessons learned

• X-LAM frame shown to be an appropriate choice in terms of speed of realization, costs and quality of construction.
• The certification procedure, together with the collaboration of all professional allowed to reach a high level of team work, helping reducing times and increasing quality of results.
• The commitment of the Municipality was very important to facilitate administrative procedures and to disseminate results.
  
  
  

Additional Information

Ms Anna Maria Pozzo
Federcasa - The Italian Federation of Public Housing Providers
E-mail: a.pozzo@federcasa.it
Web: www.federcasa.it