Case Study: nZEC - New construction of 16 dwellings in Via Martiri Palestinesi, Cinisello Balsamo, Italy

Short Description

The building will be erected in nearby “Cascina Nigozza”, an historical building of remarkable value in the outskirt of the municipality of Cinisello Balsamo. For this reason, it has been researched by the designers a contemporary style which could somehow recall the one of the existing Cascina:

- Obscuration system: the traditional “persiane”, wooden blinds, are here used in a sliding version;
- Facade finishing: as for the nearby cascina, plaster is applied to the external walls, ivory white;
- Roof: also the roof is inspired to the nearby cascina, it will be a tilted roof with grey coloured aluminium panels.

The building is composed of 4 floors off the ground and one underground level with car boxes and storages. The building is basically divided in two blocks by an open staircase with lift, and from here the access to the apartments is through the balcony, same as in the traditional construction types.

Key Elements

Certification

The building is designed and constructed according to CasaClima directives. CasaClima is an independent Energy Agency which is famous for the high level of its certified constructions and reliability and fairness of the certificates released.

Thermal Insulation

U-values of the building components (W/m2K):

• External walls: 0,16
• Roof: 0,19
• Basement floor: 0,19

The construction is made with XLAM panels, a wooden technique which allow for great structural stability.

Ventilation

Each apartment has its own double flux, ventilation unit with heat recovery (85%). Mechinicla ventilation with heat recovery allows for better indoor air quality, low energy consumption, reduction of external noise when is not necessary to open regularly the windows. Mechanical ventilation systems are particularly important in airtight constructions.

Heating and Hot Water

For heating and cooling, a new patented type of fan coil unit will be used. This fan coil, produced by SLR, combines the traditional fan coil to a radiative frontal panel. This way once the comfort temperature is quickly reached by fan coil, the ventilator switches off and the heat is than provided by the radiative front panel.

Cooling

Cooling will be provided by the above described fan coil units.

Work with Residents

The Social Housing company marketing strategy assumes that people who are interest in a cooperative dwelling should have other needs that go beyond the housing one, consequently also the marketing strategy follows a different logic than the traditional market.

Normally, the area surrounding the intervention has been studied in order to understand what are the main requirements especially in terms of services: this is done by the SH company in collaboration with the Public Administrations and with the Local Districts, so as:

• combine the new building project and the local initiatives;
• avoid an “attack” of the social and urban fabric already present by the new site.

The communication phase normally follows three steps:

• an initial press conference to present the project in general terms;
• organization of/participation in initiatives of various kinds, mainly with schools (both high and primary), which also call for the participation of the locals.
  
  
  

Funding

Energy efficient measures table:

Main Results

Lessons learned

The building is now in construction phase. Construction works started in August 2014 and will end in March 2015. The housing company already manages several PV systems. Below, there is a list of lesson learned they kept in mind when designing this new PV systems:

• pay attention to the PV modules orientation in order to maximize energy production;
• monitor the PV energy production, in order to act promptly in case of breakdown and/or malfunctioning; 
• PV system generally requires little maintenance, which must be promptly in order to avoid lack of production or bad energy performance; 
• PV technology is suitable both for divided and cooperative ownership buildings.

Since Feed-in tariff incentives are going to finance self- consumption instead of energy production, the design of PV systems should be done considering this aspect. Normally, PV systems installed in multi-family houses serve communal spaces, which are characterized by a consumption cycle which is opposite to the PV energy production one. Hence, energy storages should be foreseen in the system, in order to stock energy during the day and deliver it when necessary.

Additional Information

Ms Rossana Zaccaria
Legacoop Abitanti - The Italian Federation of Housing Cooperatives
E-mail: r.zaccaria@ancab.coop
Web: www.legacoopabitanti.coop