Approccio bioclimatico

La concettualizzazione dell’”approccio bioclimatico” alla progettazione edilizia, nell’ambito della letteratura scientifica, trova una prima e specifica formalizzazione negli anni sessanta, soprattutto conseguentemente alla spinta e all’influenza di innovativi studi condotti da V. Olgyay e B. Givoni , benché specifiche indicazioni circa l’importanza degli approcci progettuali basati sullo studio dell’interazione tra architettura e clima, risalgano all’opera di Vitruvio “De Architectura”, trattato scritto nel II sec. D.C. (libro primo: “la scelta dei luoghi salubri”, “L’orientamento della rete viaria rispetto alla direzione dei venti”; libro sesto: “L’edilizia privata in relazione a climi e latitudini”) e, nel corso del XX secolo, siano state illustrate e sottolineate da architetti quali W. Gropius , F.L. Wright (nelle “Usonian House”, dove ci si basa su un alternativo sistema di sfruttamento dell’energia solare e dei moti convettivi dell’aria per il condizionamento invernale ed estivo dell’edificio) e, in Italia, teorizzate da studiosi come G. Vinaccia e G. Rigotti . Nonostante la formalizzazione di importanti studi tesi a confermare e valorizzare l’importanza dell’approccio bioclimatico nella progettazione architettonica e urbanistica, definendone i principi e le caratteristiche peculiari, per molti anni si è continuato a progettare ed edificare in maniera poco sensibile a tali istanze e approcci: “…nessuno si azzarderebbe soltanto a pensare di costruire un edificio senza il necessario controllo statico. Eppure non si è ancora convinti della utilità di progettare tenendo conto dei parametri del benessere in generale e di quello termico in particolare...Si progetta e si costruisce ancora senza preoccuparsi ad esempio dei rumori e delle vicende climatiche alle quali l’edificio verrà assoggettato. Si ha una fiducia illimitata nello spirito di sopportazione da prova di nevrosi dell’utente medio e si confida nelle capacità risolutive dell’impianto….” (D. Del Bino, 1983). Attualmente, la presa di coscienza delle conseguenze, di ordine ambientale (cambiamenti climatici, esaurimento delle risorse energetiche non rinnovabili, ecc.) alle quali ha progressivamente condotto questo atteggiamento culturale, ha portato alla definizione di normative di livello comunitario (recepite diffusamente dai vari Paesi) che pongono importanti vincoli alla progettazione delle nuove realizzazioni edilizie e degli interventi di ristrutturazione di rigenerazione urbana e dell’edificato preesistente. L’”approccio bioclimatico”, è stato quindi rivalutato e ricaricato di nuove e importanti valenze in funzione degli obiettivi di contrasto ai cambiamenti climatici in corso, al centro dei quali, la tematica energetica riferita al contesto costruito, riveste un ruolo fondamentale e sostanziale, soprattutto in relazione al fatto che “L’energia impiegata nel settore residenziale e terziario, composto per la maggior parte di edifici, rappresenta oltre il 40% del consumo finale di energia della Comunità. Essendo questo un settore in espansione, i suoi consumi di energia e quindi le sue emissioni di biossido di carbonio sono destinati ad aumentare” (premessa alla Direttiva 2002/91 CE del Parlamento Europeo sul rendimento energetico nell’edilizia ).The conceptualization of the "bioclimatic approach" to building design, in the context of scientific literature, finds a first and specific formalization in the sixties, especially as a result of the thrust and influence of innovative studies conducted by V. Olgyay and B. Givoni, although specific indications about the importance of design approaches based on the study of the interaction between architecture and climate, go back to the work of Vitruvius "De Architectura", a treatise written in the second century. A.D. (first book: "the choice of healthy places", "The orientation of the road network with respect to the direction of the winds"; sixth book: "Private building in relation to climates and latitudes") and, during the twentieth century, have been illustrated and underlined by architects such as W. Gropius, FL Wright (in the "Usonian House", where it is based on an alternative system of exploitation of solar energy and convective air motions for the winter and summer conditioning of the building) and, in Italy, theorized by scholars such as G. Vinaccia and G. Rigotti. Despite the formalization of important studies aimed at confirming and enhancing the importance of the bioclimatic approach in architectural and urban planning, defining its principles and peculiar characteristics, for many years we have continued to design and build in a way that is not very sensitive to these requests and approaches: “… no one would just dare to think of building a building without the necessary static control. Yet we are not yet convinced of the usefulness of designing taking into account the parameters of well-being in general and of thermal well-being in particular ... We still design and build without worrying, for example, about the noises and climatic events to which the building will be subjected . You have unlimited confidence in the spirit of neurosis-proof endurance of the average user and trust in the resolving capabilities of the system .... " (D. Del Bino, 1983). Currently, the awareness of the environmental consequences (climate change, depletion of non-renewable energy resources, etc.) to which this cultural attitude has progressively led, has led to the definition of community-level regulations (widely implemented by the various countries ) which place important constraints on the design of new buildings and urban regeneration and pre-existing building renovation interventions. The "bioclimatic approach" has therefore been re-evaluated and reloaded with new and important values ​​in relation to the objectives of contrasting climate change in progress, at the center of which, the energy issue referred to the built context, plays a fundamental and substantial role, above all in relation to the fact that “The energy used in the residential and tertiary sector, composed for the most part of buildings, represents over 40% of the final energy consumption of the Community. As this is an expanding sector, its energy consumption and therefore its carbon dioxide emissions are destined to increase "(introduction to Directive 2002/91 EC of the European Parliament on energy performance in buildings)

CISBAT 2009: International Scientific Conference - Renewables in a changing climate - From Nano to Urban Scale

Centred on research and development in solar energy applications to the built environment, the international conference CISBAT 2009 highlighted a large number of interesting technological innovations. The discoveries and developments presented by scientists from five continents are all part of the effort to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions generated by buildings. Renewables are expected to play a very important role against the global threat of a changing climate, even more so as 2009 will hopefully see a new “Post-Kyoto” era in their favour to be initiated at the COP15 United National Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen (Denmark).“Anti-crisis” programmes, which have been launched by several countries in favour of job creation within the framework of a “Green New Deal” will also contribute to sustain the solar momentum.The organisers of the CISBAT Conference, financially supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), therefore had no problem convincing their academic partners - Cambridge University (CU) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - to collaborate in the organisation of this event on the EPFL campus. More than 200 participants from 30 different countries were present during the two conference days and we are confident that they will be even more numerous at the next edition, as feedback from attendees encourages the organisers to increase the size and the duration of the CISBAT conference

Environmental Sustainability in Maritime Infrastructures

This Special Issue is entitled “Environmental Sustainability in Maritime Infrastructures”. Oceans and coastal areas are essential in our lives from several different points of view: social, economic, and health. Given the importance of these areas for human life, not only for the present but also for the future, it is necessary to plan future infrastructures, and maintain and adapt to the changes the existing ones. All of this taking into account the sustainability of our planet. A very significant percentage of the world's population lives permanently or enjoys their vacation periods in coastal zones, which makes them very sensitive areas, with a very high economic value and as a focus of adverse effects on public health and ecosystems. Therefore, it is considered very relevant and of great interest to launch this Special Issue to cover any aspects related to the vulnerability of coastal systems and their inhabitants (water pollution, coastal flooding, climate change, overpopulation, urban planning, waste water, plastics at sea, effects on ecosystems, etc.), as well as the use of ocean resources (fisheries, energy, tourism areas, etc.)

GEO-6 assessment for the pan-European region

Through this assessment, the authors and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) secretariat are providing an objective evaluation and analysis of the pan-European environment designed to support environmental decision-making at multiple scales. In this assessment, the judgement of experts is applied to existing knowledge to provide scientifically credible answers to policy-relevant questions. These questions include, but are not limited to the following:• What is happening to the environment in the pan-European region and why?• What are the consequences for the environment and the human population in the pan-European region?• What is being done and how effective is it?• What are the prospects for the environment in the future?• What actions could be taken to achieve a more sustainable future?<br/

Creating sustainable communities in 'NewcastleGateshead'

This thesis focuses on one of the most controversial and ambitious urban regeneration policies of recent years – the plan to create sustainable communities via Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders (HMRP). Announced as a ‘step change’ in urban policy to overcome problems of low demand and abandonment experienced most acutely in nine former industrial towns and cities in the north and midlands of England, the Sustainable Communities Plan (SCP) (ODPM, 2003a) involves the demolition and relocation of mainly white, working class inner-urban communities. This thesis focuses on a year long moment in the process of regeneration in one such HMRP in North East England, known as ‘Bridging NewcastleGateshead’ (BNG) and draws from rich, detailed ethnographic case studies of three former industrial communities. Originally, the thesis draws together critical engagements with the concepts of space, governance, community, sustainability and materiality to develop a relational understanding of urban regeneration. Starting with an understanding of ‘spaces of regeneration’ as spaces in the process of becoming this perspective moves beyond normative, prescriptive understandings of spaces as static and contained and subject to the process of spatial regulation from above i.e. power over. Rather than a straightforward process of spatial regulation to transform people and places, the process of regeneration involves uncertainties, negotiations, contestations and emotions between the multiple social, material, economic and environmental networks. The thesis has drawn together urban theories and empirical evidence (including historical and contemporary policy analysis as well as a range of qualitative methods) to illustrate the relational transformation of people and places. Governmentality provides the main conceptual framework. This leads to an in-depth exploration of the rationalities and technologies of urban regeneration from three perspectives in the empirical chapters - governing communities, demolishing communities and transforming communities