Plug and Play Modular Façade Construction System for Renovation for Residential Buildings

The present paper focuses on the architectural and constructional features required to ensure that building envelope renovation are safe, functional, and adaptable to the building stock, with particular focus on “plug and play” modular facade construction systems. It presents the design of one such system and how it addresses these issues. The outcome of early-stage functional test with a full-scale mock-up system, as well as its applicability to a real construction project is presented. It is found crucial to obtain high quality information about the status of the existing façade with the use of modern technologies such as topographic surveys or 3D scans and point cloud. Detailed design processes are required to ensure the compatibility of manufacture and installation tolerances, along with anchor systems that deliver flexibility for adjustment, and construction processes adapting standard installation methods to the architectural particularities of each case that may hinder its use or require some modification in each situation. This prefabricated plug and play modular system has been tested by reproducing the holistic methodology and new technologies in the market by means of real demonstrators. When compared to more conventional construction methods, this system achieves savings in a real case of 50% (time), 30% (materials) and 25% (waste), thus achieving significant economic savings.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 768718

Operationalizing mild cognitive impairment criteria in small vessel disease: The VMCI-Tuscany Study

Introduction Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) prodromic of vascular dementia is expected to have a multidomain profile. Methods In a sample of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) patients, we assessed MCI subtypes distributions according to different operationalization of Winblad criteria and compared the neuroimaging features of single versus multidomain MCI. We applied three MCI diagnostic scenarios in which the cutoffs for objective impairment and the number of considered neuropsychological tests varied. Results Passing from a liberal to more conservative diagnostic scenarios, of 153 patients, 5% were no longer classified as MCI, amnestic multidomain frequency decreased, and nonamnestic single domain increased. Considering neuroimaging features, severe medial temporal lobe atrophy was more frequent in multidomain compared with single domain. Discussion Operationalizing MCI criteria changes the relative frequency of MCI subtypes. Nonamnestic single domain MCI may be a previously nonrecognized type of MCI associated with SVD

Smart Biogas Grid: biogas utilization to operate diffused micro-generation solutions in urban areas through the bio-waste exploitation

'Smart Biogas Grid' investigates the potential, the opportunity and the applicability of biogas systems as renewable energy source within urban district. The research uses a multi and inter-disciplinary approach inside a systemic view to analyze aspects that affect biogas promotion and diffusion within existing urban patterns. Urban biogas involves considerations that, starting from bio-waste separated collection of household waste, garden waste and wastewater, sets solution to use biogas as energy vector suitable to activate processes of local engagement with results in environmental, energy, normative, technological, social and economic fields. The result of the research is the promotion of a systemic vision in which biogas technological components set a valuable network of actions, relations and skills that modify district and its community. 'Smart Biogas Grid' is a technological innovation system that directs the promotion of a socio-technical transition using local material and immaterial resources, supporting stakeholders with decision-making tools

Organic waste management through anaerobic digester technologies in urban areas. A multicriterial predesign tool to support urban strategies

The daily production of waste within urban areas represents an opportunity to transform its organic fraction in biogas through anaerobic digestion, but until now it has not been studied and considered as an applicable urban solution. This paper presents a part of the results achieved in the research named “Smart Biogas Grid”, study conducted with the aim to investigate the perspective for the realization of small-scale anaerobic digesters to produce biogas exploiting bio-waste produced in urban areas. While the scientific technical literature on biogas is deeply investigated, experiences and literature for urban context are poor with only few cases and prototypes. Starting with the presentation of a case pilot of anaerobic digester realized in Camley Street Park in London, UK, the paper goes beyond the only technical and technological aspects, considering the role of non-technical features of anaerobic digester installation and providing a transversal analysis to focus on the architectural and urban planning consequences. It emerges the need for a multi and inter-disciplinary approach that can find in the support of early design tool and useful instrument to help in organizing and managing the contents proper of different disciplines; the tool presented in the paper has this purpose. Through a multi-criteria decision analysis, statistical data, features of the urban areas object of intervention, the tool defines a set of solutions, which can contribute in the activation of strategies of waste prevention, energy utilization and community awareness thanks to people/stakeholders engagement at different scales. The result is a decision-making tool useful to direct pathways for socio-technical from a district to the city scale, supporting the definition of urban local strategy to the creation of anaerobic digesters in urban areas, in existing as well as in new settlements

The restoration of water quality in Seman basin through sustainable practices. Convert settlements activities waste into energy supply source.

Despite the Seman region is the most fertile area in Albania, the human actions in last 20 years has compromised its integrity, especially in relation with the quality of water which can be identified as the main factor to spoil the Basin area. Uncontrolled and informal settlements with their related activities represent a risk for the whole area, its farming potential and people health. Preserving the remaining integrity and restoring as much as possible the environment characteristics, has to be a priority for national and regional Governments' strategies as well as for basin's inhabitants. Restoring the water quality must be the first point to focus on. In fact the water has a double role as for human life as for earth life. An high quality of the water is fundamental to preserve the quality of life and the quality of soil and consequently of land products. The factors which are the causes for the loss of quality of Seman water, starting from its natural riverbed and arriving to its artificial drains are numerous, but the one of the most important is the waste generated by household activities. The absence of primary services especially in informal settlements, provokes the dump of sewage and of dirty water in Seman water; the incorrect waste disposal practices and an absence of a diffused people awareness on the problem, produce a waste concentration down the river banks, with environmental consequences which increase the water pollution from its spring to its mouth. Waste and sewage represent today for the Seman basin population a sanitary, social and economic danger which has to be afforded promptly with strong policies and new guidelines, but the inhabitants theirselves can be addressed towards new sustainable practices. The people can contribute in the management of their waste and of their sewage with few investments, but able to generate virtuous community tools towards new sustainable practices. The utilization of the households' waste like resource can be a kilometer 0 element to contribute in the water quality problems solution. Domestic Anaerobic Digestion from the waste organic fraction, community sewage digester can hold responsible people with a multiple result: the maintenance of their settlements; the improvement of the water quality which they use for their daily activities, as for drinking as for irrigation; the supply of their houses with biogas usable as for cooking as for energy co-generation. These results represent for Seman's inhabitants an economic opportunity to save money and this immediate economic advantage is the most effective incentive for the application of these actions so to promote these practices. The paper wants to better understand the possibility to introduce these small scale systems in a Seman basin settlements. The work's aim is to imagine a scenario where people are leading of the Seman water quality restoration through tools which can managed personally and which can increase the awareness about the problem of environment. The solutions for water quality improvement can be more than one, but a bottom-up approach can lead to a longer success because it works on people personal interests

La gestione del rifiuto organico urbano attraverso l’utilizzo di microdigestori anaerobici: il caso studio di Camley Street Park, Londra, UK

Il caso studio del micro-digestore anaerobico di Camley Street Park, Londra (UK) converte gli scarti del cibo del quartiere in biogas, dimostrando il potenziale energetico del rifiuto organico e riducendo l’impatto ecologico della gestione dei rifiuti.The urban waste management is a crucial issue because of the increase of urban population in the next years; for this reason new solutions for the waste management and the reduction of the carbon footprint need to be investigated. The paper presents the case study of a micro-scale anaerobic digester located in the urban environment of Camley Street Park in London, UK. The plant, built in 2013, processes urban food waste – household and catering waste – generating biogas used for the local community café. Through the involvement of local district population to provide food waste under fee charge, the plant produces biogas with an average amount of 60,6%. The results achieved by the Camley Street park’s plant underline the sustainability of micro-scale anaerobic digesters within urban environment in reducing the emissions of CO2eq from the utilization of biogas – renewable energy source that replaces current fossil fuel utilization – and from food waste diversion from landfill disposal

The Integration of Vacuum Insulated Glass in Unitized Façade for the Development of Innovative Lightweight and Highly Insulating Energy Efficient Building Envelope—The Results of Eensulate Façade System Design

The European Commission has identified the building industry as one of the key sectors to achieve its 2020 strategy to create conditions for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth. In this frame, the aim of Horizon 2020′s Eensulate project is the development of innovative lightweight and highly insulating energy efficient unitized building façades, suitable for both new and existing buildings. The Eensulate façade module integrates two components developed within the project: Vacuum Insulated Glass (VIG) for architectural purposes, with a U-value of 0.3 W/sqm∙K; a highly insulating foam for automated manufacturing and insulation for the spandrel part. This article presents the Eensulate façade system design simulations and achievements related to VIG integration to solve issues that emerged by the utilization of its innovative components (sealant thermal bridge and getter strips). VIG design and testing have gradually changed the façade module and consequently, façade components have been progressively designed to achieve the expected target of 0.641 W/sqm∙K for thermal transmittance. The results demonstrate that the target can be achieved by aluminum profiles, Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) thermal bridge, and additional insulating components, obtaining a new product for unitized façades able to reduce energy consumption in buildings with large glass surfaces

Nuovi scenari per la sostenibilità urbana nello sfruttamento del potenziale energetico delle città: lo sfruttamento del rifiuto organico nei quartieri attraverso lo studio di Biogas Community Energy systems

L’importanza di elaborare e sviluppare nuovi strategie per la diffusione di best practices legati al tema disostenibilità, rappresenta oggi uno degli scenari più interessanti nel panorama della ricerca scientifica, che vede nell’utilizzo delle risorse locali, nella diffusione delle energie rinnovabili, nell’integrazione tecnologica rispetto alla morfologia urbana sino allo sviluppo di nuovi modelli economici e sociali un ambito di studio in costante evoluzione, che deve misurarsi soprattutto con gli ambiti urbani. Il presente lavoro di ricerca ha l’obiettivo di comprendere l’opportunità e la sostenibilità nella promozione e diffusione di sistemi che, partendo dall’utilizzo del rifiuto organico urbano, permettano un approvvigionamento energetico a livello di quartiere. Lo sviluppo di un modello di Biogas Community Energy system intende affrontare il tema della sostenibilità in modo olistico. L’obiettivo della ricerca dottorale è affrontare un tema quale quello dell’approvvigionamento energetico della città attraverso risorse locali, definendo l’opportunità di un loro utilizzo all’interno dei tessuti urbani consolidati

L’unitarietà tra spazio inclusivo e tecnologie [immateriali] sostenibili Modelli innovativi per la progettazione di ambienti didattici inclusivi adatti anche a studenti con Disturbi Specifici dell’Apprendimento – DSA

La legge 170/2010 riconosce i disturbi specifici dell’apprendimento indirizzando la scuola al ripensamento anche dei propri spazi. Un nuovo modello di inclusione si prospetta capace di integrare nuove tecnologie digitali e strumenti psico-pedagogici previsti per studenti con DSA. The educational space and its design represent a first step towards the promotion of inclusive strategies, especially if it hosts activities for students with dyslexia. Indeed the need for social integration and individual works of people with learning difficulties can be better applied in a room designed with precise rules. The set of furniture and the ICT, the digital instruments for dyslexia compensation, have to be integrated with the psychological tools able to improvethe students’ self-confidence and the implementation of their capabilities; with this aim the application of proxemic regulations helps to identify the proper distance among students, their colleagues and teachers. The result is a space for students both with dyslexia and not, which allows to work individually, pledging the personal work, optimizing the relations among users and developing a new self assurance, a space which strengthens the existing immaterial technologies and strategies