A New Paradigm for Holistic Design: Active House Prototypes at Politecnico di Milano

Abstract

Active House principles represents an affordable element that could drive the design process in different stages. At Politecnico di Milano, several experimental activities have been conducted on its prototypes buildings, in order to mind the gap between the predicted, simulated, observed, and recorded building behavior. Therefore, the AH vision—with its Specifications and Guidelines—has been applied to the validation of these two innovative small buildings: VELUXlab and C-ASA. The final aim is multiple: at first, the analysis of the building features in relation to a specific climate context (the Mediterranean area); then, the information of the users, in order to educate them to the correct use of this smart objects.

“Sense experience and necessary demonstration”

Galileo Galilei

This chapter is authored by Marco Imperadori.

Appendices

VELUXlab

Location :

Milano, Italy

Project type :

refurbishment

Use :

office

Client :

private company and public university

Design :

Atelier2—Valentina Gallotti, Prof. Marco Imperadori – Politecnico di Milano

Year :

2012

VELUXlab is the first Italian NZEB located in a University campus and the first Italian Active House “as built”-certified. It is an innovative laboratory of Politecnico di Milano, and it has been subject to several experiments about buildings’ behavior, thanks to the evaluation of data of a monitoring campaign (Fig. 2.13).

• Comfort

  The retrofit design maintains the original shape of the building, conceived as a model home for Mediterranean climates: a small South facing patio, accessible from all the rooms, whose pitched roofs guarantee a self-shading behavior in summer and solar gains in winter and maximize daylight and natural ventilation, through skylights. Therefore, the indoor spaces achieve high levels on both the DF evaluation (up to 6%) and the fresh air supply. In the extreme seasons, the remote-controlled opening/closing of windows is scheduled to turn itself off, in order to obtain an adiabatic envelope; the CO₂ sensors activate the ventilating system and a LED self-dimmerable lighting system integrate the light supply if needed. Finally, the retrofitted envelope has implemented the original structure through a multi-layered construction system, according to the outcomes of energetic simulation and resulting in excellent thermal and acoustic behavior (Figs. 2.14 and 2.15).

• Energy

  The building design was conceived to answer instantly to climate changes and to naturally achieve indoor well-being, with the help of the mechanical system just in extreme seasons. It is equipped with an HVAC system, with heat recovery (90%), air-water heat pump (7 kWhp) and 3 solar panels with a 160l boiler for the domestic hot water supply. In order to partly cover the electric demand with renewable sources, a 2 kWp PV system has been install over the ventilated roof. The final energy demand is 11.9 kWh/m²y. The efficient performances of the building’s system are every year confirmed by the wireless sensors network monitoring system, that validates the building as a very smart and active center of research (Fig. 2.14).

• Environment

  The positive environmental footprint of the building depends on the use of innovative and recycled/recyclable materials, such as the recycled glass cladding panels of the ventilated facades. Moreover, the LCA has been performed for all the building elements, validating the building sustainability (Fig. 2.14).

  Fig. 2.13

  

  VELUXlab (Ph. courtesy VELUX Group)

  Fig. 2.14

  

  VELUXlab schematic design and AH Radar (© Politecnico di Milano and AHAlliance)

  Fig. 2.15

  

  From the left to the right: as first, VELUXlab bright indoor spaces (Ph. courtesy VELUX Group); then, the adiabatic envelope (Ph. Marco Baccaro) and finally the pitched roof with skylights and solar panels (© Politecnico di Milano)

C-ASA

Location :

Lecco, Italy

Project type :

new construction

Use :

office

Client :

public university

Design Architectural design :

ASA Students and ATelier2; Engineering design ATelier2, Ri-Legno, Ing Srl; Developer Actis SA, Alma Giorio, Cerlogne Pavimenti, Internorm Italia Srl, Knauf Sas, Rothoblaas Srl, Vanoncini Spa, Velux Italia, Zintek Srl

Year :

2016

C-ASA (Construction—Advanced School of Architecture) is a small cubic shelter of Politecnico di Milano—Lecco Campus. It has a CLT structure, thermo-reflective aerospace-derived insulating layers, and outer Titanium zinc skin (Fig. 2.16).

• Comfort

  High performances materials and building components assure both the visual and thermal comfort of the 12.5 m² indoor space. In order to ensure the maximum inflow of natural light and avoid the glare effect, the envelope has a defined rhythm of transparent and opaque parts. Wide vertical windows, the glass door, and a skylight allow an excellent level of diffuse illumination and interesting views of the surrounding environment. Moreover, the 36 m² cantilevering roof protects the exposed facades from the direct sunlight. The layered envelope is made by a double-shell of insulating material, which derives from the aerospace applications, assuring a significant cut off of energy loss (a blower door test was performed). Finally, the roof windows could be totally shaded and opened, to activate the natural ventilation, in middle seasons and summer nights. Otherwise, the HVAC system ensures the thermal comfort and fresh air supply (Figs. 2.17 and 2.18).

• Energy

  The compact shape of the building, its orientation and the definition of fenestrations were modeled throughout energetic simulations, in order to optimize the energy balance all over the year. The massive CLT panel structure and the inner/outer insulating shells improve the thermal capacity to store energy during winter. Besides, the roof is added by an additional reflective insulation layer, in order to defend the building from the high solar radiation in summer. Finally, a solar canopy was installed nearby the building, to host 9 modules of PV panels (3 kWp), connected to the urban grid (Figs. 2.17 and 2.18).

• Environment

  The structure of the building consists entirely of CLT panels, which present the PEFC certification. Moreover, an LCA was performed to assure the reduction of the environmental load of the building. As a public office, it has no freshwater consumption (Fig. 2.18).

  Fig. 2.16

  

  C-ASA, the small shelter of Politecnico di Milano—Lecco Campus (Ph. Irene Giunta)

  Fig. 2.17

  

  C-ASA schematic design and AH Radar (© Politecnico di Milano and AH Alliance)

  Fig. 2.18

  

  C-ASA details: on the left, the CLT panels installation, under the Resegone majesty; in the center, the bright interiors and on the right, the small shelter at the entrance of the campus (Ph. Irene Giuta)