Photo credit: Saint-Gobain

Motivated by the need to strengthen its structure for seismic reasons and to reduce its energy consumption, this school in the Lombardy Region of Italy – Bergamo Province – has achieved an 80% reduction in energy use whilst paying special attention to the thermal, visual, indoor-air and acoustic comfort of its users.

Following its closure in 2014 over concerns about seismic safety, this school has been transformed in all of its physical aspects to achieve an exceptional level of energy performance.  The climate zone in which it is situated is humid continental, meaning high precipitation and large swings in air temperature throughout the year.  Taking a holistic approach, where the comfort of the pupils was uppermost, has produced an exceptional result.

As the school is located near a high-speed rail line and a busy motorway, great attention has been paid in choosing products with a multiple comfort approach to improve envelope heat loss and acoustic performance simultaneously, while maintaining high transparency and brightness with correct diffusion of natural light.  To significantly improve indoor air quality, purifying products were installed together with an ionisation unit in the ventilation system.

The energy renovated building has been welcomed very enthusiastically by the local community and, even two years after completion, the enthusiasm has not gone away.

 

Principal Characteristics of the Renovation Works:

Ownership type: Public
Year of construction: Circa 1950
Renovation completed: 2017
Floor area after works: 240m²
Structure: Loadbearing reinforced concrete frame with masonry infill panels that was seismically strengthened and over clad with an ETICS system with mineral wool insulation.  High performing windows were installed and doors replaced ensuring very good airtightness.
Heating and energy: An air-source heat pump was installed with new heat recovery ventilation.  A building energy management system (BEMS) was also installed, and all electrical installations renewed
Energy performance: Energy savings after works reached 87% over average performance of schools in the Lombardy Region
Cost of works: €440,000 (€1,850 per m²)
Architect: Building Department of Caravaggio Municipality
Technical consultants: Building Department of Caravaggio Municipality, Saint-Gobain Italy

Saint-Gobain post on the renovation project of Masano di Carvaggio Primary School: https://multicomfort.saint-gobain.com/project-gallery/primary-school-masano-italy

Report on ‘A New Ambition for ENERGY EFFICIENCY in EUROPE’ from The European Files, No. 52 May 2018, p. 18 Our road to Paris starts with renovating our buildings by Pierre-André DE CHALENDAR, CEO of Saint-Gobain: https://www.europeanfiles.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-European-Files-A-New-Ambition-For-ENERGY-EFFICIENCY-in-EUROPE-05-2018-Issue-52.pdf