ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 573
International Conference | Bari - Lecce, Italy
Session VIII
TOWARDS NZEBS: INNOVATIVE MATERIALS
AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR NEW SUSTAINABLE
ENVELOPE
Cecilia Mazzoli1, Nicola Bartolini2 & Riccardo Gulli3
1 PhD, DA - Department of Architecture, ALMA MATER STUDIORUM University of Bologna, Italy,
[email protected]
2 PhD candidate, DA - Department of Architecture, ALMA MATER STUDIORUM University of Bologna, Italy,
[email protected]
3 Full Professor, DA - Department of Architecture, ALMA MATER STUDIORUM University of Bologna, Italy,
[email protected]
Abstract
Renovation of existing recent buildings indicates a key factor for sustainability, contributing
both to reduce the consumption of resources and raw materials, which often have reached
only half of their life cycle, and to extend the buildings’ long-term functionality. Furthermore,
these interventions would offer an alternative to the high costs for demolition and reconstruction, according to wants and needs of the different customers in the construction sector.
The research seeks to investigate a new energy efficient architectural strategy for the refurbishment of the existing building stock (i.e. housing, schools, offices) towards nZEBs, by proposing new envelope solutions based on process by-products concept and bio-mimetic approach. The project aims at optimizing the exploitation of innovative sustainable materials
and technologies to develop a continuous and adaptive façade system that could guarantee
high performance, by using a new class of materials from renewable sources (AAM - Alkali Activated Material). This AAM is obtained through the alkali-activation process of ceramic
industrial waste, combined with an activator solution containing a glass siliceous material,
dried at room temperature, with low production of CO2 emissions. The final product presents
excellent mechanical and thermal properties.
The project identifies a sustainable strategy for managing the design and production process
of “active” dry assembled envelope components, supported by geometrical survey, connected to parametric programming software for modelling the surfaces adaptable to the existing
building morphology. These computerized CAD-CAM tools are connected to CNC machines
for the mass customized industrialized production of different envelope solutions, according
to the principles of sustainability, meant as modularity, speed of setup, reversibility and recycling of materials with low environmental impact.
Hence, the research presents a new integrated approach to support operators during the refurbishment interventions, through the use of innovative continuous envelope solutions that
could guarantee high performance and good quality of final products.
Keywords
Sustainable refurbishment, integrated design process, bio-mimetic approach, adaptive
envelope system, AAM - Alkali Activated Materials.
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