B E N I M P A C T S u i t e
157
The site is characterized by mild and humid continental climate with an average annual
temperature of 13°C. There is no dry season, and summer months are quite hot.
Prevalent wind runs from North to South and is useful for passive cooling (Fig.2).
This means that every building element and constructive solutions was designed in order
to minimize losses and to maximize free gains from the context, using passive design
strategies, both for heating and cooling. At first, the building has a compact shape, with a
reduced ratio Surface/Volume of 0,78, in order to reduce heat loss in winter.
The main facade of the building is South - South-West oriented to benefit of the apparent
sun path in winter. On the South facade a great sunspace is, with a glazed surface of
3.60 x 6,30 m
2
. Openings on the East and West sides are protected from the summer
sunshine with a system of shading achieved by moving louvers.
The building has two roofs. The biggest one, sloping, North facing, protects the house
from cold winds in winter. The second one, on the south, is flat, lower than the other one,
and arranged to bring photovoltaic panels. The windows on the south facade, above the
flat roof, have the function to allow air movement for summer passive cooling, letting out
the air entered from the opposite northern side.
Figure 2: Bioclimatic concept of “CasaZeroEnergy” in Felettano, Udine – Italy
The building was built with renewable, recycled and recyclable materials for reducing the
embodied energy content and the carbon dioxide emissions during the construction
phase. For example, the kitchen furnishings are in recycled glass and the hardscapes
are realized with bricks and stone slabs from the demolition of old buildings within 50 km,
to contain pollution from transport. Also the structure is very low impacting, because of
the choice to use wood as main structural material.
The walls are light-weight structures, made by a timber-frame system with wooden posts
and beams. The gap insulation between the pillars is in wood fiber, while the external
insulation layer, aimed to reduce thermal bridges, is in cork. In this way the walls U-value
