B i o c l i m a t i c S u n s p a c e
501
BIOCLIMATIC SUNSPACE: FROM ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM
TO A CONNOTATED “LOCUS”.
Marco Ferrero
1
& Sonia Fornari
2
1
Associate Professor in Architecture and Building Design, Department of Civil, Construction and
Environmental Engineering, University of Rome Sapienza, Italy,
2
PhD in Engineering Building and Architecture, Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental
Engineering, University of Rome Sapienza, Italy
Abstract
Most of the ongoing housing research has achieved excellent results in energy saving,
but has yet to come to grips with the problem of the integration of energy saving systems
and technologies in shaping the building.
The research rests on the belief that today’s architecture must not only meet
environmental eco-compatibility and energy saving requirements, but also investigate
shape implications arising from the application of these systems, recognizing their
aesthetic and compositional potential in the architectural project.
In short, in order to define the correlations between energy performance and building
shape, research work is being developed simultaneously in each of these aspects of
architectural design.
As far as thermal storage and energy saving systems in housing are concerned, a
particularly important role is played by bioclimatic sunspaces. It is therefore necessary to
understand the implications arising from the application of the system to the architectural
shape, considering the bioclimatic sunspace not only as a technical volume, but also as
a “dwelling place” that is as part of the home space, capable of changing its function as
needed by the user, and of changing nearby spaces by turning them into a new space,
overlapping with or linked to other areas of the dwelling.
Therefore, the sunspace is defined as a constituent element of the building – composing
both the façade and its three-dimensional development – and therefore it cannot
disregard the role that ever architectural element is called upon to play in the expression
of architectural language, and in relation to the urban context.
The research aims at identifying the most appropriate strategies for an integrated design
of the sunspace system, taking into account both energy and shape aspects.
The contribution will also present the results of the practical training run by the authors at
the "Sapienza" University of Rome.
Keywords:
bioclimatic
sunspace
, housing, passive energy saving systems,
integrated
design.
Introduction
The present paper illustrates a number of results of the research work carried on by the
authors at Sapienza Rome University. The aim of the research was to make a
contribution to the attainment of European Community objectives regarding the issue of
containing harmful gas release into the atmosphere. It is indeed considered that the
seriousness of the health conditions of our planet must be tackled both through
technological innovation and by seeking fresh energy saving strategies.
According to European Commission figures, the residential sector accounts for 40% of
the total energy consumed by the entire civil sector. Housing thus represents an issue
with an enormous potential for being exploited as a field of application of innovative
research on energy saving issues.
The specific starting point of the research is the idea that energy efficiency not only
represents an economic objective but can also be an opportunity for a renewal of
