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A nZEB residence that uses energy from renewable sources produced on-site
Design, aesthetic research, and discrete and refined luxury are combined with sustainability and energy savings in this private residence with a pool in the province of Brescia, designed for a family by Andrea Benedetti Architetto, CEO of Panificio Architecture Workshop.
The villa was designed according to criteria set by the European nZEB Standard, which stands for Nearly Zero Energy Building. This means that a building has almost zero energy consumption, achieved by the installation of renewable energy systems.
Following the implementation of the European Directive 844, starting in 2021 in Italy all new buildings or those subject to deep renovation must comply with the European nZEB standard. To quote the legislation, the buildings must have “very high energy performance, in which the very low or almost zero energy requirements are covered to a significant extent by renewable energy sources, produced on-site.”
Meeting these standards means selecting innovative and efficient solutions in terms of components and systems, both for the building envelope and systems. In practice this means controlling a series of parameters such as the transmittances of the dispersing elements, the overall average heat transfer coefficient, and the efficiencies of the winter and summer climatization systems. Such a high number of requirements to be met, however, has not limited the designers in their aesthetic and compositional research, which has resulted in an extremely refined villa with contemporary lines, designer furnishings, high quality finishings, and every type of comfort.
Close collaboration between the clients and the designers was a key requirement to approaching such a great challenge: demolishing the old and reconstructing a new building immediately seemed the most appropriate solution to satisfy the energy and design needs. Both sides shared the desire to create a highly sustainable architecture, and involved why numerous external consultants, such as heating engineers and sector specialists.
Starting from the initial design phases, with careful choices of overlooks, exposures, and shading, the composition of forms and volumes promoted energy conservation through the usage of solar exposure for passive heating of the environments during the winter months.
At the systems engineering level, the residence is equipped with district heating, geometric systems, and photovoltaic panels with storage batteries that allow the maintenance of a self-consumption regime.
“The choice of building materials used in this project is the result of careful research by the building, in collaboration with the engineer,” underlined the architect. “We used a special type of cladding and internal insulation in the counter-wall, as well as a totally closed-cell Poroton (brick) with graphite insulation.”
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The residence plays with alternating solids and voids that create dividing backdrops and light transparencies: large windows are placed in continuity with the outdoor garden and pool area, while compact wall facings enclose some portions of the perimeter to create areas of greater intimacy.
The selected finishings convey a sense of order and minimalism: smooth and colorful, they play with the juxtapositions of neutral and bright colors, including gray, white, subdued green, and coral red. The walls were painted with the airbrush technique instead of a brush to accentuate a soft, velvety effect.
Every detail was studied and selected, leaving nothing to chance: the selection of textures and finishings create refined and relaxing environments of the highest quality, including in the meeting of energy requirements.
Location: Brescia, Italy
Architect: Andrea Benedetti Architetto - Panificio Lab
Year: 2023
Contractor: Burni Costruzioni
Consultant: Ing. Gabriele Bonvicini
Build up area: 400 m2
Suppliers: Oikos
Photography by Enrico Dal Zotto, courtesy of Eclisse s.r.l.
