Casa +

Palermo, Italy
Completion: Under Construction, Architect: Costruire Verde Italia, Engineer: Davide Benanti, Developer: Costruire Verde Italia
"Casa +" is designed to build a new model in mediterranean climate, first example to reach energy independence.This house is designed to balance energy saving, high indoor air quality and environment.
Author
Davide Benanti
Davide Benanti
Contact details

davidebenanti@gmail.com

Energy: 

"Casa +" is designed with a 6 kw photovoltaic, total surface required 46 sqm, with annual production of more than 8.000 Kwh (investment recovered within sixth year).  The house is designed to expose pv in order to enhance performance in the mediterranean climate.
Energy produced is enough to use appliance and lights, and to fulfill energy demand for heating and cooling provided by air-water heat pump and radiant floor heating. Solar panels provide heat water demand.
This building has low transmittance stratigraphy : U 0,16 w/m2K for external walls, U 0,17  w/m2K  for roof, phase shift and amplitude attenuation Φ = 20 hours. The Cooling roof system developed, reduced by up to 15% the annual air-conditioning energy use of a single-story building, cool interior spaces in buildings that do not have air conditioning, making occupants more comfortable, reduced carbon emissions by lowering the need for fossil-fuel generated electricity to run air conditioners, potentially slow global warming by cooling the atmosphere

Indoor Climate: 

The first approch was to design the house in sinergy with every active system to perform better comfort for the owners. Design starts from substructure with aerated concrete block. From this massive concrete block starts a simple geothermal passive air cooling system, to avoid capillary rise of moisture and making it ideal for allergy and asthma suffers. This structure is linked to pre-heat the air directed to mechanical ventilation system (0,5 v/h). To prevent direct insulation "Casa+" has been developed by taking care from summer overheating with accurate solar studies. Thanks to this, the house never gains direct sun during summer. Daylight factor standard has been respected thanks to studies done with Velux Daylight Analyzer software.

Environment: 

The project is related to the mediterranean climate and site specification. To build an eco-friendly structure, has been chosen a wood structure called CLT, acronym of Cross Laminated Timberwood. This wood structure also avoids thermal bridge formation and has decreased construction timeline. All materials used for walls are 100% organic.
Roof materials are "Smog-Eating" tile: concrete roof tiles to reduce the amount of smog in the atmosphere thanks to titanium dioxide blended into.

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