Search

Increasing colour variety in photovoltaics can improve the uptake of this renewable technology, which is vital to the creation of sustainable architecture. However, the introduction of colour into photovoltaics often involves increased cost and decreased efficiency. A method was found to add colour to photovoltaics, using luminescent materials: fluorescent organic dyes (BASF Lumogen). These selectively absorb and emit light, giving a good balance between colour addition and electricity production from underlying photovoltaic cells. Very small amounts of Lumogen dye were added to a silicone encapsulant (Dow Corning Sylgard 184), which was then used hold photovoltaic cells in place between sheets of painted glass. When making sufficient quantities of dyed encapsulant for a 600 x 450 mm testpiece, the dye colours faded, with low levels of fluorescence, although some colour was retained. Improvement of the method, including testing of alternative encapsulant materials, is required, to ensure that the dyes continue to fluoresce within the encapsulant. Although the Lumogen dyes are quite stable when compared to other dye molecules, in general organic dyes are not yet sufficiently durable to make this technology viable for installations that are to last for more than 20 years: the guaranteed lifetime of standard photovoltaic modules. Dye replenishment, or replacement of materials, will be required; or a product with a shorter ‘useful’ lifetime identified. This method opens up a wide variety of architectural glass design opportunities that incorporate photovoltaics, providing an example of one new medium to make eco-architecture more aesthetically pleasing, whilst generating electricity.

The introduction of severe requirements concerning energy efficiency, combined with the need to boost retrofitting actions while reducing time, impacts and costs, offer new fields of action for pre-assembled and dry construction systems in the building sector, especially in the refurbishment of the residential stock. This paper describes the initial results of a study run by a research team of the University of Bologna, Department of Architecture, concerning this topic. The study was carried out in two stages: the first investigated the barriers affecting the application of preassembled and/or pre-casted systems to retrofitting, such as law, technical and geometrical constraints; the second investigated the most effective solutions to be pursued. The following factors were key drivers for the refurbishment techniques: lightweight of components and systems suitable when a small residual loading capacity is still available; open implementation process, aimed to allow further upgrade in a future stage; controlled and monitored construction process; strong reduction in construction time as well as in the environmental impacts of the building site. The paper describes how pre-assembled systems could be adapted to the constraints of existing buildings, while offering the benefits and advantages of an effective management during both the design and construction phase.

It is quite difficult to define what the Smart City is: some studies try to understand urban smartness by considering a set of variables inside the urban system. Most likely, a different method can be found, starting from the assumption that the city could be considered as a complex system. In a way, the authors can say that the Smart City is a physical space in which technology is widespread, available and inclusive and supports a new growth of social capital, the renewal of the material urban dimension and allows the development of new functional systems throughout the “virtualization” of some urban activities. The process towards the knowledge of “urban smartness” is conditioned to a first step, which is a common phase in the two new dimensions of modern urban planning: sustainable planning and smart planning. Both of these two dimensions try to manage the evolution of the urban system and drive it towards a future state that should be compatible with the available resources as well as sustainable considering the future needs of human beings as well as the planet. In order to initiate the management of territorial transformation, there is one first obligatory step in common with all new urban planning: the reduction of urban entropy. Urban entropy represents the main obstacle to starting new sustainable processes of urban planning and corresponds to all the kinds of urban dyscrasia that can occur within the urban subsystems. In order to reduce urban entropy, we first need to develop a way to identify and to measure it inside the different city sub-systems. This paper proposes a useful method which can be used to measure it and to envisage urban actions aimed at reducing negativity of the city by using new technologies.

In the midst of the economic crisis the management of urban farming represent a key challenge for improving ecological performances within the city. Indeed agricultural areas have a great potential in terms of urban re-generation, fostering cities resilience and its energy efficiency, even in the perspective of climate change hazards. Further agricultural areas are also crucial for social opportunities and new jobs creation in the perspective of integrating both ecological and urban services in the framework of a more competitive (and attractive) cities. According to the MEA definition of ecosystem services as constituents of well-being (MAE, 2005), the paper presents a case study addressed to the following questions: • Can we consider the urban agricultural areas as an ecological infrastructure for the city? • And, if affirmative, can we manage it in a more integrate way? The study is structured as a case study research and focuses on a former agricultural area in the city centre of Naples, Italy. This is an almost three hectares area on the hill of San Martino featured by being an important city’s landmark. Despite the abandonment of a the crops, the agricultural land use is still typical of the hill and it represents a core potential to provide ecological and urban services for the city. The study discusses a demonstration project aimed at assessing comprehensive viability for managing agricultural use in order to protecting the natural soils and updating both urban and ecological services (such as waste management, social security, sliding risk reduction) through a non-conventional public service policy.

The theme of the eco- efficient houses is now highly topical in Italy. Universities and companies specialized in sustainable construction are developing projects of experimental buildings that may constitute a typological and constructive reference and may offer the opportunity to monitor their physical and technical performance in order to check the expected theoretical results, the environmental quality and the energy efficiency. To focus on which are the main fields of research in Italy and assess their progress, may be useful to carry out a survey and a comparison between the main development experiences related to the topic of experimental modules and prototypes. The paper analyses and highlights the common features of the last and more significant Italian examples. It also describes technological solutions, materials and energy strategies used in the analyzed experimental buildings, and finally focuses on the main future developments that are involved in Italian research and experimentations on eco-efficient housing units.

Fighting against the “car only” nature of towns, the bicycle has been gaining constant ground in the urban space since the 1970s. Much more than just a sport or leisure accessory, it has become a simple and efficient means of transport that, today, is an integral part of mobility services. The bicycle is ideal for short daily journeys, lends itself well to intermodality and is at the heart of sustainable development policy. For its user, it is practical, cheap, green and good for one’s health; for the countries that have adopted it, developing cycleable infrastructures, it has almost always been successful. The success can be measured by the many impacts on residents and activities and it is related to a correct design of the bike network and services. A conflicting example can be considered the bike lane inaugurated on the 10th November 2012 in the city of Napoli (Italy). It was introduced without simulating it with a proper decision support system (DSS) in order to evaluate the possible impacts on the users or on non-users (externalities), like congestion, parking problems, impacts on the local economy and without first involving the stakeholders for their feedback before its realization. To analyse the effects of the bike lane on activities, residents and mobility choices, two different revealed preference surveys have been carried out. A large part of respondents was sensitive to sustainable mobility and to the policy adopted by local authority. Both residents and retailers underlined the lack of parking spaces due to the bike lane and, as a consequence, a reduction of the turnover has been declared by retailers. Beneath bike mode is not considered nowadays as a valid alternative to car and public transport, a relevant increase in its use can be expected by surveys if right measures will be implemented.