Author(s)

Danila Longo, Andrea Boeri, Valentina Gianfrate, Elisabetta Palumbo & Saveria O.M. Boulanger

Abstract

More than 70% of the European population live in cities, which are affected by several critical issues, such as the depletion of energy and material resources, decreasing of food security, increasing of green-house gas emissions levels with relevant environmental impacts and management issues (e.g. waste treatment). Urban areas emit about 80% of the global CO2 emissions and they are responsible for about 80% of global energy consumption.

Therefore, cities offer a possible action field for decisive local initiatives to address sustainability challenges, especially in terms of policy and societal actions, inspiring specific projects, which could be translated into more systematic programs at higher levels of governance. In order to mitigate climate change effects, the European energy policy is focused on buildings’ energy efficiency due to its substantial savings’ potential. This paper describes the integrated design approach developed by the Research Unit of the Department of Architecture of the University of Bologna, (RU) with the aim to identify scenarios of resilient actions for renovating existing buildings and districts, as well as for framing effective refurbishment design criteria at district level. This integrated approach combines energy efficient solutions and technologies, which have positive and sustainable impact on the environment with customer oriented strategies in order to ensure gains and customers’ expectations and requirements at the same time.

The paper highlights: the link between mitigation strategies and the built environment; the application of the proposed Integrated Design Approach (IDA) inside the real context of Bolognina neighbourhood (Bologna, IT); the link between life cycle assessment (LCA), mitigation measures and IDA; analysis of results, impacts and potentialities of replication.

Keywords

climate change, mitigation strategies, built environment, integrated design approach, LCA.