Venezia (VE), Italia

“OFF-GRID” Revolution Certosa Urban Park 2015

Project invited at “AILATI. Reflections from the future”, Padiglione Italia 12th Architecture Biennale, Venice 2010

Modourbano

At the heart of the Venice Lagoon, an architectural organism able to operate energy, matter and information flows in a self-governing and clean way. A space to develop a new balance between man and nature. Through the project “Certosa Urban Park 2015”, Vento di Venezia, MODOURBANO and La Fabbrica del Sole, are willing to explore solutions for a self-sufficient, sustainable and integrated management of energy, matter & information flows in the Certosa Island (Venice Lagoon, Italy): Off-Grid revolution. It is this a new paradigm for architectural management, targeted at ensuring current levels of comfort without links to common infrastructural networks and grids. The Off-Grid goal, once in complete operation , is to cover a group of different supplies (energy, water, sewage, communication, etc.) at zero pollution generation, carbon-neutral & free of charge. On an island where boating, shipbuilding, hospitality, capacity building, research, art, leisure, sport, agriculture and green park coexist, such an initiative is well combined with the multifunctional territorial upgrade philosophy fostered by Vento di Venezia, based on the principles of sustainable development and on the respect for local traditions.

The Pilot Project The modular conception of different components & plants for the Certosa Off-Grid Plan foresees a step-by-step integrated realization. This process starts with an hypothesis of architectural & plant-engineering functional restoration of a selected pilot building. The development of this restoration proposal is meant to combine the integrated approach described so far with intelligent architectural solutions and practices. The new structure is contained within the remains of the original building. The gap between the two structures allows the creation of a double layer facade, that has a very promising prospect in terms of thermo & acoustic insulation, as well as in terms of weather-proofing. Construction materials choice and technological solutions will be selected under the full respect of the environmental compatibility of the building within its surroundings.

The hypothesis for the Off-Grid Pilot Project for the Certosa Island are hereby summarized: A). Following a distributed generation perspective, to provide electricity, heat and hot water, the use of solar devices (photovoltaic, thermal, also concentrated) and their integration on buildings surfaces will be assessed. B). Hydrogen production through electrolysis process and its storage in cylinders will be evaluated as a solution to exploit any energy surplus. The hydrogen, then, could be used to fuel kitchen stoves and/or to power a back-up co-generator. C).Storm water can be collected into underground storage tanks, also recovering a typical traditional Venetian water tank located among the remains of the historical monastery. This water can also serve as cold inertial load and can be suitably integrated with solar cooling devices. D).Sub-surface constructed wetlands could become appropriate solutions for grey water treatment. Such wetlands shall be integrated with the existing water drain network – once again, combining innovation with tradition – and reclaimed water loads can be exploited also for thermic store. Wetland gravel and sediments could be co-composted and be used as fertilizers. E).Energy and water self-sufficiency will be conceived to be integrated with an IT wireless broadband connection network.

Europaconcorsi Beta

“OFF-GRID” Revolution Certosa Urban Park 2015