7. Good Practice Example: Eco district Le Albere, Trento (Italy)

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1 7. Good Practice Example: Eco district Le Albere, Trento (Italy) Keywords Energy efficiency, urban renewal, eco-sustainable neighbourhood, Combined Cooling Heating and Power system (CCHP) Name and location Eco district Le Albere, Trento (Italy) The municipality of Trento is in the north of Italy in the river Adige valley. The district of Le Albere in Trento is located on a former industrial area outside the city centre. The urban renewal project aims at reconnecting the area to both the urban centre and the river Adige. It includes a new park, one of the largest of the city, and a mixed use district with two attractive complexes: The MUSE, a new science museum, and a multifunctional building. The area is about 11 hectares ( m2) of which 5 hectares are devoted to the public park, m2 to pedestrian areas, are zoned as residential buildings and as commercial areas. The management of the project is the private company Castello SGR and the designer is Renzo Piano Building Workshop Srl. Figure 1-2: Le Albere neighbourhood overview.

2 Background, objectives, implementation measures and financing Background The project area (116,300 mq) was a former industrial site which had been occupied for 70 years by the Michelin factory, since In 1997 the factory, which covered about 50% of the total surface, was closed. Its reuse became an occasion to reconnect a portion of the city, which once was peripheral, to the centre. The area is located between the river Adige, to the west and the railway line, to the east. The area was purchased by a group of local entrepreneurs that transferred it to Clesio real-estate fund managed by Castello Sgr of Milan. The project was entrusted to the architect Renzo Piano in 2002, who designed a new

3 multifunctional neighbourhood, inspired at eco-sustainability and energy efficiency principles. The design was also aimed at overcoming, both physically and psychologically, the barrier of the railway line. Objectives The renewal of the ex- Michelin industrial area has two goals. As far as town planning is concerned, the project aims at giving the site back its urban role, connecting it to the city centre. From the sustainable point of view, numerous strategies are taken into account in order to reach high quality of life, low energy consumptions and eco-sustainability. Implementation and financing After the purchasing of the area, the preliminary urban analysis were carried out, focusing on the connection to the city centre; finally the architectural project was developed and built. The project called for a mixed development so that the area could be self-contained with all the services and functions that implies. Two important polarities have been set in the boundaries: the MuSe, museum of Science, and a multifunctional building. All other buildings are characterized by mixed use, recalling the traditional architecture of the city. The design has a clear and unified horizontal impact with four-storey buildings in analysed proportion to public spaces. The buildings that uses traditional material are located on the eastern side of the site, leaving the western part open for the new public park. There are three subways crossing the railway line. Two metro stations of the planned underground line are set near the area, within one km from its boundaries. To improve accessibility, a span of Via Sanseverino has been undergrounded, new cycle paths have been implemented both inside and outside the area, which is therefore well connected to the city centre. The water is a key element in the project, recalling its importance in the region. Beyond the Adige River, there are canals and ponds, typical of the landscape of the river. Water has a multifunctional role: playful and recreational, technological (accumulation tanks) and cultural with theme-based routes along the canals. Energy efficiency has been one of the main targets of the project, along with the reduction of the environmental impact. The buildings use little energy thanks to the extensive use of renewable resources, photovoltaic on the roofs. MuSe has been given LEED Gold certification, and all of the residences and offices have a level B CasaClima classification (energy efficiency certification according to provincial government of Bolzano). They were among the winners of the 2013 CasaClima Awards. Recycling of rain water has also been provided. A Combined Cooling, Heating and Power system (CCHP) is set on the opposite side of the river. It supplies energy for both heating and cooling and it assures high indoor quality standards. The system is divided into three areas: the thermal power plant for a total installed power of 14,8 MW, the cogeneration area for the production of 1.8 MW of electricity and 1.8 MW of thermal energy recovery and finally the area for the cooling energy production. The pipes which connect the CCHP site to the buildings are underground and run under a pedestrian bridge on the river. The MuSe uses geothermal probes to support the CCHP plant. The energy system goes with a careful design of stratigraphy, thickness and types of insulators and on windows and shading systems of buildings. Figure 2: MuSe - Energetic scheme.

4 The intervention was led by a public/private group. The municipality set the standard areas (minimum quantities of public area for each inhabitant), acquiring a total of 7 hectares of which 5 for parks and 2 for public spaces (squares and public realm). the underground of the street was a public work paid by the municipality. Cost benefit, effects and results achieved The reconfiguration of the pre-industrial area represents a good planning and architectural practice. Michelin factory was a symbol for Trento in the industrial era. It was located outside the historical centre of the city, but in the late 20th century the city expanded its urban boundaries, and the factory was included in the urban area. Its closure, triggered the opportunity to revitalise the site between the river and the railway. The replacement of the old functions with modern ones was a priority, ensuring a physical linkage to the urban area, through subways, bus connections, new metro stations and new streets. The symbolic connection has been carried out using typology, structure and characteristics of the buildings in the city centre, so that people cannot feel stranger. The renewal of the area allows the achievement the following results: The area regains its urban dignity; The city regains its relationship with the river; Cost efficiency and energy savings through the careful project research; Eco-sustainability and architectural quality; Indoor and outdoor comfort; Technical innovations; Social and economic dynamism.

5 Planning procedures, involvement of stakeholders and possible participation structures The renewal of the Area Michelin was comprised into the PRUSST of 1999 which was approved by the Ministry for Public Works in PRUSST are Italian programmes which aim at sustainable requalification and extension of infrastructures, environment, social and urban fabric. The project was also one of the main contents of the upgrading of the Trento masterplan in The city plan zoned the Michelin area as C5A, subject to urban renewal. Around these urban renewal zones the masterplan includes several public interventions aim at improving the performance of the areas. In the examined case, these include: three subways, a new bridge on the river, a new pedestrian path on the river, the underground of a length of Via Sanseverino, a new public parking area. A multidisciplinary public/private partnership: Iniziative Urbane S.p.A. was founded. Its members were: banks, energy companies, industrials and other private companies. After having handled the planning phase, Iniziative urbane delegated the management of the building phase to the developer (Fondo Clesio). To design the area was first announced an architectural competition, but then Iniziative Urbane S.p.A. designated Renzo Piano as designer of the project. The estimated cost is 350 million euro. Innovation fostered - local / regional developments triggered Le Albere neighbourhood fostered some important innovations related to the integration of energy issues to spatial planning: Energy efficiency and eco sustainability have been set as the key guideline of the entire project, taking into account both the integration of RES production and minimisation of the environmental impact; Several actions have been undertaken to improve accessibility and reduce carbon emission: pedestrian paths, new connections (pedestrian paths and new roads), new metro line with two stops in the vicinity of the area; A large public park, that includes autochthonous species and water arrangement, creates an ecosystem and improves the quality of air and the outdoor comfort; The research on building materials and techniques implemented on the neighbourhood allows high energy performance of buildings and high level of indoor comfort. The passive buildings have level B CasaClima certification; A CCHP has been created and it supplies the whole area. In addition to district heating network and photovoltaics a set of geothermal sensors, which operates whenever the CCHP cannot produce enough cooling, has been provided in the MuSe. Lessons learnt practical recommendations Le Albere provides some key-lessons:

6 Sustainable urban development principles were chosen by the Municipality of Trento as the key of the renewal project; Integration of energy-related issues and buildings was purchased; There is a growing awareness of energy-related issues. Brownfield development is an important component of an energy sound planning strategy. Images, visualizations Renzo Piano Building Workshop - Sketch masterplan. Renzo Piano Building Workshop - Planivolumetric scheme.

7 View of MuSe.

8 View of the neighbourhood. Buildings.

9 Building details. MuSe by night.