Progettazione di scuole nZEB: nuovi modelli tipologici per la scuola dell'infanzia e la scuola primaria in Italia

The regulations concerning energy saving adopted at international level starting from European Directive 2010/31/EU and 20/20/20 Goal, require that new public buildings have to be NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) from the 1st January 2019. In connection with this, the Italian construction sector related to school buildings needs relevant changes as they are considered as complex buildings characterised by limited energy efficiency up to now. Therefore, NZEB school realisation becomes a great opportunity for renovation of existing school buildings and for the construction of new ones that needs a deep rethinking of rules that support the design. Protocols on the design of sustainable schools already exist, but they do not go into specific issues related to distinguishing building factors. In this respect at national level, the last law that defines building factors connected with the environmental system dates back to 1975 and the only development is the document adopted by MIUR on 2013 but it explains only qualitative elements. On these premises, our research develops and provides for the definition of guidelines to design NZEB schools with respect to different climate zones belonging to Mediterranean area. In this paper, one of the points at the basis of the methodology is presented: the definition of new sustainable school typological models for kindergartens and elementary schools. These models are used as a basis to do energy simulations in order to optimize distributional and technological aspects and plant solutions. More in detail, the article will analyse main changes of characteristics of school buildings both with regard to new didactic and pedagogic models at the basis of the concept of modern school, which were already developed since the middle of 1900s, and energy and environmental strategies for improving energy performance.