The Hygiene Institute within the Sapienza University of Rome Campus: A Proposal for Energy and Environmental Refurbishment

The following three objectives have been identified as the research's pilot goals, starting with the definition of sustainable development provided by the 2030 Agenda and the most recent European implementation instruments, particularly the New Green Deal: Goal 13 "Climate Action" aims to increase the building stock's resilience and adaptability to climate-related risks, Goal 7 "Affordable and Clean Energy" aims to increase the share of renewable energy and boost existing buildings' energy efficiency, and Goal 6 "Clean Water and Sanitation" focuses on sustainable management of water resources and technologies for recycling and reuse. Particular attention was paid in the research to the energy and environmental renovation, from a green perspective, of the "Sanarelli" Institute of Hygiene on the "Sapienza" University of Rome campus. The structure was constructed in 1935, and after a number of alterations throughout the years, it now has a total volume of 37,700 m3 and a surface area of 9,475 m2. The work has concentrated on the formulation of particular targets with the ultimate goal of the energy and environmental refurbishment intervention after a thorough analysis of the status quo using inspections, surveys, non-invasive investigations, and environmental assessments. A non-invasive approach for in situ surveys has been conducted to gather information on architectural and structural elements and on their state of conservation. With reference to the 2030 Agenda, the objectives of the research have been set, concerning: the improvement of internal microclimatic comfort, the reduction of atmospheric and water pollution as well as CO2 emissions, the encouragement of circular economy and the optimization of building management. To reach these ambitious objectives 7 strategies have been traced thanks to which it has been possible to identify 9 technical solutions to be applied to the Institute. The design choices show a close synergy between active and passive devices that together help achieve a circular use of water resources on-site, with systems for capturing and collecting rainwater and treating wastewater, as well as helping to achieve a significant improvement in the energy behaviour of the building. This improvement has been made possible not only by modernizing the building envelope's properties and active systems in accordance with current standards and usage but also by close cooperation between active and passive technological solutions that have produced satisfactory results in terms of lowering CO2 emissions.