An Environmentally Conformed Settlement in Salve (Lecce, Italy) a Model of Bioclimatic Approach, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability in the Mediterranean Sea

In accordance with the growing towards the research of innovative and environmentally aware modalities procedures for the efficient Heritage recovery in the Mediterranean area, and in line with the European directives and the Italian legislation on environmental sustainability and energy efficiency, this paper aims to show an architectural experimentation in response to the three "R" and three "M" indicated by the United Nations Environment Program: Reduction of harmful emissions, energy consumption, and resource consumption, as well as maximization of renewable resource use, durability of interventions and environmental compatibility of the components. The object of this study is an excellent example of historical minor architecture, a small eco-settlement in the town of Salve (in the district of Lecce, in the deep south-east of Italy) that from the top of the Serra Salentina, facing the Ionian and the Adriatic sea welcomes hot and cold winds. It starts with a careful analysis of the climatic, human and cultural components to propose an eco-friendly solution, enhancing the shape factor and the distributive and functional character of the building. The project takes advantage of the bioclimatic archetypes already part of the building, such as the existing underground oil mill, becoming a place for the pre-treatment of the air or the court and the garden, giving the complex a higher degree of porosity and opening for natural ventilation. These existing structures are integrated with new elevations constituting real wind towers for the air extraction and ducting. The example proposed, in its systemic harmony, shows a possible approach for the realization of a high energy performance, as it reduces environmental and economic costs and preserves a more complex and complete reading of the territory