the high school giustino fortunato in...

XIII Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components

744

THE HIGH SCHOOL "GIUSTINO FORTUNATO" IN RIONERO IN

VULTURE (POTENZA, ITALY): HOW TO REFURBISH AN HIGHER

EDUCATION INSTITUTE MADE IN BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE OF

‘80, LEADING IT TO BE A NZEB AND PRESERVING ITS FORMAL

FEATURES

Lembo, F.(1)

and Marino, F. P. R.(2)

(1) School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano n. 10, 85100

Potenza (Italy) - [email protected] (2)

School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano n. 10, 85100

Potenza (Italy) - [email protected]

ABSTRACT

This study is about a building which was built after the 1980's earthquake in Campania

and Basilicata, as USAID gift, in Paul Rudolph’s style, with external walls made in facing

concrete, without insulation and lacking of flashings and of downpipe so much, to look, after

twenty-five years, as a ruin; with very thin cover for reinforcement, and so with widespread

pathologies of spalling of carbonated concrete; with roof wrongly designed; windows partly

too little for a good dayligting and too exposed to dazzling; internal walls per 80% not

performing acoustic performances fixed by standards, and all greater spaces (atrium and

corridors, library, auditorium, sports hall) with reverberation time many times the standard

value. The building is awful from thermal point of view: it disperses 76,7 kWh/m3 year, and

places itself in the worse class of actual Italian thermic rules.

His management become ever more expensive: so this study has the aim of

demonstrating how to find a remedy to design faults and to existing pathologies, upgrading

the building to an NZEB, which produces from renewable sources the energy he need,

without disfigure his formal configuration. The solutions developed can serve as “rules of the

art” for refurbishment of brutalist architecture.

Keywords: brutalist architecture, refurbishment, thermal upgrade, NZEB.

1 DURABILITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE BRUTALIST

ARCHITECTURE

In the '70s and '80s in Italy Brutalist movement has spread, which had its birth in

England in 1954 by Alison and Peter Smithson (but has a forerunner in the Mies van der Rohe

of 860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments, Chicago, 1949-1951), was theorized by Reyner

Banham [1], had interpreters as Le Corbusier, Atelier 5, Louis Kahn (Salk Institute for

Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 1959-1965) and Paul Rudolph (Art and Architecture

Building, New Haven, 1963). Even in later years, the poetics of exposed concrete has

permeated the masterpieces of contemporary architecture. For example, in the Vitra Design

Museum in Weil am Rhein near Basel, there are two: the Feuerwehrhaus designed by Zaha

Hadid, and the Konferenzpavillion designed by Tadao Ando, both dated 1993.


745

The brutalist architecture has laid bare the walls of buildings, and has made them with

basic materials: concrete, steel, brick, wood, glass, explicitly exposed and devoid of both the

normal layers of sacrifice, delivered from the historic building tradition (plaster, paintings,

sheets and planks of protection), and devices developed by an age-old practice (frames and

covers, window sills and thresholds, as well as thermal insulation, waterproofing barriers and

multi-layer defenses). The result was buildings that have created many problems for

designers, builders and users, when they were not "museum pieces", the subject of a formal

and poetic use only; and when not designed to last and with attention to detail, by Louis Kahn

or Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando.

The concrete, if it is not sealed with paint and plaster and if unprotected, is carbonated

in depth, changes color depending on the point where it receives more or less meteoric water,

and then becomes different from that of the outer walls of the covers, the one between the

intrados of windows, that of window sills, or that of the base section. Even more so, if the

water is allowed to flow freely on the facades, without realizing the downspouts, but only

bouncers and small chains. The concrete is covered with mold, in different ways depending

on exposure to sun, wind and rain; it is slit and is no longer able to protect the steel, which

corrodes and causes the expulsion of the concrete cover. The walls, when not isolated either

from the inside, nor in the thickness of the wall, nor from the outside, are unbearably cold in

winter and become the ideal place for surface and/or interstitial condensations; survival in

spaces of this kind is entrusted fully to the plants, with energy costs that are now unbearable.

So, if the building is not listed as "monument of modern architecture," design the retrofit is

required, as soon as possible, because the cost of its continued operation becomes higher

every winter.

2 AIM OF THE RESEARCH

The research aims to define a methodology to refurbish the brutalist architecture of this

buildings in order to solve their technological contradictions, and radically improve their

energy efficiency, transforming them into Nearly Zero Energy Building, in accordance with

the European Directive 2010/31/EU, without altering their formal characteristics. Several

buildings have already been examined: the Technical Institute "Albert Einstein" in Picerno

(PZ), built by USAID pulse after the earthquake of 1980 [2], the former headquarters building

of the Bank Mediterranean in Potenza (1976-1985) [3], the Scientific High School "Enrico

Fermi" in Muro Lucano (PZ), also built by USAID after the same earthquake. This report

presents the study carried out on the third of the three high schools, built by USAID in the

Basilicata region after the 1980 earthquake.

3 CONTENT OF RESEARCH

3.1 Current status of the building

The Institute of Higher Education "Giustino Fortunato" was designed, like the other two

schools mentioned, by the Interplan Design Studio of Naples, of Alberto Izzo and Camillo

Gubitosi professors architects, in collaboration with the study Blurock Partnership in Newport

Beach, California. The school is laid out, with greater axisly from West to East, on a plot of

22,250 m2 with well 10% slope towards the South, at an altitude ranging between 660 and 648

m above sea level, with the disposal of buildings, set at different heights along the slope, part

two-storey and partly to one, around two courtyards, with a useful floor area of 5,250 m2 (see

fig.1).


746

Figure 1: Ground floor plan and Sections of the school.

The entrance is from the North (see photo 1) and immediately introduces to a large

double height atrium, 266 m2, distribution element to the Gym, the library, classrooms and

upstairs (see photo 2), probably thought of as the real school's Great Hall. Regular classrooms

and special classrooms for labs are mostly facing South, but there are three, plus the Great

Hall (very undersized compared to the requirements of the standard), which are addressed to

the North. The Gym, structurally independent, occupies the west side of the building (see

photo 3). The scheme, "plate" type, is not compact at all and is very energy-dispersing (see

photos 4 and 5).

NORTH

GYMmq 5 2 8 .3 3h . 8 .9 m

ATRIUMmq2 6 6 .3 0h . 6 .1 m

Bibl io t ecamq 1 0 8 .6 0h . 2 .8 m

Aul a ivmq 5 4 .3 2h . 2 .8 m

l ab. mul t imed ial emq 8 6 .7 0h . 2 .8 m

Aul a vmq 5 0 .9 4h . 2 .8 m

Lab. f is ica e ch imicamq 7 2 .2 5h . 2 .8 m

Aul a vimq 6 1 .9 2h . 2 .8 m

INTERNAL COURTmq 2 7 2 .3 3

INTERNAL COURTmq 2 7 2 .5 3

Pal co scen icomq 5 1 .4 2h . 3 .8 m

Depos it o Spogl iat o ioh . 2 .8 mh . 2 .8 m

Depos it o Spogl iat o ioh . 2 .8 mh . 2 .8 m

Aul a viimq 5 1 .2 6h . 2 .8 m

Aul a viiimq 5 1 .1 4h . 2 .8 m

Aul a ixmq 5 1 .1 4h . 2 .8 m

Aul a xmq 5 1 .0 9h . 2 .8 m

Aul a ximq 5 0 .9 4h . 2 .8 m

Aul a xiimq 5 1 .2 6h . 2 .8 m

Aul a xiiimq 5 2 .6 1h . 2 .8 m

Aul a xivmq 5 0 .4 0h . 2 .8 m

Aul a xvimq 5 2 .5 7h . 2 .8 m

Aul a xvmq 5 0 .4 0h . 2 .8 m

Wc uomin imq 2 5 .2 7h . 2 .8 m

Cen t r al e t er micamq 2 9 .3 2h . 2 .8 m

Wc d o nnemq 1 3 .8 5h . 2 .8 m

Docceh . 2 .8 m

Docceh . 2 .8 m

Wc uomin imq 1 3 .8 5h . 2 .8 m

Pr es id enzamq 5 0 .9 8h . 2 .8 m

Aul a imq 5 1 .2 4h . 2 .8 m

Aul a iimq 5 1 .2 4h . 2 .8 m

Aul a iiimq 5 1 .2 4h . 2 .8 m

Aul a magnamq 8 1 .2 0h . 2 .8 mh . 5 .5 m

Depos it omq 1 9 .3 0h . 2 .8 m

Al l oggiocus t od emq 5 2 .3 6h . 2 .8 m

Ammin is t r az io ne -segr et er iamq 8 2 .8 8h . 2 .8 m

Wc d o nnemq 2 8 .7 3h . 2 .8 m

Ingr esso

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

0 1 2 3 4 5 1 0

Depos it o

-1.7 m

0.0 m

+1.6 m

-4.1 m

+3.25 m

+5.05 m

-0.65 m

Sect ion c-c '

Sect ion b-b'

-1.7 m

+1.6 m

+8.45m +8.45m

-2.4 m

-1.7 m

+1.6 m

-1.7 m

+1.6 m

-1.7 m

+1.6 m

Sect ion a-a'

-4.1 m

-0.65 m

-1.7 m

+5.05 m

+1.4 m

Sect ion d -d '

0.0 m

-2.4 m

0 1 2 3 4 5 1 0


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Photo 1: Panoramic view of the North elevation.

Photos 2, 3, 4 and 5: Internal view of the atrium (left) exterior view of the gym (center-left),

view of the internal courtyard of the school (center-right), and the corridors (right).

At a site where the design must consider especially winter conditions, the building is

practically devoid of insulation: its concrete walls, the roof and the first floor have U-values

of transmittance ranging from 3.08 to 2.49-2.10-1.95 W/(m2K). Only some of the walls are

provided with an insulation from the inside, made with 12 cm of mineral wool and gypsum

board, with U = 0.33 W/(m2K), which is obviously cause of interstitial condensation eight

times higher than that in the Standard, so as to impregnate the mineral wool and degrade its

insulating qualities. Thermal bridges are everywhere. The windows of the school are for the

most part sliding on a track, with double glass and with a thickness of 3 cm, "not classified"

as to air seal, tightness to the water and resistance to the wind, with Uw ranging between 4.55

and 3.45 W/(m2K). Therefore, the annual heat demand of the building is 76,713 kWh/m

3 year

(energy class G, the worst of all) [4].

Moreover, the covers have proved poorly designed ("hot roof", with sheath outside,

without vapor barrier), resulting in many points in moisture stains for condensations not

evacuated outwards; in more points covers have become a quagmire, because of insufficient

slope (see photo 6). The free run-off of rainwater has degraded surfaces and produced

widespread or localized fungal infestations (see photos 7 and 8). The small concrete cover has

resulted in more points spalling of concrete béton brut (see photos 9 and 10).

Photos 6, 7 and 8: Stagnation of rainwater on roofs because of insufficient slope (left); surfaces degraded due to the runoff of

rainwater on the facades (center) and proliferation of mold, moss and wild vegetation (right).


748

Photos 9 and 10: Spalling of concrete.

In addition to this, the main defects present inside the building, are: a) the insufficient

sound insulation to airborne noise between classrooms and between classrooms and corridors;

b) reverberation times, too high, in the spaces of higher dimension, such as the corridor

between the classrooms, the atrium, the auditorium and especially the gym, where the T60

varies from three to almost eight times that of the standard; c) the inadequate natural lighting

of the gym and classrooms that overlook the North side; d) glare, which affects all classrooms

facing south (photo 11); the insufficient natural ventilation, despite the bad sealing of

windows and doors.

Photo 11: Glare in all classrooms facing south.

3.2 Design solutions to problems

The solutions have involved first of all the need to provide a casing strongly isolated

and ventilated, in order to allow the building heating (and cooling) as possible in a "passive"

and "natural" way, and exploiting the great thermal inertia of its heavy concrete walls (of the

order of 750 kg/m2). A system of isolation from the outside was then sought on the market,

durable and which had the finish surface like an exposed concrete.

The research has not been extended to the rainscreens, given the stringent cost limits

imposed. To facilitate the impermeability of the system, given the presence of non-vertical

sculptural conches (as for the building " Ex Post" in Bolzano), has been used as insulating the

EPS - sintered expanded polystyrene with expanded graphite, which has a =0.31 W/mK, in a

thickness of 20 cm. On it, the application of an organic plaster, on reinforcement mesh glass

fibers, has been expected, choosing between its different finishes that "Betonoptik", which is

obtained by arranging on the armature mortar StoArmat the finishing plaster fine-grained

modeling Stolit K 1.5 MP color in reinforced concrete (RAL 7023), and then further finishing

plaster Stolit Milan, treated with a special technique of smoothing with steel trowel and then

sanded. In this way, it is possible to obtain a finish that, both in the distant views from that in

those closely, is very similar in color, grain and texture, to béton brut. Naturally, the isolation

from the outside is mounted only after having restored the damaged surfaces of concrete with

the usual methods for the rehabilitation of reinforced concrete surfaces. Depending on the

wall of the existing support, U values between 0.208 and 0.187 W/m2K are obtained.


749

As for the window areas, given the poor quality of the existing windows, it was decided

to replace them with fixtures from the type "passive house" with triple glazing (two low

emission) with argon, with external aluminum blinds for the glare protection, also useful for

correcting the deficit of lighting in the rooms where they were found. A complete system of

Controlled Mechanical Ventilation has been designed, with presence and CO2 detectors

placed in every room, so as to allow the air changes are continuous, proportional to persons

and their activities, and are carried out with almost total recovery of energy. On the covers,

healed and isolated to obtain a transmittance U=0.16 W/m2K, the placement of solar panels

has been provided until exhaustion of the free sunny surfaces, for a total of 75.2 kW (see fig.

2). The replacement of the heat generators, with two heat pumps powered by photovoltaic,

was also provided.

Figure 2: Arrangement of photovoltaic panels (marked in blue) on the roof.

The problems of illumination of the Gym are solved with the construction of five sheds,

open to the north, and covered with photovoltaic panels to south (see fig. 3), while his

acoustic problems find their solution in the lining of the lower part with sound absorbing

panels of mineral wool covered with perforated aluminum sheet. A new lay-out solution

allows to use the gym independently from the school and at different times.

Similarly, a series of actions with slight counter-walls solves the problems of isolation

between classrooms and between classrooms and corridors.

Figure 3: Project render of the Gym.


750

The problems of the reverberation time of the atrium, the auditorium and classroom

corridors are adequately resolved through the use of sound-absorbing panels and plaster of

various kinds, matched according to their properties and characteristics of form and color (see

figg. 4, 5 and 6).

Figures 4, 5 and 6: Project plan, section and Render of the Great Hall – Auditorium.

The building maintains the volumetric features and brutalist architecture texture: it

assumes, however, voluntarily, a color palate, which is the sign of the times, very different, in

which the intervention of a NZEB upgrade is done.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The substantial increase in thermal and energy performance of the building, through the

use of a heavy thermal insulation from the outside of the "coat" type, the upgrading of

technological systems, the realization of a photovoltaic system for electricity, and the

replacement of fixtures, makes building in Class A + (best), with an Epi equal to 5,941

kWh/m3 year [4].

Regarding the replacement of the obsolete heating systems, ventilation and cooling with

last generation plants would have a savings in terms of emissions, but above all, allow

the return of the economic investment cost to improve the performance of the building

in a few years.

Based on a similar case, analyzed in detail, it can be stated that the pay-back time of the

investment is approximately 15 years. The useful life of the building changes from 90 to

120 years.

The value of the building increases more than the intervention costs. It is, therefore,

economically viable and beneficial. And above all, perfectly compatible with the

conservation of the formal characteristics of the building, which is an important

document of the cultural climate of the 900’s in Italy.

+7.25m

+3.50m +3.50m

0.00m

-1.50m

-1.50m0.00m0.00m

1

23

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

0 1 2 5

+7.25m


751

5 CONTRIBUTIONS

The contribution of the authors in the research and in editing and writing the text of the

paper, was equal.

REFERENCES

[1] Banham, R., 'The New Brutalism', The Architectural Review n. 708, pag. 357 (1955).

[2] Lembo, F., 'Pathologies of the contemporary constructions. The case study of a school building

realized in mixed-traditional technique', in: “Building a Better World” CIB 2010 World Congress,

P. Barrett, D. Amaratunga, R. Haigh, K. Keraminiyage & C. Pathirage (edited by), Salford Quays

(United Kingdom), ISBN 9781905732913 (2010).

[3] Lembo, F., 'Transforming a brutalist monument into an energy efficient building without

destroying the formal appealing: the example of the Mediterranean Bank in Potenza (Italy)', in:

“ENEFM 2013 - Proceedings of the International Congress on Energy Efficiency and Energy

Related Materials”, A.Y. Oral, Z.B. Bahsi, M. Ozer (edited by), Kemer-Antalya, Turkey (2013).

[4] Marino, F.P.R. and Grieco, M., 'La certificazione energetica degli edifici. D.Lgs. 192/2005 e

311/2006 – IV edizione aggiornata alle UNI TS 11300 – Algoritmi di calcolo ed esperienze

internazionali. Edifici ad alta efficienza', EPC Libri, Roma, pp.720, ISBN 9788863101133

(2009).

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