intervention strategies for renovation of social housing estates

Approaches to renovation interventions in the Netherlands, proposals for Rome chapter 4
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4.2) ROME: REproject vs DEPRIVED SOCIAL HOUSING
ESTATES
4.2.1) REproject AS ENVELOPE DIRECTED STRATEGY FOR RENOVATION
What might be renovation approaches to be implemented in deprived social housing estates
in Rome? Elaborating on the Dutch approaches, a strategy can be directed on the building
envelope 3 . This means preserving the bearing casco and substitute the existing façade with
the aim of meeting higher levels of energy saving and building identity (for an example of
preserving the casco and change the envelope see Tab 4, section 4.1.1).
The scale of envelope directed approach is technically limited to the single estate, but since a
number of measures involve the immediate surroundings, results could reverberate on the
urban level as well. In principle, aspects that could be improved by implementing such a
strategy could be distinguished into aspects related to the building and the close
surroundings.
Building
energy and technical performances of the façade (therefore of the entire block);
maintenance (good materials require less expenses and last longer);
interior comfort and health (high-performance façade improves interior livability);
market position of dwellings (thanks to higher quality of dwellings);
aesthetics (dwellings in attractive blocks can be rented or sold easier);
differentiation of housing supply (interior walls can be moved to diversify types of
dwelling);
functional flexibility (interior walls can be moved to convert the use from residential to
other functions like commercial);
adaptation of shared spaces within the estate (they can be converted as well).
Close surroundings
accessibility to the building (redefinition of public and semi-public space nearby the
block, more safety);
attractiveness of the neighborhood (good renovation might attract people living there
and improve the image of the area);
orientation within the area (recognizable façade can help identifying the place where
one lives);
control of public spaces;
use of the bottom (conversion into functions like shops, culture, education can be used
by people living in the area);
reputation of the area.
Social cohesion and safety might be improved on both the building and the close
surrounding level.
The basic assumptions are the followings:
▫ The approach directed to the envelope might be an effective strategy of intervention.
As showed in section 4.1.1, high-level renovation to improve initial building quality, can
be successfully implemented as well.
▫ An envelope directed strategy can support life cycle extension of estates.
Renovation itself is already an action to extend the life cycle (as it is stated by a definition
provided by Thomsen, 2007). In particular, since the life span of the building envelope is
included within the category of intermediate life-cycle building components, it contributes
3 In this study, the building envelope is not only defined as a surface that wrapping the building but also as a
component which three-dimensional transformation increases or decreases the entire volume. With this respect,
additions and subtractions (like attaching building volumes and selective demolition) are incorporated within the range
of physical measures for renovation directed to the envelope.
23. D
IMPROVEMENTS ON
BUILDING AND
URBAN LEVEL
ASSUMPTIONS