New settlements for a nZEB residential and handicrafts intended use: a case study.

The design from the urban scale to the architectural one of a new mixed residential and handicrafts district located in an area of a Venetian countryside municipality, shows how to reach the goal for achieving nZeb buildings by combining a specific design methodology with the use of sustainable envelope technologies and integrated and innovative plant systems. The adopted design methodology works out the principles of environmental or bioclimatic design, with verification and control of indoor microclimatic conditions through the use of computerized modeling. The design follows a specific methodological procedure developed for subsequent steps. It envisages indeed the monitoring, collection and analysis of the climatic data detected in situ over the last five years, necessary to work, with the iterative method, the design choices. This design method is thus able to implement the strategies that are able to optimally utilize the contributions of the climatic elements present in nature, to significantly reduce, by using passive systems, the energy requirements of the constructed and to satisfy the residual part of these needs with the help of systems integrated to the building envelope that draw energy from renewable sources. The use of renewable energy sources allows to reach the near zero energy consumption target, as shown by the balance between consumptions and the annual energy output of residences. Obviously with CO2 emissions equal to 0. From the results obtained, it is possible to identify, as future research development, the implementation of the design methodology applied with the systematization of its phases in order to improve the performance levels.