The Building

Villa Capodivacca

The main building of Villa Capodivacca, built in XVI century and later enlarged, is based on three levels. The villa develops around the space of the central passing salon, with a large coved vault. It has undergone, in the following centuries, various interventions of enlargement and transformation; of the XVIII century is the raising of the volume, with the addition, on the main facade, of the triangular tympanum typical of the Venetian villas. The main body of the villa is flanked by a park of ancient trees and is connected to the colonnaded body of a farmhouse, probably built in the early 1800s. The ground floor is the original core of the complex (XVI century). Built initially as a fabric used to stall the goods arriving from the river, the ground floor consists of a large passing hall. On the sides of the hall are the rooms, four corner rooms of almost square shape and two service rooms. The first floor assumes the characteristics of the noble country residence: the subdivision of the rooms faithfully reproduces that of the ground floor but the heights, materials and finishes are adapted to the different use compared to the rooms below. The rooms on the second floor were originally used as servants' quarters. From a rural and holiday residence, used mainly in summer, the Villa has been transformed during XX century in permanent residence of different families. The situation has changed with the sale of the villa, which has been purchased by three different families, which are located on three different levels and each floor has been used for a different purpose. The building belongs to the Venetian villas system. The location of the villa and the architectural typology make this artefact a fascinating testimony to the civilization of the Venetian villas which had in Jacopo Sansovino and Andrea Palladio two of its greatest interpreters. The complex is made up of a group of buildings along the course of the Bacchiglione river, inside a fund that today measures just over three hectares and is located in a bend in the right bank of the river. The intervention is classified as important renovation but also restoration, as it concerns a listed building. This means that load masonry walls, horizontal timber structures and brick vaults (over the ground fool), as well as timber roof structure are preserved and consolidated. The same for internal and external plaster and other finishing materials (as roof tiles).

More Details

The Solution

Solution post-intervention

Solution post-intervention: stato avanzamento lavori de Besi Saccolongo settembre 2016_Pagina_01.jpg
Solution post-intervention: stato avanzamento lavori de Besi Saccolongo settembre 2016_Pagina_09.jpg
Solution post-intervention: UNIGE_VillaCapodivacca_HVAC.jpg
Solution post-intervention: UNIGE_VillaCapodivacca_renovation_1.jpg
What is the Solution?

On the ground floor, intended for occasional use, new radiators were simply installed in place of gas stoves, radiant terminals with better performance. These measures have increased efficiency with a considerable improvement in energy production and storage. On the second floor, where a family home was located, it was necessary to obtain a good level of air conditioning both in winter and summer. For this reason an autonomous thermal power station was installed with a hybrid system (boiler and heat pump) that produces both hot and cold water. To guarantee humidity levels compatible with summer air conditioning, a centralised controlled mechanical ventilation system with built-in dehumidifier was installed.

Why Does it work?

Solutions designed for each floor of the villa as each one is subject to different uses, so the comfort requirements and cost expectations are also different. The solution used allows the preservation of all significant materials and characters

PROS
  • 1. New plant with improved performance. 2. Increased efficiency with significantly improved energy production and storage. 3.Conservation of all the significative materials and characters.
CONS
  • 1. Need to provide new technical rooms to house the machines, which were not foreseen in the original configuration. 2. Relatively high cost of intervention
Heating nominal power
information not available
Heating efficiency
information not available
DHW nominal power
information not available
DHW efficiency
information not available
Cooling unit
Heat Pump
Cooling centralized/decentralized
Decentralized
Cooling distribution system
Liquid
Cooling supply
Radiators
Cooling nominal power
information not available
Cooling efficiency
information not available
Ventilation type
Balanced Mechanical Ventilation
Ventilation centralized/decentralized
Centralized
Heat recovery efficiency
information not available
SFP if relevant
information not available

Before retrofit

After retrofit

Before retrofit
Heat generator
Stove
After retrofit
Heat generator
Other
Before retrofit
Fuel type
information not available
After retrofit
Fuel type
Other
Before retrofit
Centralized/Decentralized
Decentralized
After retrofit
Centralized/Decentralized
Decentralized
Before retrofit
Distribution system
Direct heating
After retrofit
Distribution system
Water
Before retrofit
Heating supply
Other
After retrofit
Heating supply
Radiators
Before retrofit
DHW same as heating system
yes
After retrofit
DHW same as heating system
yes
Before retrofit
DHW heat generator
information not available
After retrofit
DHW heat generator
information not available
Before retrofit
DHW fuel type
information not available
After retrofit
DHW fuel type
information not available
Before retrofit
DHW centralized/decentralized
information not available
After retrofit
DHW centralized/decentralized
information not available

Assessment

Heating
Yes
Cooling
Yes
Ventilation
Yes
Heat generator
Other
Heating centralized/decentralized
Decentralized (multi family house/non residential)
Heat supply
Radiators
Heating existing distribution system
No
Circular approach - heating
No
Investment cost - heating
Medium High
Cooling generator
Chiller
Cooling generator (Additional info)
Decentralized (multi family house/non residential)
Cooling supply
Radiators
Circular approach - cooling
No
Investment cost - cooling
Medium High
Ventilaiton strategy
Mechanical Ventilation System
ventilation centralized/decentralized
Centralized (multi family house/non residential)
Heat recovery
No
Circular approach - ventilation
No
Investment cost - ventilation
Medium High

Location

Saccolongo, Italy - 20m
Climatic Zone:Cfa