CLIENT: HERA Spa – BOLOGNA – MULTIUTILITY FOR SERVICES Environment (waste collection and treatment), Energy (distribution and sale of electricity and gas) and Water (aqueduct, sewage and purification)
SERVICES PROVIDED:
Client Desk: feasibility, preliminary, definitive, executive, DL and safety, civil, structural, Mechanical systems of heating, cooling, air treatment, water and sanitary systems, electrical systems of lighting, power, safety and special.
Experimental Laboratory: feasibility, preliminary project, definitive, civil, structural, mechanical systems of heating, cooling, air treatment, water systems and sanitary electrical systems of lighting, power, security and special.
AMOUNT OF WORKS: 231.000 € (customer desk) – 600.000 € (Experimental Laboratory)
BEGINNING/END OF WORKS: 2008/2009

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Experimental laboratory on alternative energies
The laboratory was designed with the aim of allowing HERA to closely follow the entire process that will lead to the physical construction of the plants, their implementation and the phase of experimentation and data collection. In addition to this purpose it has been tried to realize a structure such as to make the premises accessible for possible visits to the exhibition area, choosing valuable finishes to give to the area, purely made for experimental tests, a high architectural performance. The first line of plant research is related to biomass. Since prunings and trimmings are wood-cellulosic biomasses, the most suitable technology for energy valorization is direct combustion in boilers. It was decided not to limit the use of the biomass boiler only for experimental purposes, but to integrate it with the existing heating system. The second line of plant is related to the generation of hydrogen with electrolytic cell powered by photovoltaic panels and use with fuel cell of hydrogen produced in this way. The main purpose of the photovoltaic system was to test many small systems for each technology available on the market with 11ntento evaluate the performance of the individual device in the same environmental conditions.

Building works: the building, realized to host inside 4 shelters, has been realized with a reticular structure in acriaio, insulated sheet finishing and low emissive windows. The main works of the site involved the preparation of the underground lines connecting the various technological areas and the preparation of the areas on which to lay the prefabricated containers.

Installations: heating and cooling system for the laboratory, water and sanitary system and water and gas network connections to the project equipment, connection system between the biomass energy production system and the existing heating system, electrical and special systems.

Customers Desk
The intervention concerned the enlargement of the customers’ desk through the reorganization of the working spaces and of the spaces intended for the reception (new waiting room, new toilet for users, new information desk) and the revision of the electrical systems. It involved a minimal extension, aimed at incorporating in the main volumetric shape of the entrance hall, two open air voids. The new external curtain walls have been realized in exposed reinforced concrete. On them have been restored the existing lights and prolonged the flat cover that encloses the entire projecting body. The new waiting room has been set up inside the atrium, separated from the user counters by the new service and information desk.

New experimental laboratory