Adaptive reuse and energy transition of built heritage and historic gardens: The sustainable conservation of Casa Jelinek in Trieste (Italy)

Abstract

In addition to decay, the built heritage is threatened by progressive abandonment for social, economic reasons. Underutilized historic buildings can be revitalized by introducing new functions, to avoid cultural identity loss by demolition. As the growing urgency in climate neutrality, the resilience of existing historic buildings and vegetal elements is critical especially for the energy transition related to the exploitation of renewable energy sources (RES). RES application in architectural heritage is sensitive due to the visual impact of material change and the loss of historic fabric. Thus, the study aims at setting a preliminary framework for the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, meanwhile reactivating historic garden contexts. It showcases the etic conservation and the reuse of a historic landscape architecture, Casa Jelinek in the historic garden of Miramare Castle in Trieste (Italy), balancing comfort needs, energy demand integrated with photovoltaic (PV) systems, and heritage preservation. The adaptive reuse reflects also the interests of the local community through in-depth documentation analyses, contextual simulations, and technical and heritage guidelines, to ensure the longevity of the proposed management.