Adaptive reuse, refurbishment and conservative rehabilitation of Cultural Heritage by means of Quality and Energy Sustainable Lighting.

Abstract

Sustainable lighting designs, with a view to achieve an adaptive reuse, refurbishment and conservative rehabilitation of cultural heritage, focusing on lighting quality, mainly obtained from the optimal use of natural light combined with artificial one, is the main aim of our present research. A historical Florentine monastery, which was turned into a university library, i.e. Santa Marta University Library in Florence, was used as a pilot project. Energy saving, natural light control combined with artificial light regulation, sustainable and quality lighting by means of optic fiber textile integration, acted as fundamentals of the proposed sustainable adaptive, non-invasive, reversible and easily removable lighting design. The integrated use of natural light with LED systems and optic fibers by means of a command structure made with supervision and home automation systems based on Konnex, the first open building automation standard, allows lighting solutions for quality and environmental and energy sustainability in cultural heritage. Results showed that the proposed methodological approach allows lighting proposals with the aim of building adaptive reuse, based on architectural structure optimal use, historical–philological reading of the indoor environment, cultural heritage (CH) preventive protection and conservation, but also people and works of art “health and well-being”.