Environmental sustainability of the retrofitting of a vernacular dwelling in the Liguria seaside

Abstract

In the Genova hinterland, a traditional rural dwelling has been completely restored with the addition of new buildings respecting the landscape and the relationship with the existing vernacular construction. The project, in compliance with all the bio-architecture criteria of intervention associates traditional natural materials such as stone and lime with cutting-edge materials and techniques such as raw earth and hempcrete.Both the recovery and the new buildings have been the subject of meticulous bio-design in terms of material choices and diversification of construction techniques according to the area of intervention and of the local material culture. The original stone walls have been preserved and consolidated with fibre-reinforced lime mortar applied directly on the stone wall after removing the old mortar. Timber beams and wooden floors have been almost completely renovated, but preserving and consolidating wherever possible the original structures. External walls have been re-plastered with thermo-plaster based on lime and diatomite. On the interior, a hemp lime mortar has been used.Environmental sustainability of the whole retrofitting has been assessed by using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology in compliance with the international ISO standards 14040 and 14044. The scenario is from cradle to construction, i.e. A1-A5 in terms of European directive EN 15804. The study is fully compliant with this directive in terms of impact indicators and additional benefits.