Bioclimatic buildings in JRC/ISPRA

Following the choice of the Italian Government to suspend the construction of nuclear power stations, the European Community Committee began the conversion of the Euratom Nuclear Centre at Ispra (Varese), promoting the development of a project called “Ecocentre” which involves the use of alternative energies with a high level of environmental compatibility. The crucial aim of this project is to reduce the buildings energy consumption, developing innovative and economically justifiable techniques, to be applied initially as a model in the conversion or construction of the Centre buildings. Three buildings were designed for offices and laboratories, characterized by the adoption of environmentally friendly policies aimed at energy saving through the use of solar energy; one of them hosts also a large conference room on the ground floor. Each building has an area of approx. 2,250 m2, developed on three floors above ground level.