Green kindergarten for a good start in life. - The award winning kindergarten project in Italy includes retrofitting of an existing building plus a new construction.
A new state-of-the-art kindergarten in Italy cuts energy use by 77%. The ROCKWOOL Group has provided knowhow and insulation for this award winning project. For the children of Cologno Monzese, a small town near Milan, their new kindergarten is a place to play and enjoy childhood. But the kindergarten also sets a good example of the great potential for energy effi ciency gains and decreasing CO2 emissions in public buildings in any country. The building has been classified as excellent (A+ Class) and the project stands as a role model for other public facilities.
Driven by the team from ROCKWOOL Italy in close cooperation with the city authorities, the building has been undergoing a radical green makeover in recent years. The project includes retrofitting the existing building plus new construction. As a result, the energy use has been cut by 77%. The energy used for heating is 81% lower than the Italian building code, and the energy used for cooling is 21% lower than the average consumption in Italy.
"The project aims to create a quality public facility with high level performance and low energy consumption, providing a comfortable attractive environment for children, family members and staff. In recognition of the impressive esults, the project has been honoured with several top green building awards in Italy, as well as on a European level," says Paolo Migliavacca, head of the ROCKWOOL Group's marketing activities in Italy.
Hot summers and cold winters
Proper insulation is, of course, a vital part of the energy concept behind the green makeover. Energy effi ciency in buildings is just as important in warm climates as in cold ones. In this case, ROCKWOOL insulation helps to keep the temperature stable in a climate that varies from hot summers to cold winters. A number of technical measures are also being implemented. These include a ground water heat pump for heating and sanitary hot water, night time ventilation, photovoltaic panels and natural skylight ventilation, to mention just some examples.
The architectural shape is quite unconventional and very attractive to children with curved roof surfaces. The project also comprises functional internal and external spaces such as classrooms, multifunctional areas and gardens.
