Reuse and energy retrofit of the former Olivetti company canteen in Ivrea: economic enhancement scenarios and methodologies

The Olivetti heritage, of the 20th century, emerges today as an icon of the industrial and social architectural movement of the time and therefore needs to be preserved and enhanced. These architectural assets, designed and built by great exponents of the Modern Movement, often present recurrent problems linked to high energy consumption. Among these, an emblematic case is the former Olivetti company canteen building in Ivrea, which was built in 1961 by architect and engineer Ignazio Gardella and is an integral part of the site recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The aim of the article is to illustrate the methodological approach adopted in order to structure a project able to combine on the one hand, the needs related to a the whole redevelopment of the asset and, on the other hand, the technological requirements necessary for its energy retrofit. Starting from the definition of a "base scenario" and 8 scenarios corresponding to alternative technological solutions for the energy retrofit of the building envelope protected by the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Turin, the energy requirement and the consequent primary energy saving were calculated with respect to the actual condition of the building. Through the joint application of Life Cycle Cost Analysis and Discounted Cash Flow, the most convenient design scenario from the energy point of view was identified and its feasibility and economic-financial convenience were assessed. These analyses therefore supported the definition of redevelopment and energy retrofit project through both a technological updating and improvement of the level of general comfort, and the total respect of the protection and preservation of the asset.