Abstract:

The research has both theoretic and operational contents. By a theoretic point of view, it intends to set inside a system the many different parameters apt to measure serviceable qualities of school buildings, through their double aspect of “physical structures” and of most delicate instruments moulded for children education.
By the operational point of view, it intends to evaluate Milan municipality’s school buildings property, in line with parameters defined little by little, and to individualize some sampling edifices of peculiar significance, by which reach the most generalizable indications for theoretic- processing interventions as possible.

The work assumes as postulate the fact that physical environment, thought of as a “complex”, made of contrasts and phenomenologically clear sensorial overlappings, has a fundamental importance in the learning process. Such importance acquires today a specific value regarding to:
a) environment emergency and consequent need to refine in an ecological perspective the very tools of the project, to give answers to problems, (such as those linked to materials healthiness and their impact on the environment, or consuming energy control; such as need of flexible use of space, or careful control of relations with the context, and children cultural dis-homogeneity)
b) the prevailing presence, all around Italy and specifically in Milan, of an already existing building property, with consequent need to provide a planning mostly oriented towards recuperation.

In its more specifically operational aspect the research means to assume as field of interest the school buildings property of Milan municipality. A property that at present shows highly critical features and requires endless adapting interventions, also consequently to issuing of new either sectorial laws or more general laws, like laws referring to energy saving.
Theorical and practical aspects of our research have been developped at the same time, as the first are necessary premise to comprehension of the last. A peculiar care has been dedicated to three aspects of the problem to face:
a) the typological plant, set as interpretational moment, as a connecting bridge between phisical technical, pedagogic and perception aspects.
b) the perception qualities in space supplied by individualization of the more significant and delicate moments in school day for children.
c) phisical qualities of handmade items, assessed mostly by compliance to energy re-qualification of shell targets.

In compliance with the above mentioned, work has developped following different research lines:
a) bibliographic analysis about history and evolution of conception of school organism up to most recent years.
b) collecting indications from excellence samples valuable for orienting pedagogic setting according with the current social system.
c) analysis and syistematization of Milan municipality’s school buildings property, classified according to construction historical period, construction system and didactic level.
d) index rating, fundamental to list buildings and outsourcing emerging qualities to be found in the various prearranged groups.
e) elaborating re-qualification proposals by suggestion of “technological packs”, compared and sifted in step with hygrometric verification, analysis of economical benefit, and analysis of embodied energy peculiar to individualized materials.

Keywords:

sustainable renovation school buildings.