Alone 16 years old Pablo Gentile he created a Passivhaus model in the Mediterranean area for the European competition «Young people and science». A self-sustaining building, capable of significantly containing energy consumption without using traditional heating systems. Pablo is the only one Venetoas well as the student younger, to have managed to access the national selection of the competition in Milan by competing against 22 other students from all over Italy. With his project he won over the jury that has it rewarded with participation in the Science Europe Expo in Sarajevo in Bosnia from 14 to 21 July. On that occasion the Passivhaus by Pablo will have to deal with other projects scientific of students coming from all over the world. The young man also received a certificate of merit from USAID, a United States government agency for international development, founded in 1961 by President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
The challenge
Pablo he is studying mechanics and mechatronics to Isiss Luciano Dal Cero of Saint Boniface, in the province of Verona. The great result in Milan came after entire afternoons spent at school even until 7pm and a few nights up, combining homework and football training three times a week. However, the design and construction of buildings are at home. This passion was in fact transmitted to him by architect mother whom Pablo accompanies on some occasions on inspections, having fun taking measurements of the homes. «When my mathematics teacher Corrado Gisondi proposed me to participate in the competition I immediately accepted as I am a great architecture enthusiast – says Pablo -. We only had a month. The challenge was to adapt a house model, namely the PassivHausdesigned for places with very harsh external climates to a warmer climate such as the Mediterranean one. I did several thermal analyzes trying to adapt some characteristics to my project and also taking inspiration from the recent renovations of my current home.”
The solutions
And so Pablo, under the supervision of Professor Gisondi, designed a single-family house of 500 square meters for 5 people with the basement with cellar and ironing room, the ground floor for the living area with living room, kitchen and a small bedroom with bathroom and a first floor with two bathrooms, 3 bedrooms and an open space with roof garden. «At the suggestion of Professor Gisondi I decided to build the house in the municipality of Avellino in Campania, since he knows the climate of that area well – explains Pablo -. However, I had to adopt some precautions compared to the traditional Passivhaus model. I have reduced the portion of glass from 60% to 40% e inserted a thermal coat which never stops up to the frame of the fixtures. I then used gods thermal circuit breakersas well as having included protruding elements and deciduous plants in the project, so that the sun’s rays can be exploited to the fullest to heat the house in winter and keep it cool in summer”.
