Energy restoration and retrofitting. Rethinking restoration projects by means of a reversibility/sustainability assessment

In Italy, the 1980's and 1990's were the most fruitful timeframe for the debate on urban and monumental restoration; many valuable experimental interventions were made, which proved to be useful for the identification and finalization of methodological and operational strategies. In view of the subsequent technological evolution, such interventions and adjustments have shown to be of particular impact. Furthermore, the actual requirements need not only to replace obsolete installations but also to implement and upgrade the so-called reversibility criteria of such restoration interventions while integrating them with a new sustainability assessment and verification in terms of environmental, economic and energy sustainability. In this paper we describe two case studies of particular significance: (1) recovery and conversion of the former Convento di S. Croce (Turin) as university faculty; (2) preservative restoration of the Chiesa e Coro di Santa Pelagia (Turin). 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS.