July 7 – “Italy is one of those European countries where construction quality is the worst: illegal constructions, degraded suburbs, poorly constructed buildings, insecure and energy-intensive ones… It ‘s time to give a clear signal that the wind has changed, that we’re rethinking the best sustainable living models” says Chiara Tonelli, Professor of Architectural Technology in the Department of Architecture of the University of Roma Tre. Tonelli coordinated the first Italian project to enter Solar Decathlon, an international university-level competition to design and build high-energy efficient buildings. The event is held in Versailles and it’s already been a success for the Italian team: RhOME for denCity, the eco-home designed as a housing solution to upgrade the outskirts of the Italian capital, won the first prize in the social housing category and arrived second in the overall standings. Although it wasn’t one of Solar Decathlon’s scoreboard competitions, it was a nice recognition for the Italian team and it certainly demonstrates the appreciation for their project by Cecodhas, the European Agency for Social Housing. “It is important that the RhOME for denCity project – explains Tonelli – once the international competition is over, doesn’t remain a prototype, but becomes a real house to rehabilitate a degraded area in the outskirts of Rome. For this reason, we hope that all the positive attention arrives to our institutions back home. We are convinced that this is a great opportunity for the architecture and the economy of our country, and to jump-start the construction industry into quality.”
