COMUNITÀ CONTATTO - PROGETTO FRIDA

COMUNITÀ CONTATTO - PROGETTO FRIDA: SITE RECONFIGURATION AND ENERGY UPGRADE

Forte Rossarol | superbonus 100 | energy retrofit | ambito tutelato | riqualificazione energetica | accessibility | social architecture | sustainability | spatial identity

Area Forte Rossarol, Tessera (VE)

2022-2024

with arch. Giulia Vaccari - design collaborator

with ing. Stefano Borsoi - technical consultant and qualified certifier

technichians:

Divisione Energia S.r.l. - thermal system design

p.i. Stefano Battistella - photovoltaic system design

The project focuses on the energy, architectural, and landscape redevelopment of a complex of eight buildings located within the decommissioned military area of Forte Rossarol, home to the Frida Project—a care program dedicated to women dealing with addiction issues.

The healthcare facility has been created within original 1940s structures known as Riservette: simple, single-story buildings with gable roofs, large entrance doors, and circular stylized rose windows on the shorter façades. These buildings are arranged perpendicularly along a central road, following a typical military urban layout.

Prior to the intervention, the buildings had undergone various functional upgrades that had compromised their original appearance: inconsistent finishes, loss of defining architectural features, and the erasure of the central road’s foundational role.

The project, developed in collaboration with the Heritage Authority (Soprintendenza) and implemented with incentives from Italy’s 110% Superbonus program, has restored stylistic coherence to the entire complex, making it both accessible and energy self-sufficient. The work included the removal of architectural barriers and energy efficiency upgrades such as new thermal systems, external insulation, replacement of windows and doors, and installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofs.

These interventions not only resulted in architectural renewal but also in a comprehensive landscape redesign, guided by an integrated vision that harmonized technological elements with the architectural project through coordinated efforts among various specialists.

The choice of terracotta red for the façades—similar to the color of the roof tiles—brings visual unity to the complex, enhancing the simplicity of the volumes and referencing their military heritage through a carefully considered chromatic uniformity. The color echoes the tone of the original exposed brickwork used in the construction of the buildings.

Original wooden elements—such as the shutter panels on the large doors, rose windows, and roof trusses—were preserved and restored. Where possible, the façades’ window and door openings, previously altered by interior partitions, were returned to their original proportions. New window frames were designed with large panes and mullion divisions that align with the internal layout, offering a more ordered and balanced appearance.

Outdoor areas were also redesigned. The central road has been transformed into a pedestrian pathway with a narrower section—still accessible to service vehicles—connecting the entrances of all buildings. The flat, continuous path links residential units with communal and service spaces, ensuring full accessibility for people with reduced mobility and eliminating the previously necessary ramps at each building entrance.

The pavement, made of permeable biostrasse material in a color gradient matching the terracotta red façades, was set back from the building fronts to recover the original layout, now lost. This setback created small green spaces between the buildings and the pathway, providing privacy for rooms facing the outdoors and articulating the open space. Wider paved areas were created at building entrances to form resting spots and guide pedestrian flow, clearly marking access to communal facilities.

A double row of medium-sized trees along the central path provides shade without compromising the efficiency of the photovoltaic panels. The green areas adjacent to the buildings host clusters of ornamental shrubs and low-maintenance perennials, adding touches of color throughout the site.

Together, these interventions have transformed the central road into a shared, livable space for residents, enriched with new lighting and outdoor furniture. Parking areas, located at either end of the complex and equipped with electric vehicle charging stations, have been visually screened with hardy shrubs that blend into the new landscape design.

The project also included the refurbishment and furnishing of several indoor spaces, such as common rooms and the dining hall, creating more welcoming and functional environments.