Former Nardari College in Treviso: renovation to ensure comfort and air quality

The Former Nardari College: a Piece of History in Treviso

Dating back to the early 20th century and located in the heart of the city of Treviso, the former Nardari college represents a piece of the city's architectural history. The building, heavily bombed during World War II and poorly reconstructed in the post-war period, has recently undergone a significant recovery intervention that has allowed its conversion into residential use. The project, conceived and directed by the Archi-Plan studio in Montebelluna (TV), has managed to restore prestige and purpose to the building, preserving its authenticity and original formal characteristics but requalifying it from an architectural point of view to bring it up to the highest standards of regulatory and residential comfort.

Renovation and Sustainability

The works involved all the structural parts of the building - foundations, perimeter walls, staircase, floors, roof - and included the improvement of thermal insulation systems, the installation of photovoltaic panels, and the replacement of shutters and fixtures. The previous systems have been completely replaced: in particular, a centralized thermal system consisting of a hybrid system with a heat pump and a condensing boiler has been installed. Always with the aim of ensuring maximum indoor comfort for the residents, the intervention also included the management of internal air exchange for the four residential units of the building, where decentralized Helty Flow40 VMC machines were installed.

Technological Solutions and Residential Comfort

“We have considered the logic of internal comfort with insulation, also inserting an acoustic wall for isolation between units - commented Mauro Favaro, from the Archi+Plan studio. In this context, a system of air exchange through non-centralized units has been studied, for a logic of thickness containment, and we have installed machinery that was perfectly integrated even externally, taking into account the constraints for a historic building.” Thanks to the flexibility in the design phase and the simplicity of installation, the Helty Flow40 VMC systems proved to be the most suitable choice, as well as the least invasive.

Helty Flow40 Technology: Efficiency and Minimal Impact

At the facade level, this technology "blends in" within the wall, leaving only two small external grilles visible for airflow management. No ductwork, piping, or false ceilings: by minimizing both the footprint and aesthetic impact, Flow 40 represents the ideal solution for retrofit projects, even in historical or condominium buildings.

Moisture and Air Quality Control

The presence of Helty machines has also allowed for constant monitoring of indoor humidity in each residence, avoiding the risk of mold from condensation and preserving the integrity and value of the property. "The building is classified as A4, ensuring high thermal comfort," explained architect Andrea Fassina of Archi+Plan. "To achieve these high performances, we needed greater control over air and humidity in the spaces. We chose this Helty dual continuous flow system that allows us to extract indoor air outward, exchanging it with fresh air coming in, recovering the thermal energy that would otherwise be lost."

FOCUS: air exchange and humidity control

Helty Flow40 is an effective and versatile solution to ensure air exchange in every room and monitor indoor humidity, without the need for bulky centralized systems and without sacrificing an important part of the living space. This technology is designed to be recessed into the masonry, leaving only the visible cover with the control panel for ventilation functions. The precise installation in each room allows for adjusting the machine's functions and performance according to the actual needs of the different areas of the house.

A double F7+G4/G2 filter ensures air filtration and purification, preventing the entry of pollen, pollutants, and especially fine dust particles such as PM10 and PM2.5. The heat in the outgoing air is recovered up to 91% by the enthalpy heat exchanger with double flow and is used to heat the incoming air, thus avoiding energy waste. Flow40 offers air flows ranging from 10 to 42 m3/h and also comes with a hygrometric sensor for humidity detection and automatic ventilation regulation. Flow40 is also available in the Pure version, which, in addition to the features mentioned, includes an additional sensor for detecting CO2 and VOC levels in the room and Wi-Fi control via the Air Guard app.