Rome, October 2024. Urban Heat Islands significantly impact the summer electricity consumption in the Ostiense district, mainly due to the intensive use of cooling devices such as air conditioners and fans. The intense heat is also a consequence of the urban configuration: extensive mineral and sealed surfaces absorb heat, thus overheating the atmosphere. The result is an uncomfortable microclimate, sometimes harmful to health, both in open spaces and inside homes. The field of bioclimatic architecture and urban planning offers various design solutions to mitigate these effects.
The research group, in collaboration with the local municipality, is conducting several experiments with climate mitigation devices in public spaces. These interventions aim both to reduce the effects of Urban Heat Islands and to serve as social hubs where awareness of the climate-energy relationship can be spread.
A low-albedo paint coating was applied to reduce heat absorption. This initiative also served as an opportunity to test the feasibility of such interventions in Rome’s public spaces and to engage with the local community.
The first intervention involved transforming a large asphalt sidewalk in front of a local school. Together with a group of students, a low-albedo paint coating was applied to reduce heat absorption. This initiative also served as an opportunity to test the feasibility of such interventions in Rome’s public spaces and to engage with the local community.
A second intervention led to the creation of a cooling and shading installation to be placed in public spaces. The structure consists of a small pool with a pergola, fed by the numerous free-flowing public fountains scattered throughout Rome. In fact, the typical “nasoni” fountains, which distribute public water across the city, are supplied by a continuous-flow aqueduct. This intervention enhances this resource by storing fresh water, which functions both as a climate-regulating element and as a convivial space where people can cool off and find relief in the public space. All experiments have a triple purpose: to test and measure the effectiveness of heat reduction in urban spaces, redevelop open spaces with conviviality devices, generate opportunities to spread awareness.
