Abitare la fragilità: strategie per la messa in sicurezza del patrimonio edilizio esistente

The themes of energy saving and sustainability head the list of all the policy statements on development, issued by governments throughout Europe and many other countries in the world. We are forever being called upon to change our lifestyle and our ideas of well-being that are causing an exaggerated and ever increasing waste of energy and resources, while the overall impact of the human species on natural systems continues to grow. Even the construction sector which apparently seems to have a secondary role, due to the fact that it “generates” production, consumption and services, but also because it is subject to other types of pollution, is in reality of central interest and, rightly, can be given a primary role. The most recent regulations invite us to “build in a sustainable way”, re-appropriating the set of themes that have been forgotten for too long such as the direct relationship with the natural system on which we intervene. Recent legislation also encourages us to optimize material and technical-constructive characteristics relating to safety, to use passive systems in order to make buildings functional and to employ natural air conditioning. Safeguarding our country from all points of view is now a duty. Being aware of the risks is a necessary prerequisite to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of a territory. This awareness must be channeled into an individual and collective responsibility, and into the programming of strategies which will prove to be decisive for the community.