The energy efficiency challenge for a historical building undergone to seismic and energy refurbishment

The renovation of historical buildings assumes a crucial role in the renovation processes of a historical city, and it is important to foresee appropriate interventions. A case study in L'Aquila city center is proposed in this work. The building, belonging to listed buildings for its historical value, being built in the 1930s, underwent to seismic and energy refurbishment, since it was damaged by the earthquake of 2009. The solution proposed aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the structure, by using an additional insulating layer, made of natural material (i.e. hemp), on the inside of the wall. The ceilings of the unheated spaces have been insulated, too, by using pure cellulose flocks. Moreover, an endothermic membrane has been employed on the external walls of the building. Analyses on the envelope were carried out by using thermographic inspections, performed both in summer and in winter seasons, and by measuring the total thermal transmittance of the wall assembly before and after the refurbishment with the help of a heat flow meter.