Bocconi Urban Campus
The new Bocconi Urban Campus, is one of the major urban projects over the last years with the highest architetural quality.
The Project
Bocconi, a private University of Milan, launched a project in 2012 for a new campus designed by the Japanese architecture firm SANAA. The site measures 35,000 m2; only half will be occupied, while the remaining area will be dedicated to outdoor areas and green spaces. The new campus, located in the south of the city centre, will include a 300-bed residence hall, the new headquarters of the Bocconi School Management, a park and a multi-purpose centre featuring an Olympic swimming pool.
The Hydronic Challenge
The new Bocconi Urban Campus is one of the significant urban projects over the last years with the highest architectural quality. The Campus is part of a broader development that considers environmental sustainability, energy savings, and optimal landscaping in the context of Milan’s zone 5, revisiting the porticos and the cloisters of historical Milanese palaces with a modern twist. A sense of transparency and openness is fostered with exterior walls and an undulating translucent screen. One of the most critical aspects of this project is that all buildings are NZEB (Near Zero Energy Buildings) in compliance with European guideline EPCB (2010/10/UE).
The Solution
To obtain this target, several construction expedients had to be combined, including thermal isolation and the construction of large openings in each building. This was designed to guarantee maximum exposure to natural light and ventilation. In addition, photovoltaic modules were installed for the production of renewable energy.
A very innovative and delicate HVAC system was designed, focused on a condensation ring, where all the heat pumps (located in the different buildings composing the project) condense or evaporate. Depending on the system loads, the condensation ring is kept in balance with central heat pumps or heat exchangers that condense/evaporate on the ground-water system. The condensation ring is very delicate from the balancing point of view, and that’s why the consultant chose to work with IMI Hydronic Engineering and rely on its experience and the support of ESC.
The system is a 4-pipe system with change-over for each manifold (for underfloor and ceiling radiant system). All the terminals, AHU, fan coils and ceiling/underfloor radiant heating/cooling are equipped with Pressure independent control valves in tandem with digitally configurable actuators TA-Slider. For the change-over solution, TA-Modulator + TA-Slider 160 + TA-6-way valve integrated solution was chosen because it is easy to install and commission thanks to the click-connect cable and App configuration.