Recupero e riuso di edifici dismessi da destinare a residenze universitarie. Un caso di studio a Catania

The presence of large disused buildings, often very numerous also within the historic town centres and not always ofconsiderable architectural value, is a common characteristic of many Italian towns.The final aim of the research regards the development of a methodology of intervention relating to the sustainable recoveryand reuse of disused urban non-residential buildings to allocate university residences. This method provides the identificationof the requirements and performance, in terms of accessibility, safety, comfort and sustainability, that the buildings shouldensure for their reuse.A first application of this method referred to a building realized with traditional construction techniques, already destined tocinema, located in a district next the historical centre of Catania, which is proposed to reuse as university residence throughthe design of rehabilitation interventions. The proposed approach applies dimensional standard for university residences andenvironmental sustainability principles focussing on the integration between functional recovery of the building andimprovement of its energy performance and static safety.