ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE RESTORATION AND REUSE PROJECT OF AN OLD COUNTRY HOUSE.

The preservation and the redevelopment of Italian rural houses aims to preserve the Country memory, it is a way to reduce the consumption of land and a contribute to the revival of the construction industry and of the entire green economy. Rural architecture is the result of the centuries-old experience that has led to the refinement of construction techniques and the use of local materials, so its study is important for the development of an architecture that is "conscious" in all its phases, design, construction, maintenance, and eventual disposal. The restoration project aims to recover a land area of 9 hectares in Casalvecchio Siculo (Messina, Sicily), where it will rise, a farm holiday center, including rooms, restaurant, barns and stables, productive activities (wine, limoncello, cheese, jams) and a theme park of essences. Project approach to sustainability is based on five points. The analysis of the place, climate, topography, local materials, historic building techniques, native plant species. The use of traditional materials and techniques for the integration of the historical structure. The choice of bio-materials, such as blond cork and wood fiber, for the adaptation to the standards of minimum thermal transmittance, and for the reduction of consumption. Dry assembly for new buildings (glass, wood, steel) to make a slight and reversible intervention, which allows a phase of prefabrication and the use of low-emission and recyclable materials. The application of a Correct Maintenance through special handbooks for managers and users. Finally, the main goals are to investigate how the environment has influenced rural architecture, to understand how new certification protocols can be applied to the Italian rural houses, to witness how a reuse project can give an input to the local production.