Implementing the lesson of early 20th century traditional buildings for a real sustainability. The examples of Corviale (Rome) and ZEN (Palermo) districts

Abstract

The lesson of the early Italian 20th Century vernacular/traditional buildings and districts by ICP (Social Housing Institute), which were quickly and inexpensively built, suggests the right way to improve our cities while  respecting the environment. Moreover, the socio-economic strategy of those days shows what we can do to re-train artisans and generate a vast artisanship, which could reduce the restoration costs of our heritage. As matter of fact that wise way of building aimed not only at providing new decorous houses, but also at generating labor and reducing the future maintenance costs. The success and durability of the buildings of those districts were not accidental: their authors’ assessments, as well as the urban rules conceived on those days, show that everything was carefully planned of a great thanks to an interdisciplinary approach. The use of traditional masonry, that does not need to wait for the hardening times of concrete to be loaded, allowed the quick constructions of those buildings: for instance 6 months for 44 houses of the district San Saba and only 4 for the entire Lot 24 of the Garbatella. These traditional masonry houses, whose revalued building costs were roughly 50% less than current ones, have not needed to be restored for over 100 years and are among the most sought after houses in real estate, (€/sqm 11,000, like in the historical center). Furthermore, the wise construction policy of those days shows us how we can solve the problem of housing, earning public profits from it rather than increasing public debt. The cases studied in this paper regard the projects for the urban regeneration of two wretched suburbs, in Rome and Palermo. They both show how, thanks to the simple reuse of the pre-Fascist laws and tools, as well as of traditional masonry, we can achieve the above-mentioned program