Le case eoliane di Filicudi: un esempio di architettura spontanea sostenibile. The Aeolian houses of Filicudi: an example of spontaneous sustainable architecture

The Aeolian houses of Filicudi: an example of spontaneous sustainable architecture. The sustainability of the architecture is one of the more pursued topics in recent times. In the past, this goal was not a achievement but a necessity, due to the scarcity of the available resources. Also it was obtained without the set of complex techniques that nowadays are used to improve and evaluate the energy saving levels. In the Aeolian Islands archipelago one can find one of the better example in this sense. Here a specific building type was developed, according to the climate condition and the necessity to use local building materials: the Aeolian Home. This kind of building is formed by square, simple volumes, built with rough castings of lava rock masonry, finished with lime plaster. It has a flat roof, to channel the rain-water to the underground cistern. It has a terrace in front covered by a cane roofing, placed only during the summer season. It has a double opening system: windows for illumination and holes (squared or circular) for ventilation. All elements have been modelled from the time and from the builders’ intelligence but appear imposed by law (see Dir. 2002/91/CE). In the article it has been verified trough a specific study case in Filicudi island, where the described characteristics are more diffuse and accentuated. It is clear that the Aeolian Home is very close to the Passive House standard, especially in the version studied for the Mediterranean climate conditions.