Old Construction and New Technologies. An Experiment for the “Borgata” of Syracuse

Old Construction and New Technologies. An Experiment for the “Borgata” of Syracuse Fernanda CANTONE,1 Francesca CASTAGNETO,1 Vittorio FIORE1 (1) SDS Architettura e Patrimonio culturale, University of Catania, Siracusa, Italy fernanda.cantone@unict.it francesca.castagneto@unict.it vittorio.fiore@unict.it Abstract Attention to existing assets is a contemporary imperative. The architectural project on the identity of the historical building needs to confront the contents of technological innovation, providing a contemporary vision of the old/new relationship. Through the use of natural materials, you can make an important contribution to the theme, also to rethink and build in an ecological key because these are fields that affect the environment. They affect resources and energy consumption. The choice to use natural materials, recyclable and easily available, such as clays suitable for the technique of raw earth, can represent a virtuous response. The raw earth technique is now a tool of innovation through 3D printing, able to optimize the production process. The proposed experimentation concerns a part of the urban fabric of Syracuse, the Borgata, nineteenth-century expansion of the historic center. The urban scheme is a closed block. In particular the study focuses on incomplete corner lots because they lack the second floor. The research involves the study of the identity characters of nineteenth-century buildings and the completion of dwellings, according to the principles of bioclimatic architecture, using prefabricated elements in raw earth. It is a process that enhances the existing building and offers a traditional technology in a contemporary and historical context