Without wanting to make generalizations, historic buildings built by our grandparents have two major problems:
- seismic resistance;
- Lack of insulation.
There are two typical shortcomings of traditional stone or brick masonry. These are materials that have high transmittance and high mass, which produces high seismic strength.
Wood therefore could be a valuable ally in improving existing buildings by alleviating its deficiencies with inexpensive drywall interventions that are quick and easy to implement.
Structural wood is the perfect ally for curing the deficiencies of old masonry
Here, for example, is an intervention we are carrying out inside an existing building with a beautiful roof line.
The building was originally a manufacturing workshop from the early 1900s, being located within an urban context it no longer lends itself to its original function. The new use is affected by the tertiarization of the area.
Thus, without changing the appearance of the building and enhancing its strengths such as the beautiful wooden structure, we worked with an internal wooden skeleton equipped with insulation ensuring:
- a new capacity for resilience
- Subdividing spaces both vertically and horizontally
- Equipping the building with new toilets and facilities.
We carried out the works, thanks to the rapid assembly of the wooden structures, in less than a month and on a very limited budget providing a work space for a professional activity of about 10 employees. Thanks to the generous thickness of mineral wool insulation we brought the ‘building to Class A, eliminated gas and brought the building to passive house levels.
The new lighting is designed with a low-consumption lighting system using LED technology. The appropriately counter-vented wooden skeleton ensures a seismic-resistant capsule in which to work daily.