Casa dell’ortolano

Ferrara
2021 / 2025

Client: Municipality ofFerrara

Photographs / Render: binariolab archive

• Structural design

• Safety coordination during design and execution

• Structural and plant engineering works management

• LEED Historic Building GBC Environmental Sustainability Protocol Application

Casa dell'Ortolano

The structural project was included in the development of the rural complex, located inside the ancient walls of Ferrara, known as the “Casa dell’Ortolano”, literally the “Greengrocer’s House”. Binariolab was initially responsible for the safety of the two buildings: the “former farmhouse” and “former stable” and, subsequently, for the recovery and consolidation of both, with the aim of obtaining a guest house, a refreshment area and a multi-purpose hall.

A gentle design approach was adopted, favoring the use of natural techniques and materials that respect the historical character of the site, such as expanded clay ventilated crawl spaces, hemp fiber insulation, clay lining walls and plasters, and solid wood floors.

The project incorporates rainwater harvesting, which will be used to irrigate the future vegetable gardens. Additionally, both buildings will be equipped with a heat pump heating and cooling system, integrated with a photovoltaic system.

The project achieved GBC Historic Buildings Silver Certification.

The intended use of the 'Ex Residence' building remains residential, in line with its existing state. Specifically, the project provides for the creation of housing units. A masonry portion, which was severely damaged, was demolished and rebuilt in timber. Within this volume, the client planned service spaces on the ground floor and a fitness area on the upper terrace.

The structural project involved consolidating the existing timber floors, completely rebuilding the roof, replacing deteriorated lintels with new timber sections, consolidating existing flat brick arches, and constructing a reinforced ground slab to tie the masonry walls together and remediate the subgrade soil.

Regarding the 'Ex Barn' building, a seismic retrofit was carried out to adapt the structure to its new intended use (a guesthouse/inn on the ground floor and a multipurpose hall on the first floor).

The main interventions include: masonry consolidation, stitch-and-glue repair (scuci-cuci) to restore masonry continuity, steel frame bracing (cerchiatura) of existing openings on the ground floor, confinement of existing ground-floor masonry pillars using FRCM systems (Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Matrix), installation of new steel columns, stiffening of the existing intermediate floor (I-beams and brick vaults) via a composite reinforced concrete slab topping, reconstruction of a floor section on the west side, complete replacement of the roof with solid timber main beams, joists, double wood decking, and insulation, and the construction of a new steel staircase.