The Italian port city of Bari is located on the Adriatic Sea embedded in Mediterranean vegetation. A residential building was to be created that would fit into this environment. And at the same time sustainable, ecological and efficient - these were the requirements for the "Nicole 340" residence.
Urban living in green surroundings
The "Nicole 340" apartment building consists of three above-ground floors, each with four residential units, and one as a garage in the basement. The apartments on the first floor have a spacious outdoor area and a garden, which is intended to increase the quality of life and standard of living of the residents. In addition, the apartments on the first and second floor all have their own balcony and loggia. The two apartments on the second floor, on the other hand, have a direct connection with the roof garden.
The special feature of the house: the main and entrance facades are covered with a vertical garden - which is an eye-catcher due to the color difference of the green of the planters and the white of the facade.
Efficient and sustainable building system
After the design phase was completed in the second half of 2020, construction could begin as early as January 2021. The building was constructed with Ytong ClimaPlus and Climagold blocks. These are particularly well suited to produce insulated single-layer masonry. There, the blocks are laid and bonded with the Ytong bonding mortar (the Ytong FIX N200) onto the pre-existing reinforced concrete structure.
But the choice fell on these materials for other reasons: they are lightweight, easy to handle and simple to process on the construction site. In addition, they are non-combustible, pollutant-free and sound-insulating. Additional thermal insulation was also not necessary.
Building materials with a positive eco-balance
In addition, due to its natural composition from raw materials such as sand, lime and cement and water, Ytong autoclaved aerated concrete has a positive eco-balance, which is confirmed by the EPD environmental labels that are recognized and valid throughout Europe.
In June 2022, the construction could already be completed, which can also be attributed to the materials used: the aerated concrete blocks help to optimize the laying times on the construction site and thus save costs.