INTEGRATED
ENGINEERING
AND ARCHITECTURE

The primitive Town Hall was situated among the seventeenth-century buildings forming the Palazzata, a Baroque-style structure destroyed in the earthquake of 1783. Reconstruction commenced in December 1914 under the guidance of Palermo architect Antonio Zanca, and ended in 1924. The neoclassical building spans approximately 12,000 m2. Notably, this project was fully executed during the Covid-19 emergency, facilitated by the BIM methodology used in its design and a cohesive, well-coordinated team. The project involved 3D modelling based on geometric, photographic, and laser scanner surveys, resulting in a point cloud representation of both the exteriors and interiors. For the architectural component, two geo-referenced models were created: one for the historic building and another for the new construction. Subsequently, detailed 3D modelling was conducted for key elements such as external and internal walls, staircases, rooms, elevators, intermediate and roofing floors, windows, doors, and parapets. This meticulous process facilitated excellent coordination between architects and engineers. The project aimed to harmonise energy efficiency requirements with the preservation of the listed building, thereby enhancing its asset value and improving working conditions and environmental comfort. The decision was made to address the building component by replacing the external fixtures while faithfully preserving the original facade. This included replacing some fixtures on the roof and cladding the perimeter walls of the office building with an external insulation system. Additionally, there was an energy retrofit of the plant component of both buildings, and a photovoltaic system was installed on the flat roof of the historic building. The panels were mounted in islands rather than in a continuous array to minimise the visual impact from above. The system was inclined in such a way that makes it inconspicuous from the side street.