Nearly Zero Energy Heritage: taboo or challenge?

Architectural heritage has been considered as one of highest peaks of Italian culture and its universities as a point of excellence in conservation and restoration. However, they have not been able to fully address contemporary challenges, responding to demands of energy saving and raising of comfort levels. The achievement of NZEB standards in historic buildings, especially those protected by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, is still considered taboo – if not a dangerous technical drift. An ongoing project on an 18th Century small listed building is animated by a different spirit; here the traditional conservative approach has been integrated with specialists in energy efficiency. The proposed contribution aims to present an example striving to become indicative of best practice, while highlighting in particular the conflicts concerning material conservation, enhancement of cultural significance and needs for new use, as well as the possibility to overcome some cultural barriers through creativity and innovation.