Dhomo: quality of living

Dhomo is a unique research project, a real full-scale construction site-laboratory, which has enabled the formulation of innovative products not only from a technical point of view but also in terms of the philosophy around which they were conceived: to contribute to the living wellness and well-being of the people who inhabit the spaces. Developed in collaboration with the University of Trento and a select network of trusted partners, involved both scientifically and technologically, from design to implementation, Dhomo is a concrete example of how much today's construction choices can influence tomorrow's living well-being.

The Dhomo project was born and has its roots in the needs of a group of companies that not only decided to evolve and change their approach, but also to bring new, concrete, and scientific solutions to the market. The construction world is shifting its focus to the issue of living comfort, but how can this be measured scientifically? And how can we define replicable parameters in projects that are truly sustainable and guarantee well-being? The construction market still does not talk or act enough about how architectural, construction, and design solutions can really influence not only our health but also our actual perception of well-being. Dhomo, therefore, aims to answer these questions by conducting research on aspects that have been little analyzed so far, with a view to sharing the experience with the players in the process.

Research into living comfort is being put into practice in the Dhomo project, afull-scale construction site-laboratoryconsisting of six buildings, named A, B, C, D, E, and F, built using different construction techniques. Before delving into the specifics of the project, it is worth defining living comfort as "a psychophysical condition in which an individual expresses satisfaction with the microclimate."

With the aim of analytically defining living comfort and formulating high-performance products with direct and real effects on the quality of living, a complex of residential buildings with different construction technologies but which, in terms of shape, surface area, exposure and orientation, are totally comparable to each other was constructed. This made it possible to analyze and compare the data collected, thanks to an advanced system of probes placed in place during construction, to determine the best technologies in terms of living comfort and formulate new natural, healthy and breathable products.

There are three fundamental aspects of the project that make itunique in the research landscape:

1. the construction ofreal buildings intended for residential use, as opposed to the classic studio modules used for similar experiments, which will allow the behavior of materials and systems to be analyzed in a real and complex environment, perfectly matching the operating conditions common to every building;
2. theperfect comparabilityof the buildings under study: these buildings are comparable in terms of shape, size, surface area, and exposure, thus eliminating as many variables as possible and collecting data that is as accurate and comparable as possible, in order to carry out an accurate analysis and draw scientifically valid conclusions;
3. A comprehensive approach to comfort, in all its aspects, both subjective and objective: it is important to be aware of the different nature of the parameters to be monitored: on the one hand, there are physiological parameters, which can be divided into four main areas, namely thermo-hygrometric, visual, acoustic, and air quality; on the other hand, there are parameters related to quality, such as the view to the outside.

‍

The research project began with an initial phase of data monitoring during the construction of the buildings, which allowed for the analysis of the behavior of the structures, finishes, and systems by comparing, for example, the results obtained from the use of different products, natural or mechanical ventilation, convective or radiant systems, and home automation or manual management.

In addition to monitoring buildings under construction, a dynamic model will be developed in parallel using TRNSYS software from the University of Trento, which will allow dynamic simulations to be carried out on the behavior of buildings in other conditions. The ability to calibrate this model using data acquired from real buildings will ensure that the results provided by the model are as close to reality as possible.

Over the following year, this data was supplemented by an analysis of the actual perceived well-being of the families who had moved into the homes. This invaluable wealth of information made it possible to define a holistic integrated index, a sort of unit of measurement with which to determine living comfort, providing Tassullo with unique and difficult-to-replicate expertise, giving it a competitive advantage in supporting designers and builders engaged in the construction of comfortable and sustainable buildings.