Ariston is acutely aware that 'comfort' is more than just a simple concept. It is a history of more than 7 billion people as the protagonist, because each person can write different stories based on their different places of residence and lifestyle. At the same time, it also gives each story the deep meaning and unique value.
Ariston and Vice cooperated to promote the global project 'Entering the Comfort Zone'. The purpose was to step into these stories intertwined with people, nature and the city, to explore comfort concepts and ideas in every corner of the world. The value and charm of a place to find comfort. Milan, Italy, is the first stop. This is a city that is continuing to develop. Energy saving and harmonious coexistence with the environment have become important topics for urban development. Among them, the change of 49 St. Gregorio Street. This is a true portrayal of this theme.
Change begins with a homeowner's party
49 Gregorio Street is a building more than a hundred years old. Its history gives it its beautiful architectural style, but it cannot make it an energy-efficient living space. There are forty-seven households in the building. There are 120 People, many of whom are middle-aged and elderly, do not seem to have the ideal conditions to start a change. However, this is not the case. In a short period of time, the originally unremarkable building won the Milan’s “sustainability property” 5. Word of mouth, and the transformation of this building began in an owner party in October 2012.
Alfrida has lived here since 1985. The public green space in the yard is her horticultural talents. Many of the plants she has thrown away by her owners are planted on green land. She likes to recycle, which is obviously to promote community sustainability. Development has brought opportunities. Ida La Camera has lived here since 1994. She and Alfrida jointly promoted the ecological transformation project. At that time, the residents of the building were fined for misclassification of garbage, and the city government of Milan was more prepared to implement the kitchen. Apart from the waste sorting and recycling measures, it is clear that they will face new difficulties. Ida and Alfreda understand that they must do something and let everyone rethink their habits. To avoid arguments, they did not organize normal owners' meetings. It was decided to make a party in the yard.
The party has become a turning point in the memory of the residents of the building. The owners are not only very happy, but such meetings have also improved the interpersonal relationships between neighbors, laid the foundation for a new form of harmonious life, and made people understand what is meant for everyone. Good things.
Change is a difficult challenge
After that gathering, the residents of 49 San Gregorio Street carried out a series of changes. They introduced 'extreme' waste separation and recycling measures, including batteries, electrical and electronic waste, coffee capsules and kitchen waste oil. The classification of recycling. Also distributed to all households Funnel cover, convenient for the recovery of waste cooking oil, This kind of funnel cover for a variety of plastic bottles, easy to pour oil, cover will not emit an odor.
The next important step was to replace the old heating system. Energy-efficient heating products and systems helped the building achieve a more comfortable and energy-efficient heating renovation. Ida said: 'From 2014 until now, new heating The system saves us about 30% of the expenses. Visible economic factors are also the key to convincing people to participate in sustainable development. It can bring benefits to all of us. Not only that, we can also consider other things that we can save money from. , For example, we are ready to redo the lighting system in the public area, install LED lights and optoelectronic motion sensors.
It sounds simple, but it is actually a challenge. Alfrida said: 'Here's a lot of elderly people living there. Maybe they are sincere but they don’t want to change or dispose of garbage seriously. So, I often find that something is wrong. The trash can only be picked up and put in the right place. It can be said that these years, I learned to use a smile to explain the mistake, not to get angry. '
Interpersonal relationships and sharing economy are important influence factors for sustainable development
The change that has taken place along with the continuous improvement of the living environment is the interpersonal relationships between neighbors. For example, in addition to being responsible for overseeing the duties of guards such as garbage separation and recycling, Wei Patricio is an exemplary example of helping people in need in the building. This is especially true for elderly people without children. This spirit of mutual assistance will affect more people. For example, he sometimes helps neighbors to go to pharmacies to buy medical equipment. Another household in the building, professional nurse Giampietro has also joined in. Residents here provide medical help.
It is no accident that Alfrida thinks that it is normal to rely on the help of other owners. When she had a pelvic fracture, she always had someone to give her something to eat. This proves that people who live here are willing to help.
Public space is the foundation of all this. It is not only a place for people to rush through, but also a place to stop chatting. There are also many residents’ bicycles here. Ida talked about owners planning to take two-thirds of bicycles that are no longer in use. For people to share, the key is in the concierge. This is actually a community-style shared bicycle. The loft is another display space for sharing spirit. Everyone here holds a meeting of the owners' committee, and it also becomes a space for sharing idle items, such as electric drills. Or potato mashers are placed in the attic for people in need.
Good interpersonal relationship and sharing spirit play a significant role in promoting the sustainable development of old residential buildings. Obviously, if you live in a brand new eco-friendly house, everything becomes easy. On the contrary, if you live in twenty In the beginning of the century, the success of sustainable development projects, the key factors are more dependent on the relationship between people.
Many small things have changed many of the daily lives of 49 San Gregorio Street. To make life more comfortable and environmentally friendly, it is of course important to explore the science and technology of sustainable development, but the closeness of neighborhood will be positive from a deeper level. The creation of a comfortable living environment, this brand new building for a new century, this is the biggest enlightenment of the comfort of this trip in Milan, Italy.