New centre for workshops, seminars and conferences
Building
Miri Piri is the authentic restoration of the rural village of Sborzani: a group of properties which were in an advanced state of disrepair.
Following restoration, Miri Piri has become a residential centre for seminars, workshops, and conferences of holistic activities such as yoga, tai chi, martial arts, dance etc
The restoration was carried out in accordance with the criteria for eco-architecture, eco-construction and the principles of feng shui.
The restoration was designed by the architect Mauro Bertram of Milan in consultation with Emilio Marazzi and Eric Pedrazzini and carried out by Bio Edil Nord Limited, eco-building specialists.
Five building materials were used: stone, wood, seasoned lime plaster, brown cork, brick made from clay and rice chaff and free from polluted materials.
The stone used is from the original building and has been re-used with complete sympathy to the original structures.
Non-recyclable material were not used, and steel, where required was ‘diamagnetico’ (without a magnetic field).
The roof has been built with 50 cm. of insulation ( of which 15 cm is cork panelling).
All the floor structures and supports are hand-made in wood.
The internal dividing walls are made of brown cork paneled on both sides in recycled wood plastered with ‘slaked lime’ seasoned for three years.
Window frames are of oak. Windows are double glazed with low-emission glass (Ug = 1.1).
All the lintels of the external windows are made of solid oak.
The multi-fuel boiler (wood, pellets, chaff) feeds an energy-saving heating system of 1700 metres of copper piping distributed throughout the perimeter wall of the building complex.
Every bedroom has its own thermostat.
Some of the walls (e.g the open plan activity room and dining room) are plastered with earth and straw.
Many of the existing 300-400 year old beams were cut to obtain the floor boards for the ground floor.
We salvaged 70 square metres of hand-made ‘mes brass’ brick, 47cm in length, with which we paved some entrances areas.
All the external doors are restored with original hinges and locks dating back to the 17th / 18th century.
The bars for the ground floor windows, also restored, are identical to the originals.
The internal doors, the beds, the tables and other furniture are hand-made in India of shishan (a type of Asian oak).
The building’s columns and chimneys are built of salvaged hand-made brick.
The internal staircases are hand-made of oak.
The surface of the external paving is pink Indian marble.
The energy efficiency has been built-in with renewable energy sources: solar energy and solar-powered batteries.
The building complex is in Energy Class A (best category for energy efficiency).