Universit� degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

The former Sant'Eufemia barracks in Modena becomes a new university residence

The university student residence created through the redevelopment of the former Carabinieri barracks in Sant'Eufemia in Modena is ready. The complex, consisting of 18 housing units, won the NRRP call for bids promoted by the Ministry of University and Research and can host up to 55 university students, researchers and PhD students from outside the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

The restoration of the Sant'Eufemia Barracks is the outcome of a system operation - for a total investment of over 8 million euro - that has involved the Fondazione di Modena, the Municipality of Modena and Investire SGR (Banca Finnat Group), manager of the Emilia Romagna Social Housing Fund (FERSH), participated in by, among others, the Fondo Investimenti per l'Abitare, managed by CDP Real Asset sgr (Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group), the Fondazione di Modena, Unicredit Spa and the main local foundations. The Modena Foundation's commitment - in addition to its economic role as an investor in the FERSH Fund - is to lease from the Fund itself, the owner of the building, the south and west wings of the ground floor of the courtyard of the Sant'Eufemia complex, to be used for supplementary housing services aimed at the urban enhancement of the building and the neighbourhood. The facility will provide 30% of the beds to ERGO, the regional company for the right to higher education, and 70% of the beds at subsidised prices.

Operational since 2012, with an endowment of approximately 70 million euro, FERSH is the main vehicle supporting social housing in the region. The agreement signed between the Fund and the Municipality of Modena, preparatory to the urban-planning and building implementation of the project, also regulates the subsidised rental rates: the housing units - spread over three floors - are fully furnished and ready for use, equipped with a living area with kitchen, bathroom facilities, single and/or double rooms and the maximum monthly fee for each bed is EUR 550 per month for a single room and EUR 330 for a bed in a double room.  

The building's renovation project was overseen by Tasca Studio Architetti Associati, while the work was entrusted to AeC Costruzioni, conducted in line with the environmental and social responsibility criteria promoted by Investire SGR.

Student management is entrusted to Camplus, the first student-housing operator in Italy. The project represents a concrete and immediate response to the growing demand for temporary housing, in particular, from off-site students who have chosen Modena to build a path of study and life.

The impact in terms of urban regeneration is strong, with the redevelopment of approximately 3,500 square metres of built surface area, through a careful operation of recovery and conservative renovation intended to enhance the architectural qualities of a building located in the historical centre of Modena, which is subject to a restriction by the Superintendence. The restoration of the buildings involved the consolidation of the existing floors and the construction of new portions of floors, the renovation of the vertical structures and the roof, the complete renovation of the lodgings (floors, fixtures, plasterwork, systems), the installation of two lifts, the construction of new plumbing, electrical, video intercom, satellite TV, summer air conditioning, and a heating plant with radiators in the lodgings and fan coils in the study rooms.

The history of the building, set in the heart of Modena, has its roots in the 11th century: the building was part of the ancient complex of the Benedictine Monastery, founded by Bishop Eribertus. Like many others in the city, the monastery was suppressed in 1798 by order of the Napoleonic government and its premises were used as a prison and for military purposes in 1830. At the behest of Francis IV, the building was renovated to a design by Santo Cavani and converted into the ‘Caserma dei Dragoni Estensi’. It was later used for a series of different purposes, including a men's and women's prison and Carabinieri barracks until 2006, when the building was completely decommissioned.

The press conference presenting the project for the redevelopment of the former Sant'Eufemia Barracks was attended by: Federica Venturelli, Councillor for Relations with the University of Modena; Carlo Adolfo Porro, Rector of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia; Matteo Tiezzi, President of the Modena Foundation; Livio Cassoli, Head of the FIA fund - CDP Real Asset sgr; Paolo Boleso, Head of Residential and Social Infrastructure at Investire SGR; Maurizio Carvelli, Founder and CEO of Camplus.

Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng