IMM (Integrated Modification Methodology)

A case study based on the re-development of an important part of Timisoara shows that morphology plays an essential role for any energy-saving policy, urban efficiency, quality of life and, generally, for any sustainable urban environment. This project based on the innovative IMM® methodology applies a multilayered design approach working in the areas of energy, water, urban green spaces, mobility, landscapes, natural resource management, participation and social cohesion. In terms of sustainability, the study defined the main catalyst for nowadays most profiting urban changes – transportation; emphasizing the transposition from “driving – in” or car dependent society to “green moving – in” concept of bicycle and public transport dependence. Furthermore applying this in a domino effect style the paper elaborates a thorough program for smaller scales such as district sustainable development. The research set the opportunity to incorporate a wide range of issues to improve the metabolism of the city as well as its livability, and energy performances.

More than 80% of all available energy is consumed and over half of greenhouse gas emissions are created within the cities. Energy consumption efficiency and sustainable development is definitely a main urban issue. The IMM (Integrated Modification Methodology) theory considering the city as a complex adaptive system explores the relationships between urban morphology and energy consumption. According to this theory, the city, studied as a complex adaptive system, is not solely a mere aggregation of disconnected energy consumers and the total energy consumption of the city is different from the sum of the whole building's consumption. This considerable gap between the total energy consumption of the city and the sum of all consumers is related to the urban morphology. According to this methodology, the energy efficiency of every element has to be optimized by its form. Additionally, this element has to be designed in a way that improves the other elements of the energetic performance as well. However a case study based on the Gold Coast (Australia) shows that morphology plays an essential role for any energy-saving policy, urban efficiency, quality of life and, generally, for any sustainable urban environment.

New Belgrade is a new settlement. Its development began in 1948 on formally swampy terrain which was levied with sand. However, the municipality’s name appeared much earlier than the settlement was formed. The story goes that in 1924, on the outskirts of Zemun, Petar Kokotovic opened a tavern and named it Novi Beograd. At this point there is one and a half million square meters of residential and commercial development being constructed.
The Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade and the School of Architectural Engineering of Politecnico di Milano in collaboration with Polisocial the Social Responsibility Programme of Politecnico di Milano established a General Agreement to develop a join research project, titled:  “Sustainable Development of a new pilot neighborhood in Belgrade, via IMM® methodology.
The project aim to became a more general paradigm for similar condition in East Europe, defining integrated new strategies based on IMM methodology to retrofit and transform the energy dissipative existing neighbourhood developed during the ’60 and ’70 in more efficient, liveable and integrated urban system.
From this project IMM aims to develop particular strategies to help municipalities and local authorities to retrofit, renovate and reactivate inefficient, neglected, energy consuming and unliveable neighbourhood, settled during the Communist time, in a more integrated and sustainable part of the existing cities.

The cities are responsible up to 75% of energy consumptions and 80% of CO2 emissions. The European Performance of Buildings Directives and the urban regulations are going towards the reduction of the energy consumptions and the minimization of the land’s use. In this scenario the innovative methodology, IMM® (Integrated Modification Methodology), has been applied in order to achieve the energy standards of net zero energy districts of four Eixample courtyards in Barcelona. The city is considered as a complex system composed by heterogeneous parts influenced each other. The multi-criteria process aims to transform a consolidated urban context into a more efficient and sustainable one. The opmization of solar potential and the design of new green areas give relevant benefits in terms of energy efficiency and quality of urban environment.

Block 39 in Belgrade is a challanging case study of in which an innovative methodology, IMM (Integrated Modification Methodology), has been applied in order to transform an existing urban context into a more efficient and sustainable one. The presented case study in Belgrade aims to became a more general paradigm for similar condition in East Europe, defining integrated new strategies based on IMM methodology to retrofit and transform the energy dissipative existing neighbourhood developed during the ’60 and ’70 in more efficient, liveable and integrated urban system.
The city is considered as a single complex entity composed by heterogeneous components connected each other. A strictly sectorial approach could result in neglecting mutual dependencies of these demands. Conversely, an integrated approach can help to sharpen a better comprehension of the different performances of different urban assessment. The IMM® methodology through an interconnected Phasing Design Process shows how incorporating a wide range of issues makes it possible to improve the metabolism of the city as well as its energy performance. It is an Integrated Modification Methodology, is a multi-stage, iterative process, applied to urban complex systems, for improving the metabolism of the city as well as its energy performance. The paper demonstrated how a city can change its nature from an energy-consumptive system to a complex able to produce its energy by itself, reducing its energy demand and consumptions.

Due to the environmental and economical concerns, sustainable morphological urban transformation has been brought into its own. This paper explicates a possible method of sustainable urban transformation design principles, through a case study based in Barcelona; this methodology aims to reform urban assessment, as well as to design new sustainable neighborhoods as an integrated part of the city. The paper demonstrates how one can transform a neighborhood into a lower energy consumption system, using the Integrated Modification Methodology (IMM).