Less than a month after China announced the completion of its first energy-efficient Passive House, Italy welcomes “Sculoa Passive Raldon”— the country’s first certified Passive House school.

Located in the village of Raldon, near Verona, the primary school features a number of sustainable details, such as a timber exterior wall fitted with mineral wool insulation and a high-efficient condensing gas boiler to manage hot water generation.

Another key detail, developed by architect Michael Tribus and product manufacturer Helmut Moratelli of Wolf Artec, is the integrated ventilation system—also applicable for retrofits when space is at a premium.

The system consists of decentralized devices built directly into the interior of the school. The discreet design provides classrooms with excellent indoor air quality and noiseless operation.

At a recent inaugural ceremony celebrating Italy’s achievement, Laszlo Lepp of the Passive House Institute emphasized the team effort involved in such a development.

“In such projects, it is not only the technical solutions that matter; dedicated decision-makers play just as important a role in addition to committed designers, architects and product manufacturers,” he said.

Also present was Roberto Reggi, undersecretary for Italy’s Ministry of Education, University and Research, along with project designers and the mayor of the municipality of San Giovanni Lupatoto, to which the village of Raldon belongs.