Ca' Foscari and ESU inaugurate student residence at the Mestre Campus

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In just a few years, Ca' Foscari University Venice provided new accommodation for 1,021 students. The university officially inaugurated its third student residence today. After Santa Marta (650 beds) and San Giobbe (229), 142 beds are now available at the Scientific Campus in via Torino, Mestre

Thanks to a cooperation agreement, the residence will be managed by the Azienda Regionale per il Diritto allo Studio Universitario di Venezia (ESU) for the next 25 years.

The new development began at the end of 2019 and the first residents moved in in November 2023: in less than four years, an A4 energy class building of approximately 32,000 cubic metres in volume, five above-ground floors and one basement level, for a total of 8,700 square metres of floor space was created. The building offers a total of 142 beds, divided into 32 single rooms, 23 double rooms and 32 studio apartments for 2 students each.

At the end of 2014 the project was allotted 4.49 million in co-funding by the Italian Ministry of University and Research-MIUR (Law 338/2000), out of a total investment of 15.76 million euros. The remaining 11.27 million Euros were covered by the university. The building was designed by Studio Architetti Mar.

The building was inaugurated on Monday 11 December, with an event in the Danilo Mainardi Auditorium and a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the new residence.

Left to right: Stefano Ferrarese, Director of ESU Venezia, Giovanna Mar, Architect of "Studio Architetti Mar", Piergiovanni Sorato, Chairman of ESU Venezia, Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca' Foscari, Francesca Scatto, President of the 6th Council Commission of the Veneto Region, Gabriele Rizzetto, General Director of Ca' Foscari

Rector Tiziana Lippiello says: "It is an important day for our University: we have completed the first three student residences, for a total accommodation capacity for 1000 students. It has been a long journey, initiated and continued by the rectors who preceded me, and in which I have always believed, supporting it wholeheartedly. Today I have the honour of seeing it completed, and it gives me deep satisfaction. I would like to thank ESU for its precious cooperation. We finally have a student residence at the Scientific Campus in Mestre, built according to sustainability and energy efficiency criteria. We are confident that our commitment can continue with the project of the former Caserma Pepe on the Lido, which was very positively assessed by the ministerial committee. Student housing will always rank among Ca’ Foscari’s main objectives, and we trust in receiving support from city and national policies."

The Chairman of Esu Venezia, Piergiovanni Sorato, says: "We are convinced that the best way to grow is to grow together, and the cooperative approach with Ca' Foscari goes exactly in this direction, pooling resources and skills in the interest of university students. These young people are our human capital today, and are going to be tomorrow’s ruling class. The opening of the Science Campus in Via Torino,' Sorato added, 'is a further milestone that testifies to our concrete commitment to providing a capillary local response to the housing needs of students.”

Energy and environmental sustainability played a huge role in the design of the building. A 28 kWp photovoltaic system is installed on the roof, covering about 37% of the estimated annual electricity consumption. Lighting is provided by LED luminaires. For consumption control, all the apartments are equipped with presence control, which automatically switches off lights, heating and air conditioning systems when nobody is in. There is also a storage system to recover rainwater and reuse it for irrigation and to supply the toilet cisterns.

The area, approximately 8,100 square metres including the campus buildings and the Forte Marghera area, has undergone a preliminary environmental remediation that required an investment of approximately EUR 2.5 million and was carried out between 2018 and 2019. The precautionary clearance of explosive remnants of war on the site brought to light a 500-pound aeroplane bomb dating back to World War II, which was buried 5 metres below the ground and required the intervention of the 8th Regiment of Explosive Disposal Specialists 'Folgore'.

On the Campus area, towards the Canal Salso, the three-year public works programme has also planned the construction of another multifunctional building, with two above-ground floors plus a basement floor, for a total of approximately 1,900 square metres. This building will serve as a canteen/refectory, and will have sports facilities (changing rooms and a gymnasium for rowing training), plus study rooms on the first floor. An investment of approximately EUR 6.5 million is planned for the new development, with works starting in 2024.