Opening windows is not enough

Every time you “air out” by opening windows, the indoor temperature changes abruptly: in winter, heat escapes; in summer, stifling heat enters. In both cases, your heating or cooling system has to work heavily to bring the thermostat back to its original setting. Furthermore, outdoor air brings in fine dust, pollen, and sometimes traffic smog—without any filter to trap them. Even road and neighborhood noises penetrate the house, because open window frames lose the acoustic insulation capacity they provide when closed.

For anyone living in a home, the ideal scenario would be renewing the air while keeping it clean and avoiding energy loss. However, achieving all three of these conditions simultaneously is not possible through the traditional, occasional opening of windows, but rather through a dedicated HVAC engineering system.

Continuous air exchange, zero waste

There is a technology less known among home buyers and, as a result, a feature less considered compared to others, such as thermal insulation coats or photovoltaic systems. We are talking about Controlled Mechanical Ventilation (abbreviated as VMC). In every Casa Bianchetti, air exchange is entrusted to VMC: a system composed of units, ductwork, and vents that works automatically 24/7, concealed behind ceilings and walls.

The calculation standard we use—validated together with RDZ, our technical partner—provides an air exchange rate equal to 0.5 volumes/hour. This means that all the air in your home is renewed, silently and constantly, roughly every two hours, without you having to do anything (and without ever opening a window).

And this is precisely the point that matters most to us: all of this happens without wasting energy. With VMC, you do not throw away the heat (or coolness) you have just generated inside your walls. In fact, it recovers about 90% of the thermal energy from the outgoing air and transfers it to the incoming fresh air: the air is renewed, while your home’s temperature remains almost unchanged.

Its efficiency allows the VMC to qualify for the Bonus Casa as part of building renovation interventions: 50% for primary residences, 36% for other properties, with a cumulative expenditure cap of €96,000 spread over 10 annual installments, paid via specific bank transfer.

Note: this applies when VMC is installed within a renovation of an existing property, not for new constructions. Alternatively, if the intervention elevates the building’s performance by at least two energy classes, it can qualify for the 65% Ecobonus.

Filtration and dehumidification

VMC systems come equipped with filters. The standard filters we install trap pollen, dust, and sand—essentially everything you would normally breathe in when opening a window on a busy street or during seasons like spring. They do not stop exhaust gases or fine particulate matter, which would require specific, higher-performance filters. Of course, there is always a compromise that every system must manage: denser filters clean the air better, but force fan motors to work harder, generating slightly more noise and energy consumption. There is no absolute, perfect solution: there is a solution tailored to where a home is located and how it is lived in, which we evaluate on a case-by-case basis.

An aspect that is less discussed, yet significantly impacts real comfort, is humidity. In homes equipped with radiant underfloor heating and cooling systems—the most frequent choice in Casa Bianchetti properties—the VMC works together with a dehumidification system. In summer, dehumidifying makes all the difference between a pleasantly cool room and a “muggy” one: it prevents that clammy feeling even with air conditioning running, and protects radiant floors from condensation. In winter, ventilation alone is sufficient: once heated indoors, outdoor air naturally has a very low humidity level, and this exact mechanism keeps mold away.

In Casa Bianchetti, air renews itself all day long. Without opening windows, without letting in noise or pollen, without wasting energy.

A standard feature, not an optional extra

In all new Casa Bianchetti homes, VMC is always included: it is not an add-on accessory installed after completion, but something we design in an integrated way with the rest of the house from the very beginning. We install it alongside established partners, selecting the solution best suited for each home and its residents.

We hope to have shed some light on what we mean by comfort: feeling that your home’s air is always fresh and has the right humidity level, without even having to think about it—because you simply feel it. This is the first of ten components that define a Casa Bianchetti; in the coming months, we will share the remaining nine with you.

Would you like to discover how we integrate these systems into your home project? Contact us for a consultation or a site visit.

— Anna Pantaleoni, Marketing & Communication Bianchetti srl