Urban metabolism framework for the regenerative design of school buildings: a data-driven approach using open-source tools

Urban Metabolism is a conceptual framework that helps design and identify metabolic processes within cities and address urban sustainability through the quantification of inflows, outflows, and resource accumulation of energy, water, materials, and waste. Although these models have been applied to cities and residential neighbourhoods, their use in complex building types, such as educational or cultural facilities, remains limited. Among them, public schools, especially in dense urban areas, represent a compelling subject of investigation due to their substantial resource demands, high occupancy rates, extended operational hours, and limited infrastructural updates. This study seeks to develop a structured framework for analysing and optimizing the Urban Metabolism of complex school buildings, applying it to a primary school in the southern periphery of Milan (Italy). The paper presents a quantitative analysis methodology, articulated in three main phases: (i) data collection and integration; (ii) metabolic and environmental simulation; (iii) identification of interventions. Data collection focuses on resource inputs and outputs related to water, energy, and food. To ensure comparability and applicability to similar cases, the results of the analyses are expressed using reference units such as square meter of floor space and resource flows per student.