Centro Ceramico, coordinator of the European LIFE SUPERHERO project, took part in the final presentation of the objectives, activities and results achieved in the testing and promotion of ventilated and air-permeable clay-tile roofs for the passive cooling of buildings.

The final conference of the European LIFE SUPERHERO project – SUstainability and PERformances for HEROTILE-based energy efficient roofs – was held on Monday, 25 May 2026, in the Aula Magna Adalberto Libera of the Department of Architecture of Roma Tre University, at the former Mattatoio di Testaccio in Rome.

Entitled “The roofs of cities. Between climate crisis and energy poverty: what solutions?”, the event brought together representatives from research, design, institutions and the construction supply chain for the presentation of the LIFE SUPERHERO project results, while also providing an opportunity for discussion on the role of roofs in improving comfort, energy efficiency and building resilience.

Coordinated by Centro Ceramico and funded by the LIFE Programme of the European Union, LIFE SUPERHERO investigated the contribution of ventilated and air-permeable clay-tile roofs – with particular reference to HEROTILE-based Roofs (HBR) – as a passive strategy to reduce summer overheating, improve indoor comfort and limit buildings’ energy consumption.

The session dedicated to the project results was opened by Prof. Elisa Franzoni, Scientific Director of Centro Ceramico and coordinator of LIFE SUPERHERO, who provided an overview of the work carried out: from the initial objectives to the experimental and demonstration activities, through to the outcomes in terms of standardisation, best practices, industrial replicability and transfer of results.

The Polytechnic University of Marche then presented the project’s technical insights on energy saving and indoor comfort, as well as the transition from the measurement of roof-tile air permeability to the definition of parameters useful for building energy modelling. The environmental perspective was completed by the contribution of Arch. Caterina Gargari, focused on the life-cycle sustainability assessment of roofing solutions.

The results presented highlighted improvements in the thermo-energy behaviour of roofs, a reduction in the use of summer air conditioning, an increase in occupants’ perceived comfort and the availability of tools for monitoring and data sharing, including the HU-BES platform. As part of the project activities, the GBC CP108 Pilot Credit – Passive Cooling of Roofs – was also developed to promote solutions capable of limiting summer overheating through passive strategies.

The morning concluded with a round table on the role of roofs from design and construction through to the use phase of buildings, involving institutional, professional and sectoral representatives. The discussion confirmed the relevance of the topic: roofs are not merely technical elements of the building envelope, but strategic surfaces for improving climate resilience, living quality and the sustainability of the building stock.

With its final conference, LIFE SUPERHERO confirms the value of collaboration between research, industry and public administrations in turning already available construction solutions into concrete tools for more efficient, comfortable and resilient cities.