EDIFICIO ARPA

DESCRIZIONE: Ferrara, Italy, 2006 – Current project. An International competition was held for the design of a new 5,000 m2 building complex of offices and...

Ferrara, Italy, 2006 – Current project. An International competition was held for the design of a new 5,000 m2 building complex of offices and research laboratories. The client’s desire was to have a new workplace of the highest architectural and environmental quality with a maximum level of environmental sustainability. The design proposed interacts proactively with the local microclimate to produce an architectural solution that addresses these desires. A new building surrounds a central courtyard, the hub of the complex. The roof of the building, the so-called fifth façade, is the strongest design feature of the project. A series of chimneys give the building a strong architectural identity while satisfying the technological requirements of the brief. The chimneys are skylights that filter light, promote natural ventilation and reduce the need for mechanical cooling. All the workspaces are open to the outside by the inclusion of green courtyards creating an alteration of solid and void – indoor-outdoor micro-environments that break up and define the building volumes.