Refurbishment of industrial building

The project is about the rationalization of the fronts of productive plants and the expansion of the office building, aiming at an integration with the territory, with a new threshold space between the building and the road level where the surrounding rural landscape extends. The existing façades, which are not homogeneous, are the result of a growth process that has developed through the annexation of new buildings to the first productive site. The project rationalises the fronts without canceling the building stratification: a new semi-transparent fifth reorganizes the image of the buildings keeping visible the fragmented structure of the industrial complex.

The project involves the expansion of the office building, the rationalization of the current work spaces and the demolition (and relocation) of the office space currently located inside the factory. The new volume is annexed to the existing building, highlighting the difference between the existing building and enlargement.

The work spaces, distributed in an open plan, have been designed as office modules with different morphological and dimensional features for each type, so as to recreate an interior landscape. This organization increases the space for informal working and allows workers to move freely around the modules, along the perimeter of the building and through a central spine. The inclusion of patios, natural light chimneys, external views and the integration of indoor vegetation help to humanize the workplace and improve the visual relationship with nature.

Client: Merlo S.p.A
Architects: BDR bureau
Team: Alberto Bottero, Simona Della Rocca, Fabio Vignolo, Niccolò Suraci
Site: Cuneo, Italy
Year: 2016
in progress