Frigerio Design Group, after winning a competition to design a new technical center for Ferrero in Alba, Italy, has recently unveiled more details for the project.
The proposal for the Italian multinational food company's new facility was selected for the human values of its design proposal, which features an industrial structure integrated into the landscape. The project was inspired by the scenery, nature, and colors of the Langhe, the hilly area located in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.
The Ferrero Technical Center stems from the need to combine the company’s engineering operations, in particular those devoted to designing new production lines, with the workshop where they are developed. These functions are not currently located within the factory.
The center will be a 136,700-sf ecological building that is nZEB (nearly Zero Energy Building) and will house 200 employees. It will be able to support management and operational functions for automated and interconnected production.
Simple and linear architecture conceals plants and technical equipment while maximizing all of the passive space and minimizing the resources needed for operations and maintenance. Technology is ubiquitous throughout the new center without ever becoming obtrusive. It is seamlessly integrated in a recognizable and reassuring architecture.
Transparency and opacity define the architecture of the building. The offices located on the top floor have transparent facades while the lower floors containing the workshop and plants are hidden from view. The great hall is entirely glazed and covers one end from ground to roof with a grand staircase that connects the building’s three floors.
The workshop is designed with a minimal and essential floorpan where white is the primary color. Openings in the facade capture natural light while preventing direct sunlight. The curtain walls in this area will have micro-perforated and sound-absorbing panels to improve the quality of internal acoustics and minimize any sound pollution.
Six green areas, dubbed the flying gardens by the architect, will perform a bioclimatic, acoustic, and aesthetic function on the top floor near the offices. Additionally, a photovoltaic system on the roof generates a peak of 300 kW.
The project broke ground in 2020 and is slated for completion in December 2021.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
New York Mayor Bloomberg opens nation's first multi-story green industrial facility and announces new green manufacturing plant at Brooklyn Navy Yard
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, and Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation Chairman Alan Fishman and President Andrew H. Kimball today opened the Perry Avenue Building, the nation's first multi-story green industrial facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Mayor Bloomberg also announced the creation of Duggal Greenhouse, a 60,000-square-foot LEED Platinum certified facility.
| Aug 11, 2010
ASHRAE introduces building energy label prototype
Most of us know the fuel efficiency of our cars, but what about our buildings? ASHRAE is working to change that, moving one step closer today to introducing its building energy labeling program with release of a prototype label at its 2009 Annual Conference in Louisville, Ky.
| Aug 11, 2010
USGBC considering LEED for Data Centers program
In a blog post this morning on Earth2Tech, Justin Moresco writes that the U.S. Green Building Council is giving strong consideration to developing a version of its LEED green building rating system for data centers.
| Aug 11, 2010
10 tips for mitigating influenza in buildings
Adopting simple, common-sense measures and proper maintenance protocols can help mitigate the spread of influenza in buildings. In addition, there are system upgrades that can be performed to further mitigate risks. Trane Commercial Systems offers 10 tips to consider during the cold and flu season.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Holder Construction top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 50 largest industrial building contractors
A ranking of the Top 50 Industrial Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
AECOM, Arup, Gensler most active in commercial building design, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 100 Commercial Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Turner Building Cost Index dips nearly 4% in second quarter 2009
Turner Construction Company announced that the second quarter 2009 Turner Building Cost Index, which measures nonresidential building construction costs in the U.S., has decreased 3.35% from the first quarter 2009 and is 8.92% lower than its peak in the second quarter of 2008. The Turner Building Cost Index number for second quarter 2009 is 837.
| Aug 11, 2010
AGC unveils comprehensive plan to revive the construction industry
The Associated General Contractors of America unveiled a new plan today designed to revive the nation’s construction industry. The plan, “Build Now for the Future: A Blueprint for Economic Growth,” is designed to reverse predictions that construction activity will continue to shrink through 2010, crippling broader economic growth.
