12 Dicembre 2018

Il rinnovato impulso all'edilizia liturgica, la sostenibilità delle chiese nel contesto urbano e le proprietà miracolose del gres porcellanato. "Dio è nei dettagli" , come disse l'architetto tedesco Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, uno dei maestri del Movimento Moderno. Mai espressione fu più appropriata, se pensiamo all'architettura sacra e all'attenzione prestata ai particolari aspetti tecnici della progettazione, al ruolo sociale di un edificio liturgico e ai significati che un luogo di culto può acquistare una volta inserito nel contesto urbano.  Aspetti tornati fondamentali dopo il Concilio Vaticano II - con figure come il Cardinale Larcaro votate a promuovere una costruzione religiosa costantemente in dialogo con la città - e resi protagonisti del dibattito sull'architettura contemporanea anche per merito delle numerose opere di edilizia religiosa progettate da archistar come Richard Meier, Le Corbusier, Mario Botta, Renzo Piano e Tadao Ando. Ma soprattutto grazie al rinnovato impulso della Conferenza Episcopale Italiana, impegnata a sostenere il settore organizzando concorsi per l'ideazione e realizzazione di nuove chiese: solo nell'ultimoperiodo, oltre al bando di committenza per la diocesi di Mantova sono in via di definizione quelli per Lucca, Monreale e Forlì. L’attivismo dei committenti ecclesiastici è in controtendenza rispetto al generale rallentamento del settore, con un calo complessivo di nuove edificazioni del 44% negli anni dal 2006 al 2012 e una situazione del mercato non residenziale che sta faticosamente provando ad invertire il trend. Una ripresa che sembra basarsi soprattuttosullo sviluppo delle tendenze di sostenibilità ambientale ed urbana, orientamento da sempre caro alla stessa CEI. Se progettazione green e riqualificazione sono il futuro possibile dell’architettura, l’edilizia sacra si pone “per vocazione” nel solco di quella “ecologia umana” alla quale sovente hanno fatto riferimento anche gli ultimi pontificati:l’attenzione all’efficienza energetica dell’edificio, la selezione accurata di materiali non pericolosi per la salute, la scelta di sistemi costruttivi che favoriscano l’esposizione solare delle strutture di culto e di impianti tecnologicamente all'avanguardia. Gli esempi virtuosi non mancano, dalle oltre 700 chiese tedesche con pannelli fotovoltaici installati sul tetto al Sacro Cuore Immacolato di Maria a Brembo di Dalmine (Bergamo), dove i progettisti dello studio Pbeb hanno realizzato una chiesa all’interno di una fabbrica in disuso. Un edificio liturgico sempre meno connotato dal carattere di monumento e sempre più da quello di architettura con precise caratteristiche funzionali, come ad esempio accessibilità universale e sicurezza. Oltre a rispettare l’equilibrio con l’ambiente circostante, sia esso paesaggio o tessuto urbano. In particolare, la maggior parte delle costruzioni religiose in grado di proporre un linguaggio contemporaneo associanol’innovazione di forme e materiali alla riconoscibilità di un luogo dedicato alla spiritualità, cardine dell’identità locale e punto di riferimento per il contesto sociale di appartenenza.  L’ecosostenibilità è pertanto il principale obiettivo di un’architettura sacra che mira ad esprimere il concetto di comunità, attraverso l’utilizzo di materiali green che rappresentano la sintesi di estetica contemporanea e qualità funzionale. A proposito dei materiali, la ceramica è storicamente una soluzione molto utilizzata per la realizzazione di edifici religiosi, per il rivestimento di pareti interne o nel caso della decorazione di cupole e colonnati. Un ruolo di primo piano ribadito oggi dal gres porcellanato, con le sue proprietà "miracolose" quanto ad adattabilità a diversi cromatismi e spazi di dimensioni variabili grazie alla disponibilità di formati e spessori differenti. Queste proprietà, assieme all'eliminazione degli smalti, permettono l'impiego del materiale sia in esterno che in interno, come nel caso del gres porcellanato firmato DSG Ceramiche e scelto dagli studi associati Itinera e Itaca Architetti per il progetto proposto al concorso per la parrocchia di Santa Maria del Carmine (Napoli) indetto dall'Arcidiocesi di Sorrento-Castellamare di Stabia. I prodotti DSG che nello specifico sono stati selezionati per l'eventuale realizzazione di questa struttura ecclesiastica sono Luserna e Basaltina, entrambi nella versione bocciardata: lastre di gres porcellanato che resistono all'abrasione, con coefficiente di attrito R11 perfettamente idoneo all'uso ad alto traffico ed effetto pietra ideale per valorizzare le estensioni più vaste. Un dettaglio estetico fondamentale per la resa di un basamento unico che, nelle intenzioni dei progettisti, ha visivamente origine dalla croce all'interno della chiesa e raggiunge l'esterno della costruzione percorrendone per intero il perimetro e componendosi nel sagrato in un sedile che offresimbolicamente accoglienza. La relazione inscindibile fra vita quotidiana dei credenti e liturgia viene infatti richiamata dai principi cui si è ispirato il progetto ed è rappresentata da una pavimentazione che, a livello visivo, elimina qualsiasi soluzione di continuità tra le varie parti dell’architettura sacra.  Tornando alle citazioni, e specialmente a un altro prestigioso rappresentante del Movimento Moderno come Le Corbusier, "L'architettura è il gioco sapiente, rigoroso e magnifico dei volumi raggruppati sotto la luce". Una luce che, in certi casi più di altri, può davvero dirsi di origine divina.

Qui sono disponibili le texture 3D di DSG.

Marco Mignatti

15 November 2018

Pottery, Corian, Cristalplant or Cristalite: which one is the best one? Barbara del Curto gives an answer in an interview with designrepubblica.it. Choosing between ceramic and new materials is difficult. She explains: "They are both versatile, suitable for kitchen, bathroom and furnishings". And you can find unexpected innovation: "Pottery has a long history, but today with the help of technology it can be worked into an infinite number of textures, colors and thicknesses. It can also be combined with other materials and find application in public works, walls etc.". But what is the difference between them? They are all resistant to heat, scratches, shocks, stains. And they are inert, hygienic, easy to clean and maintain. "But the new materials have some advantages: they are less cold to the touch, they are made with thermoformable moulds, so they are more easily mouldable and they are resettable: if it becomes dirty, using sandpaper is enough. And if the top is broken, it can be repaired invisibly".

Marco Mignatti

Requalification, recovery of buildings and cutting-edge technology to design the home of the future: this is what was presented at 51° Edition of the SAIE, international building exhibition in Italy.

At the heart of the new SALT SMART HOUSE, in the Services area of Bologna fair (held like the interior of a great intelligent and sustainable house), SMART HOUSE LIVING has been presented. This project consists of 4 souls: an exhibition – Smart House Solution – on which was represented a new culture of sustainable living, which allowed visitors to ' touch ' practical applications and innovative technological solutions; a playful and participatory path – the Wheel of Sustainability – to bring the public to the culture to "triple zero" (zero consumption, zero emissions, zero waste); the Forums on the themes of designing, building and inhabiting the houses of tomorrow; the BIG Energy Idea — a ' emotional room ' of innovation told through videos and sounds: a project to push for change through knowledge.

In SMART HOUSE LIVING area, energy has been the main topic thanks to the forum "Building & Innovation". In the Digital Smart Building technology how this innovation can revive the construction industry has been the main topic. Many laid optical fiber is still unused. Since last July with the Decree Unlock Italy, "all new buildings must be equipped with a passive multiservice physical infrastructure inside the building, consisting of adequate space and installation of high-speed communications to the fiber optic network termination points". The legislation makes the provision in new homes be mandatory. SAIE #Idrogeo has been the main new of this edition: it is an informative area and exhibition dedicated to the theme of recovery and securing of the territory from the hydrogeological point of view, that this year 2015 focused on the theme of urban land preservation thanks to the work of engineers and geotechnical in particular. 'Green' has been the guest star in new edition of SAIE, too. Inside the 'Live' path, #Landmaking group has organized ‘To build green’, an area where some of Italian excellences in the field of green have been gathered. The construction industry's interest is directed towards the energy efficiency of existing buildings, as well as through the performance improvement with the aid of new and more modern systems and engineering solutions.

15 March 2019

The stems of banana plants, which were traditionally destined to be discarded, become a new natural material today. Green Blade is the quality and eco-friendly semi-finished product presented at Made by French company FIBandCo, the result of a process carried out on these plants. The result is a natural plating, ethical and sustainable coating. Green Blade has the look of wood and it comes in four hot colors obtained through a manufacturing process, without the use of water or chemicals. This material is born in the wild and is treated with ECHO and responsible processing. In the hands of architects, designers and planners it becomes versatile material. It is used mainly in the form of plating, for cladding and architectural panels, but also to decorate kitchens, furniture and design objects thanks to its flexibility, thin thicknesses and translucent effect. An added value is that FIBandCo is a company committed to sustainable development. The bosses of the company are two young French engineers former students of ESIEE Paris, l'École de l'Innovation Technologique, who developed this particular innovative process to enhance the stems of banana plants in small units installed in the heart of banana plantations. The company was founded in Martinique, in the heart of the plantations: a choice that makes it possible to optimize resources and reduce carbon emissions. The fiber manufacturing process does not require the use of any chemical agent and the company produces its energy through solar panels. A green-oriented style, for sure!   www.fibandco.fr

Marco Mignatti

08 January 2019

An outer shell to protect the precious contents within: that's the goal of the façade of the Library at the Folkwang University in Essen, Academy of music and art in the region of Rhine North-Westphalia. A particular crystal structure features one side of the building. The exterior consists of glass panels with an impressive optical effect: thanks to the use of a special photographic technique applied to glass, viewers live in the illusion of being in front of a stone material. These images depict the rough stone in its original size. In this way you can see the shadows of those beyond the façade and natural light is filtered inside the library. At night, the building also illuminates the outer space. The façade is attached to the bearing structure of reinforced concrete building with a vertical system. The concrete pillars were sized and positioned according to the proportions of internal racks, where library’s volumes are housed. The cherry wood used for shelves and furniture was used for the coating of the pillars also, but not everyone is designed as carriers: inside the cavity of some, there are the piping of air-conditioning systems. The building was designed by architect Max Dudler, in collaboration with photographer Stefan Müller. The Folkwang University is a charming building, housed inside the old Benedictine monastery of St. Ludgerus.   www.maxdudler.com

Edoardo Croci

05 April 2019

Those living in temperate bands of our land, especially in Europe but also in Canada and in the United States, knows how difficult it is to deal with the increasingly extreme and sudden changes in temperature. Often, in fact, severe weather events and disturbances cause significant excursions between the low and high temperatures. In these situations, keeping a high level of comfort at home and at work inside buildings may not be easy.

Marco Mignatti

To ensure good living and working conditions, without resorting to massively expensive and polluting air conditioning systems, it is necessary to have a good thermal insulation system with the right envelope thermal inertia. In this way it is possible to enjoy a very good thermal and acoustic insulation, with the resulting benefits. To obtain optimum results in every type of intervention, Isopan – a company specialized in the field of insulated panels for roofing and wall – achieved Isocappotto coating systems. It is not a traditional coat, but a evolved double skin metal panel faced sandwich, covered with different materials to obtain the same aesthetic of the plastered walls. The ISOCAPPOTTO system can be defined as a kind of faux flashing, as it differs from the classical system of traditional walls for the presence of a double skin metal faced sandwich covered with different materials. In this way you can hide the presence of sandwich panel, imitating the aesthetic of classic plastered walls.

ISOCAPPOTTO is a system that can be applied to any type of intervention, from the construction of new buildings or industrial production sectors (Office buildings, factories, warehouses) as well as residential buildings such as houses or condominiums. The system also represents a valuable solution in case of renovations or improvements of existing buildings.

Isocappotto can have two types of insulation: mineral wool or polyurethane. Polyurethane isolation allows a series of advantages such as: high heat resistance, mechanical stability, speed, stability, lightness and flexibility. The benefits of mineral wool insulation can be summarized in: high thermal insulation, good fire behaviour, high sound insulation, flexibility, dimensional stability and mechanical.

Founded in 1937 in Milan, Mapei has become the world's largest producer of adhesives and building products. By the time the company has developed a stronger sensitivity to sustainability, it allocated more than 70% of investments in research and development for the study of eco-sustainable products. In 2000 it was awarded the "business award for Eco efficient" in "environmentally-friendly" category in an important initiative of the Lombardy region and the Chamber of Commerce. Today the commitment is even stronger, as shown by some of the main building where Mapei was involved, alongside the best international architects.   The Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore, designed by Israeli architect Moshe Safdie, also includes the ArtScience Museum and the Gardens By the Bay: a futuristic project for which several coatings, such as ceramics, marble, slate and bamboo, were laid. Waterproofing works were made to ensure moisture protection and impact resistance. For this, Mapei products with very low emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) have been chosen.   Dragon Bridge is in Da Nang in Vietnam. It is a concrete bridge with steel arches in the shape of a dragon. The weight of the bays and the exposure of atmospheric aggression made the use of specific products necessary, in order to achieve the concrete to protect the structure. Mapei has provided concrete additives and eco-friendly paint resistant to ultraviolet rays.   Environmental responsibility is very important for the company and his choices, starting from design and operation; ensuring greater durability means avoiding subsequent interventions on buildings and infrastructures. Mapei’s products are the result of intensive research, aimed to obtain innovative formulas integrated into complete application systems, more effective. Special attention is also compatible with substances of health professionals working in business and advanced technology solutions that contribute to environmental protection. The eco-sustainability is a commitment that requires, application and research method, but above all experience. And that's why Mapei is committed to working on large architectural projects and achievements are also important from an environmental point of view.