LB MIGRATECH 4.0 FOR SAXA GRES: PORCELAIN MATERIAL FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Last April LB signed an agreement with SAXA GRES, the most important producer of floor and wall materials located outside the Sassuolo district, for the supply of a plant consisting of 3 complete lines for the body preparation to make “sampietrini” in porcelain material. This product is a very similar but more economical and sustainable version of the classic basalt cube, which has become an import product from the Asian markets.

The above project will let SAXA GRES and its unique products play a more and more important role in the ceramic “Made in Italy”. The main features of this challenge are: innovation, sustainability, aesthetical know-how and high range materials.

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The classic “sampietrino” used in Rome compared with the Saxa Gres version

 

The plant will start operating in early 2020 and will allow a total production of 45 tons / hour. 

The savings guaranteed with the use of LB technology compared to the traditional wet processes are the following:

gas: 68,2 %

water: 69,7 %

additives: 95%

The plant is equipped with the new LB 4.0 software systems to control the production processes and to ensure the maximum possible efficiency.

The supply also includes a maintenance and preventive program with the sale, management and installation of spare parts.

The success of this challenge was made possible by the activation of the circular economy: there is no more waste, only material or energy to be reused, with innovative patents and new economical processes.

The raw material, treated with LB technology, in this case becomes a source of savings / profit because the company of Roccasecca (Frosinone) gets a return using a type of inert ashes, an incinerator processing waste which is currently very expensive to dispose of.

In fact, the SAXA GRES outdoor material will be composed for approximately for one third of these recycled materials.

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Production of Saxa Gres “sampietrino” in the factory located in Anagni

 

With this innovation, you can prevent the raw materials exhaustion and reactivate technological skills and experiences now getting lost.

The circular and sustainable project of SAXA GRES wants to enhance mainly human capital.

With the reopening of the Roccasecca plant, the company has guaranteed a hundred new jobs. An operation that is not easy in times of crisis like the ones we are experiencing and for a particularly suffering areas like the one of Roccasecca.

 

The green “sampietrino” by SAXA GRES has been officially presented in LB headquarter in Fiorano Modenese (MO), in occasion of the first day of the event Open House 2019 CIRCULHEART – DESIGN – TECHNOLOGY, born with the aim to show the last results of the continuous activity of "Research and Development" on the new technologies as well as on the finished product, and with a focus on circular economy.

Open House 2019 can be visited from September 20th to October 4th, in LB Headquarter, via Pedemontana, 166 – Fiorano Modenese (MO) – Italy.  

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More info: 

www.lb-technology.it

[email protected]

www.saxagres.it/grestone

[email protected]

 

Simona Bardelli

Partners news

An innovative structure: a temporary research pavilion

02 December 2018

In 2010, the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) designed and constructed a temporary research pavilion. The innovative structure demonstrates the latest developments in material-oriented computational design, simulation, and production processes in architecture. The result is a bending-active structure made entirely of extremely thin, elastically-bent plywood strips.

ICD ITKE Research Pavilion

 

Material computes. Any material construct can be considered as resulting from a system of internal and external pressures and constraints. Its physical form is determined by these pressures. However, in architecture, digital design processes are rarely able to reflect these intricate relations. Whereas in the physical world material form is always inseparably connected to external forces, in the virtual processes of computational design form and force are usually treated as separate entities, as they are divided into processes of geometric form generation and subsequent simulation based on specific material properties. The strips are robotically manufactured as planar elements, and subsequently connected so that elastically bent and tensioned regions alternate along their length. The force that is locally stored in each bent region of the strip, and maintained by the corresponding tensioned region of the neighboring strip, greatly increases the structural capacity of the system.

ICD ITKE Research Pavilion

In order to prevent local points of concentrated bending moments, the locations of the connection points between strips needs to change along the structure, resulting in 80 different strip patterns constructed from more than 500 geometrically unique parts. The combination of both the stored energy resulting from the elastic bending during the construction process and the morphological differentiation of the joint locations enables a very lightweight system. The entire structure, with a diameter of more than twelve meters, can be constructed using only 6.5 millimeter thin birch plywood sheets.

ICD ITKE Research Pavilion

The computational design model is based on embedding the relevant material behavioral features in parametric principles. These parametric dependencies were defined through a large number of physical experiments focusing on the measurement of deflections of elastically bent thin plywood strips. Based on 6400 lines of code one integral computational process derives all relevant geometric information and directly outputs the data required for both the structural analysis model and the manufacturing with a 6-axis industrial robot. (Fabiana Cambiaso - Università La Sapienza) www.icd.uni-stuttgart.de www.itke.uni-stuttgart.de

Carlo Bardelli

Green building

Glass or marble?

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. Folkwang University2These 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

Facades

A greenhouse suspended between Park and city

10 October 2018

Designed by architects Paolo Brescia and Tommaso Principi from OBR, the new restaurant on the terrace of the Palace of Art, with the "Arts & Foods" Hall curated by Germano Celant, is one of the most important initiatives of the Triennale di Milano for Expo 2015. After restoring the roof terrace over the main hall according to the original plans by Giovanni Muzio, Triennale of Milan shows a new dimension of quality catering, prepared by Michelin-starred chef Stefano Cerveni. © Gianluca Di Ioia - La Triennale di Milano All of the Milan Triennale exhibition have defined a synthesis between design and architectural experimentation. At such times the Park was transformed into a theatrical platform of new myths for urban living and Muzio's building became an admirable cultural promotion device. © Gianluca Di Ioia - La Triennale di Milano_9 The OBR project, winner of the competition organized by Triennale of Milan in January 2014, interprets the tradition with a lightweight, rigorous and dynamic solution. The restaurant is designed as a transparent greenhouse surrounded by greenery and suspended on the Sempione Park, with a spectacular view of the Castello Sforzesco and the entire skyline of Milan. Going up on the terrace of the Palazzo dell'Arte, you are greeted by an aromatic garden designed by landscape architect Antonio Perazzi, behind which the restaurant Glass Pavilion (33 x 5 metres), set back from the façade portals. © Gianluca Di Ioia - La Triennale di Milano_8 “Triennale has always been a reference of social and cultural life of Milan. The restaurant like greenhouse suspended between the Park and the city was born from the idea of enhancing the terrace of Palazzo dell'Arte as a place strong urban sociability, evolving sensitive space that works under dynamic exchanges between inside and outside "-Paolo Brescia and Tommaso Principi explain. © Gianluca Di Ioia - La Triennale di Milano_7 The Hall, which is completely open on the perimeter, is characterized by a light stainless steel modular structure which allows easy and fast mounting and dismounting directly in situ, combining industrial technology with craftsmanship. The structure design, engineered by Buro Happold and Milan Engineering and built by Capoferri firm, resumes the geometries of historic spans of Muzio. © Gianluca Di Ioia - La Triennale di Milano_6 A large 400 square meter mobile tent floats suspended above the Glass Pavilion. Completely open on one side, it runs the Hall like a greenhouse, thermoregulating with different mode day/night and summer/winter bioclimatic use, and allowing guests to dine repaired by the sun or dining under the stars. As a video installation, the curtain suspended on greenhouse comes alive with images and lights designed by Guido Bianchi, referring to events sponsored by Triennale for Expo and providing guests with a unique experience between haute cuisine and design, suspended between the park and the city. © Gianluca Di Ioia - La Triennale di Milano_5 The Pavilion is 33 meters long, 4.7 meters wide, 3 meters high and it has an area of about 150 square meters. The architectural design was developed by Paolo Brescia, Tommaso Principi and Andrea Casetto from OBR, with Maddalena D'alfonso, and it involves the construction of a glass Pavilion above the terrace of the Palazzo dell'Arte of Triennale di Milano, recently restored by the architect Alessandro Pedron. © Gianluca Di Ioia - La Triennale di Milano_4

Edoardo Croci

Architecture

Stainless steel becomes protagonist at Museum of Contemporary Art

20 November 2018

A large irregular mirror Prism with irregular and changing facets beyond: this is the new home of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) which was inaugurated in October in Cleveland. The four floors of the building are encapsulated in a faceted surface made of blue stainless steel with multiple purposes. The transparent façade coating has a special mirror enamel that allows you to filter the sunlight. In this way the interiors are well lighting, while the heat remains outside: this solution also solves the problem of natural overheating. The Museum can be accessed from all six sides, so the structure makes the most of the flexibility of the spaces. The diagonal orientation, finally, allows the building to be reflected on several fronts. Visitors can live a unique experience, having the illusion of a moving perspective. Ready to receive LEED Silver certification for its high energy-saving standards, the 34 thousand square meters minimalist black cube has been designed by the Iranian architect Farshid Moussavi.     www.mocacleveland.org www.farshidmoussavi.com

Marco Mignatti

Architecture

MetroQuality

MetroQuality: a design show-room in the heart of Milan

Some places become containers of ideas, where the space becomes a dynamic dimension that is continuosuly evolving. There are other places where toughts flow feely and quickly, where they meet the matter and give life to new projects that can be touched with your hands. The 450 square meter MetroQuality permanent showroom dedicated to design professionals, located in the heart of Milan, is this and much more.

A position that is a declaration of intent. Animated by hundreds of daily passages, which multiplies during some periods of the year of great ferment such as the Salone del Mobile and international fashion events, the Brera district is one of the most visited districts of Milan as well as a centre of crative, commercial, and cultural development.

In this stimulating panorama, MetroQuality is a contemporary and welcoming showroom available to companies and professionals, where collaborations are promoted and new ideas and skills are developed.

MetroQuality is a space available to architects, designers, and engineers, with a complete offer of services and dedicated spaces such as Materioteca, Design technical assistance, Meeting Rooms, Work stations, Demos of isntalled products, Training sessions, and Event Spaces.

 

VISIT THE SHOWROOM AND DO NOT MISS OUT ON THE FUORI SALONE EVENTS

 

Fuori Salone | Showroom times

Tuesday 9 – Friday 12 April 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday 13 April 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Contacts

Via Solferino, 24 – 20121 Milan | Tel. +39 02 36742630

www.metroquality.it

 

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MetroQuality          MetroQuality

METROQUALITY’S PARTNERS

 

MetroQuality: the partner companies

Numerous companies believe in and have already chosen MetroQuality as a live and dynamic reference point, office, location, and meeting place. Excellent companies that are an active part of MetroQuality each day contribute to make the space increasingly dense with ideas and new projects.

Some of the MetroQuality partners include:

Agena founded in Turin in 1966. The company puts itself on the Italian and international market as an editor of high quality and Made in Italy design fabrics, wallpapers, and carpets, it is also an exclusive distributor for Italy of important international brands. Its collections are ideal for the private, public, and contract sectors.

Albertini is specialised in manufacturing custom-made doors and windows in wood, wood-aluminum, and wood-bronze. Moreover, in recent times, the company’s core business has increased to include doors and windows manufactured with the prestigious steel and bronze materials in its range of products. The company responds to specific orders and requests including the selection of raw materials, certified products, pre and post-sales assistance, and Research & Development.

Bianco67 transforms all ideas into marble. The marble, travertine, onyx, quartz, and granite are selected with cure and responsibilitiy and worked with precision thanks to the best technologies. The company offers precious, flexible, and high quality raw materials to ensure the uniquness of the result.

Brionvega is a historic Italian brand, acquired by SIM2 BV International srl, whose mission is to relaunch the Made in Italy design icons worldwide, through the objects that have made history. A large Italian company that has left an indelible mark on the history of design applied to technology.

Engarda Giordani Comunicazione is a Public Relations agency founded in 2002. It specialises in Press Office, Digital and Offline Coordinated Image, and Event Organisation. Solutions and services to optimise the customer’s image, visibility and develop its reputation.

Francesco De Maio creates hand-decorated ceramic collections. Vietriese icon of art and tradition, it evokes and reinterprets modern and past decorations with Byzantine, Arab, Renaissance, Baroque and floral motifs able to adapt to any domestic environment. Durable and quality furnishing finishes and multiple colour variations for unique, warm, and fascinating compositions.

Ghilardi works and sells Italian and foreign marbles, stones and granites, creating floors and walls for interiors and exteriors, fireplaces, columns, ornaments, tables, sacred and funerary art products, sculptures, building artefacts, marble furnishings. Workings that express beauty and solidity, enriched by the use of onyx, agate, mother-of-pearl, and fossil marbles, also ideal for creating inlays and mosaics.

Montbel manufactures chairs, upholstery, and furnishing accessories for the contract, hospital and assistance sectors. The raw material, wood, is extracted and processed internally according to a quality path, to give shape to works of art, to be enriched with the vivacity of colours and tailoring. These are "pret à porter" products made of manual workmanship and experience.

Mussi is sofas, beds, chairs, tables, accessories, and fabric coverings. These are emotional creations of great simplicity, but the result is a sophisticated study of design tastes and trends, combining technology and craftsmanship, tradition and innovation, new materials and fine finishes.

NovelloCase is an Italian company specialising in the construction of custom-made high energy efficiency and bio-architecture wooden buildings. The production site, built in 2009, with its 16,500 square meters is currently the largest wooden industrial building in Europe.

Obsydian Design creates inserts, complements, and furniture finishes with hard stones and noble materials. It combines the excellence of Italian craftsmanship with the needs of modern design. The exclusive processes and unique pieces are capable of enhancing interior projects through the precious and exclusive charm of semi-precious stones.

Rastelli interprets design with its proposal of kitchen environments that gives attention to the themes of eco-compatibility and ergonomics. The company follows and takes care of the entire production process, from design to production. Tthe six kitchen collections are completely "Made in Italy", designed and manufactured in seven large, highly automated, and efficient production plants in Abruzzo.

Smania: the most modern among the classics, the most classic among the moderns. Since 1967, Smania has been designing, cutting, and sewing to create classic and contemporary furnishings and made-to-measure accessories for the home, the outdoors, and the office. Each product is designed and built with sartorial flexibility and attention to detail, to ensure luxury, exclusive, and unconventional finishes.

Status Contract operates in the field of contract furnishing and interior design. Supported by a large production area with state-of-the-art machinery, it also specialises in the processing of cutting-edge wood and materials. The service also includes the sale of the best furnishing fabric brands and the tailoring of custom curtains, beds and upholstery.

Paintmakers is the excellence of colour. The company specialises in the production of mineral and interior paints and coatings, cements, resins, decorative metal coatings and Wall&Floor Design patterns. An all-inclusive decoration concept for walls, floors, furniture, and furnishing accessories. Solutions that adapt to contemporary living needs, able both to dialogue with those who work in the design and interior design sector, and to meet the expectations of architects, interior designers, and aesthetic enthusiasts. The company has always been oriented towards high standards of quality and respect for the environment, pursued through the careful selection of raw materials and attention to production processes.

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​​​​MetroQuality         ​​​​MetroQuality

 

 

Partners news

Flou

Salone del mobile Milano

09/14 - 04 - 2019

BRIGHT EXPERIENCE

Reviewing interior design in relation to light: and light is the leitmotif of the latest Flou 2019 developments. Delicate and oneiric, it is a light that defines the spaces and marks the transition from intimate, cozy nocturnal situations to peaceful, joyful daytime atmospheres. A light that satisfies the desire to seek shelter in a reassuring cocoon yet beckons to hospitality, sharing and socializing. In this light, white is the protagonist and, combined with exciting splashes of color, it creates ambiences and situations that express energy, vitality and joy.

Light and color 

A white space interrupted by brush strokes in forest green and pumpkin orange, the basic colors of the 2019 Flou collection. It is not the minimalist stark white of past decades but interprets a new exhibition concept in which the design matrix is clearly identifiable, original and not standardized. This white platform contributes to exalt the intrinsic value of the products, to interrupt the continuous progression of grays and blacks, to balance hues and shades, to enhance the consistency of fabrics and highlight 

the elegance of the details and the finishes: a new, dynamic and surprising ‘bright experience’. The neutral shell frames the furnishing solutions where freshness, vitality and colors create a delightful mood that reflects personalities and allows people to identify with it.

KOI

Design Carlo Colombo

One of the immediately recognizable characteristics of Koi is its simple harmony. Its softness and generous shape are expressed through its name; in Japanese, Koi means loyalty and love, the fundamental principles that inspired my design.

A double-size bed with clean, sharp lines; it immediately suggests the idea of discretely charming, and not ostentatious, luxury. The original and architectonic shape of the headboard, framed by the eye-catching metal structure that continues downwards to form the feet, is softened by the fabrics that have been skillfully stitched with vertical quilting. This decorative addition appears to elongate the bed and contributes to the creation of a design that is welcoming and sophisticated. 

Available in the double-size version; it can be supplied with a slatted base, a storage base, a slatted base with electric movements, and the new base Leonardo. The covers in fabric or leather are completely removable. Decorative details of the headboard are available in polished black nickel or matt burnished.

 

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LEONARDO 

Design flou

The Leonardo System indicates a true ‘change of pace’ in the 40 years of Flou’s sleep culture. It was developed to satisfy the desire to rediscover the value of hand-made items from days gone by, and its strong points are the prestigious craftsmanship and the natural fibers of hemp, horse hair, cotton, cashmere.

A luxury collection, exclusively Made in Italy, that includes four elements – the bed base, the mattress, the top mattress and the pillow. They work in perfect harmony and respond to the need for support, ergonomics and elasticity, while ensuring superior comfort. 

The Leonardo System will be presented in exclusive spaces in the showrooms of authorized retailers. The potential customers can ‘immerse’ themselves in an experience that is emotional, tactile, visual and olfactive, where they will feel they are in a real bedroom – somewhere designed with esthetic beauty, wellness and unequalled comfort being the essential ingredients.

                                                                        

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BASE. The structure in fir multilayer and covered in cotton fabric guarantees elasticity. The two upper layers of biconical springs and isolated springs provide support and ergonomics. It can be used with all compatible beds of the Flou range. 

MATTRESS. “100% organic”, it is a masterpiece of crafting and luxury, emphasized by the hand-stitching on the two resting surfaces and on the sides. The ergonomic block – two layers of isolated springs and two of micro-springs – is enclosed in luxurious symmetrical padding on the two sides, in horse hair, cotton, hemp, latex and cashmere. The stratification and volume of the padding have been studied to best satisfy the support requirements for the body weight. Three different degrees of firmness are available: soft, medium, firm. 

TOP MATTRESS. This element does not ‘adjust the mattress’ but is an essential component of the Leonardo system. It is the only one of its kind currently on the market; it has a core of horse hair positioned between two layers of latex. There is a layer of cashmere on one side for the colder winter months and hemp on the other side for the warmer periods and these guarantee maximum comfort in all seasons. Thanks to its hygroscopic properties, hemp makes a major contribution to absorbing sweat and perspiration. Two layers of down (80%) and feather (20%) act as efficient heat regulators, making this bed system a cozy, snuggle-down addition to any home. 

PILLOW. The external covering is coordinated with the mattress cover and is a pied-de-poule fabric, with ‘rat-tail’ trim. The padding in hemp, cashmere and quality down (80% down and 20% feather) ensures sleep with unparalleled comfort.

 

MYPLACE

Design Emanuela Garbin

When I imagined Myplace, I wanted to give shape to a thought: and the thought was to find in your space – in how you live your space – a place where you could stay and that it could be ‘your place’, somewhere comfortable, cozy, informal. It’s a place where you can find shelter after a heavy day, where you can laugh when watching a film, where you can tell a friend your secrets, be wide-eyed on hearing a piece of gossip, where you can relax and read a book, make love, explore a part of the world without moving an inch.

The sofa Myplace is the perfect reflection of the designer’s thoughts: live life with a passion. Three different depths are available to satisfy how everyone relaxes in comfort. The arrangements can be traditional linear sofas, pushed back against a wall, or spread-out like a fan, taking centerstage in the middle of a room. The seats, armrests and backrests – a total of twenty elements - can be arranged freely to create customized units. 

The tops of the Myplace coffee tables are hand-brushed cement and are irregular pentagons or hexagons. They are the perfect accessory to complement the sofa, sliding between the elements and following the curves of the compositions. 

The sofa is supplied with completely removable fabric or leather covers. 

The structure of the coffee table in matt burnished metal or polished black nickel, the top is in the unusual Velasca cement finish, available in the colors: snow white, cement grey and lava black. 

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BINARIO

Design Pinuccio Borgonovo

The project is based on the idea of bringing together worlds that differ greatly from our everyday lives, such as the domestic environment and public spaces, combining in a single system concept the respective characteristics and requirements. Serious and functional shapes define the esthetics and the comfort of the product that adapts to the increasingly domestic workplace and to living spaces that are progressively less generous.

Two- or three-seater linear sofas with noble, reassuring esthetics. The clean, geometric and sharp lines are joined by the light touch of the double feet that raise it from the ground. A moderate seat depth and a compact backrest illustrate the accurate study of the proportions, to guarantee outstanding comfort. 

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Large feather cushions, that can be scattered randomly, repeat the relief stitching of the sofa’s armrests, giving the composition a distinctive, elegant and contemporary appearance. 

Two-seater (170x85 cm) or three-seater (242x85 cm), available with completely removable leather or fabric covers. The feet are supplied with a matt burnished finish.

 

NEW BOND

Design Matteo Nunziati

NEWBOND 1The bench designed for Flou developed from the need for a seating unit that was suspended, aerial and that would also exalt the excellence of the company’s processing of fabrics and leathers.

The bench New Bond perfectly complements the bed from the same collection and repeats the distinctive tailor-made qualities. The padded structure rests on cylindrical metal legs and is embellished with cushions decorated by stylish exposed stitching. In the same way as the bed, the structure and cushions are anchored by belts in tone-on-tone leather or in a contrasting color - a design detail to exalt the elegance. 

Completely removable fabric or leather covers. In every version, the belts are in leather. The metal legs have a matt burnished or polished black nickel finish.

 

 

 

Guardaroba 16.32 “Private

Design Emanuela Garbin

Guardaroba 16.32 is evolving and with Private, it has become more attentive to detail, it takes care of your habits and the outfits in great detail, underlines your dress code, it tidies, it separates.

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Private, the natural evolution of the Flou wardrobe system, stands out for the luxurious stylish interior design that pays enormous attention to esthetics, for the new methods for anchoring the fixtures, and particularly for the unlimited possibility of personalization. Private consents systematic cataloguing of the wardrobe contents in response to every personal requirement of order and classification. There are two finishes for the interiors: Light, to exalt the fabrics and the colors; Dark, to exalt the garments and the accessories. Rich versions define the drawers, completed with trays, boxes and other containers; shelves and front panels in wood or porcelain stoneware (Concrete and Licorice finishes), and in glass, with or without light fittings, to exalt the contents. The wardrobe Private is completed with two new door options: Pool and Velasca.

Pool door

Cler glass or grey reflecting glass, with a handle that runs the length of the door. flou private 4flou private

This door protects and screens the garments and accessories, while revealing them discreetly and elegantly.

Close-up of the shelf with pull-out trouser-rack, with a convenient shelf that serves as tray. The top is in porcelain stoneware, Concrete finish. Close-up of the unit with drawers and light, front panels and top in glass; containers in different sizes and dedicated accessories for the drawers ensure order and exalt the contents. 

The interiors of Guardaroba 16.32 Private in the new Light finish, that exalts the colors and the fabrics; they coordinate with the Velasca door in the snow white finish: the hand-brushing of the cement ensures each piece is totally unique and unrepeatable.

 

 

Velasca door 

Cement 3 mm thick: this is a resistant, solid material yet it manages to transmit softness. The hand-brushing ensures each Velasca door is totally unique and unrepeatable. Available in three colors: snow white, cement grey, Lava black – it is ideal for people who love clean lines and elegance spiced with a contemporary soul.

velasca

TEXTILE COLLECTION

The 2019 textile collection is the creative interpretation of the latest fashionable trends, inspired by the elegance of gentlemen’s fabrics revisited with a contemporary twist. What results is a distinctive, elegant and decorative collection with timeless appeal, that fully reflects the Flou values.

Fabrics that are robust, with good consistency, a strong weave and a powerful appearance; however, they are flowing, soft to touch and they contrast beautifully with the lustrous, brilliant satins. The colors are strong, decisive - pumpkin orange and forest green that contrast with classical white - and, define three distinct color zones, giving rise to a unique and highly seductive scenario. The neutral shades of milky white and charcoal gray reveal new harmonies; strong colors mixed with white are original and fresh; satins have been softened by macro and micro geometries that create particularly attractive effects. 

tessile

The important weaves – Prince of Wales checks and macro geometries inspired by the raffias of Vienna – entwine with jacquard patterns and micro designs typical of the neckties. 

The sharp, gigantic geometries, softened by macro brush strokes and Toile de Jouy landscapes, also merge into false plain colors, giving rising to more original contrasts.

NATEVO by FLOU

CCCube

Design Carlo Colombo

The elements of CCCube have rational and clean shapes. The structure has been produced as an archetypal container and the base unit creates a product of sophisticated irony, a detail that astonishes and intrigues the observer. Integration of light fittings – the true leitmotif - could not be avoided in a product of the Natevo collection. Light is the protagonist that enhances everything around it.

CCCCube

CCCube is a wall-fixed system of modular units that can be used in both the living and sleeping quarters of the home. The units can be fitted with flap doors, drawers or left open to display the contents. They can be used individually or combined as desired to provide infinite versatility of use. The monolithic, geometric appearance is softened by LED lights that illuminate from the side that rests against the wall and from the thin metal leg that supports them, a highly functional detail that adds an enormous esthetic twist. Structure available in coffee-colored or brushed gray oak. 

BABELE

Design Matteo Nunziati

Babele is both a storage unit and a lamp. The shape was inspired by the antique architecture of Yemen. babeleThe idea was the synthesis of a multifunctional architectonic article that was technological yet elegant and timeless.babele2

With its pleasantly rounded shape, this swivel bookcase has four horizontal shelves and vertical dividers of different depths, which were designed to store books, vases and favorite ornaments. The structure in metal and wood incorporates a central column fitted with LED lights, which, in addition to providing light, acts as the ‘axis of rotation’. Babele has apparently simple lines yet is extremely sophisticated; it is a precious furnishing accessory produced using special processes, avantgarde manufacturing techniques and with details studied to guarantee its stability.

 Structure in metal, in two finishes: anodic bronze or matt burnished, and in coffee-colored oak or brushed grey. The LED lamp can be switched on using a switch, a remote control, or with Casambi (smart lighting controlled by a smartphone or a tablet).

 

ASHAA

Design Stefano Bigi

An expression of flowing, delicate shapes, the magic of reflections in its spherical heart. The unexpected meeting of poetry and sculpture, created from wood, glass and light.

The standard lamp Ashaa is extremely eye-catching and makes a strong furnishing statement. The structure is formed by eight slim slats in curved wood; it extends upwards, surrounds and supports in the central part a crystal ball. The LED strips, inserted in the wooden slats and in the metal top, interact with the crystal to create magical and surprising lighting effects. 

 Available in coffee-colored oak or brushed grey; the sphere is clear, smoked or bronzed crystal glass. It is available in two heights: 193 cm and 245 cm, the latter is fitted with a telescopic metal tip for ceiling fitting. The lamp can be switched on using a foot pedal or with Casambi (smart lighting controlled by a smartphone or a tablet).

ashaa

BRISCOLA

Design Pinuccio Borgonovo

The quest for a shape that immediately translates into the sensation of comfort, exploiting important dimensions and emphasizing the clear references to the past.

BRISCOLAThanks to its sinuous shape, the chair Briscola beautifully complements any type of table. Comfort is guaranteed by the base and the backrest, consisting of a single foamed shell that matches any style. The pleasantly rounded lines contrast with the sharp cut of the upholstery, creating a stylish chair that was unmistakably inspired by the world of automobiles. Tailored details soften the sharpness of the metal structure. 

The cover of the backrest and seat in fabric or leather is completely removable. The metal structure is available with a matt burnished, anodic bronze and matt greige finish.

briscola 2
Partners news

Torterolo & Re: production viewing to sustainability

9th October 2019

Attention to nature and the conscious use of resources are important issues for Torterolo & Re and are carried out in all phases of the production process starting from the raw material, wood.  Since years  the company gives great attention in selecting the best materials to produce security doors, to ensure high quality, reliability and durability.

Production of wooden panels for Torterolo & Re security doors begins with choice of woods from controlled reforestation areas, in order to respect the ecological balance of the forest and related protection and expansion.

Using  reforestation wood  protects the natural development of forests by keeping them healthy and clean. Just think that the average life of a tree goes from 80 to 120 years and when it reaches maturity, the tree needs to be cut to plant a new one, this is a necessary process to safeguard the future of the forest, without which the ecosystem would suffer .

The solid wood panels are the most valuable of the Torterolo & Re range : their good look derives from the accuracy of the workmanship and the uniqueness of each element, both with classic and modern designs. A solid wood panel is solid , precious, beautiful to see and to live. The noblest essences, interpreted with skill and refinement, express elegance and character.

 

Torterolo & Re ecological commitment is not limited to wood. The company  is 100% Italian and uses non-toxic water painting to produce its security doors: an economically demanding choice which guarantees a drastic reduction of harmful emissions in the environment, extreme safety for operators, guarantee of non-toxicity for the consumer, recovery and reintegration of paint residues. The ecological commitment is constant.

Discover the products and find the models to include in your project!

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#torteroloere #madeinitaly #porteblindate #securitydoor

 

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Simona Bardelli

Partners news

Smart is green. PCM, Phase Change Materials

06 March 2019

An “energy-smart façade” that generates and stores energy throughout the year makes this house, designed by zillerplus Architekten und Stadtplaner München, an “efficient house plus” – a building that is capable of generating more energy than its residents use. This is made possible by techniques such as the use of particularly clever phase-change materials (PCMs), which are also used in “pocket warmers”.

Smart is green

One Façade, Three Layers: all the Better for the Climate   The outer shell of the Smart is Green building is made up of layers including a vertical garden façade that acts as a heat shield during summer, along with insulating glazing, which protects from both heat and cold, and a PCM “curtain”. PCMs are in a constant aggregate state between solid and liquid. Like “pocket warmers”, which absorb heat when immersed in hot water and can be used to warm freezing hands when it is cold, these materials can absorb the warmth from the sun’s energy and release it later. Excess heat is thus removed from the area during the day, preventing the apartments from overheating. This stored heat is then released during the cooler hours of the night. Smart is green

Peak temperatures during both summer and winter can thus be intercepted and balanced out, resulting in a very pleasant interior climate. PCMs are also used for the building’s central heating storage facility, with a volume that is only half that of a conventional storage tank. The surplus heat from the solar thermal facility is stored here and maintained at the right temperature for under-floor heating. If there is a significant excess of solar energy, it is fed into the Wilhelmsburg local Energy Network.

Smart is green

In return, this ensures a sustainable heat supply, especially in long periods of cold weather. Both the exterior cladding and the roof are mounted with photovoltaic surfaces that transform energy from sunlight into electrical energy, and solar thermal surfaces, which convert solar power into heat energy. The façade and roof therefore play an active role in the building’s ingenious engineering concept, using innovative forms of technology to generate energy that can be consumed within the house itself. Moreover, such technologies are integrated into the very architectural concept behind the building.   Tomorrow’s Properties Will Help their Residents to Get Around   Like all of the concepts behind the Smart Material Houses, the façade with its clever materials is not the only innovative element – the integrated concept for the whole project is also groundbreaking. In Smart is Green this can be seen in the ground plan and the way in which it can be accessed, with various entrances to the individual apartments via stairs or lifts. The house is laid out so that the apartments can be configured or modified in a versatile way, allowing them to be partitioned or extended in order to meet the needs and changing living arrangements of their inhabitants. The attractiveness of “green living” is also embodied by the spacious terraces on each landing, each containing a small garden, between the planted and glazed areas on the southern side of the building.   The Technical Innovation Doesn’t Stop with the Building   Just in front of the green façade are facilities for providing green energy for getting around in the future, in the form of a fast charging station for electric cars. Surplus energy can be offloaded onto vehicles, which act as energy storage devices and can thus make an important contribution to the energy design of the building. E-cars also form a natural part of the mobility concept, as a car-sharing system is planned for the residents. All of this will make car-sharing among neighbours an attractive alternative to owning private vehicles. Extra charging devices for electric bicycles and scooters can also be installed in combi-boxes on the ground floor upon request. (Fabiana Cambiaso - Università La Sapienza) www.zillerplus.de   Smart Green, Zillerplus Architekten Prototype IBA 2013 Hamburg Completed: 2013 Site: Hamburg, Germany Materials: Phase change Materials (PCM), Steel, Concrete Applications: Curtains, Solar Shading Figures: © Zillerplus Architekten.

Marco Mignatti  

Materials

L'arte è sacra. Soprattutto l'architettura

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

Architecture