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

04 February 2019

Italian architects Onsitestudio have completed the Milan headquarters of an electrical product manufacturer, wrapped in profiled steel. The main purpose of the project is the overall reorganisation of an area used for the production of electrical converters, located in an industrial compound along the Cassanese state highway, east of Milan. The main idea is to define the boundaries of the production site by building a continuous wall to create a feeling of an enclosed urban block. The building “thickens” this wall near the angle, separating the internal space from the external one, with an internal garden and public spaces along the street . The project foresees research spaces on the ground floor, withdrawn and facing the internal garden and offices on the second floor. The volume folds around the angle and stretches out with two bodies, characterized by a continuous glass façade: the first body, facing the birch garden, is designed to be used for directors’ offices, while the second one, facing the street, will be used for the operating offices. On the far west side, in direction of the state road, the volume becomes a vertical body, with the tower hosting the technical stations. The metal skin, constituted by shaped and drilled sheet metal in opaque stainless steel, envelopes the building entirely like a curtain, thus conferring to the volume a balanced character, where the opaque and transparent portions are ambiguously defined. The skin filters the light into the building at different opening degrees, depending on the exposure to the sun and the degree of intimacy desired in the interior. The facades are completely defined by a metallic skin composed of opaque stainless steel shaped, perforated and stretched sheeting. The steel selected for this project is stainless AISI 304, with a 2 mm thickness and 4 to 4.5 m high sheets. The texture of the metallic elements has been developed in several phases trying to use common industrial elements, such as folded and perforated sheets, to then achieve a bespoke solution to follow the concept of a cladding whose variety can be shown at different levels, both in plan and elevation. In correspondence of the glazed elements the metallic cladding continues and maintains its shape, but it is perforated. The presence of many small oval holes allows the metallic skin to filter the light with various grades of opening in relation to the sun exposure and the level of intimacy of the internal spaces. Only the entrance which is characterised by zenithal light. The sensation for those who are inside is of an intimate and reserved environment with relaxing views over the green of the internal garden. The choice of the metallic cladding, as well as for the rest of the construction executed with the assembly of prefabricated elements (iron profiles for the structures and plasterboard panels for the partitions), has been dictated by the desire of slimming down and simplify the construction phase, while speeding up the phases, reducing the storage space for materials on site and improving the quality of the finished product. The building is designed to meet the class A energy efficiency requirements of CENED. The metal covering  has been designed to be covered with photovoltaic panels in amorphous silica. Energy efficiency is achieved through several strategies: a high performance covering system for both opaque and transparent portions, external shielding systems against solar radiation, internal curtains, technical systems based on heat pumps, he recovery of rain water for irrigation and high performance double glazing. Stratigraphy is organised as follows: a sandwich panel in wood and mineral wool with a thickness of 150 mm, coupled on the outside with a transpiring, watertight and UV resistant membrane, and completed on the inside by an insulated wall lining in plaster with 3 plates. (Fabiana Cambiaso) Credits: Onsitestudio Architects Friem Headquarters, Segrate (Milan, Italy) Building Surface: 2100 mq Opening: 2010 Materials: Steel, Wood and Mineral Wool Applications: Envelope Cladding, Solar Shading, Sandwich Panel www.onsitestudio.it Figures: © Filippo Romano; © Onsitestudio; © Helene Binet.

Carlo Bardelli

25 November 2018

DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions announces the commercial launch of DuPont™ SentryGlas® N-UV ionoplast interlayer a new interlayer technology for durable architectural safety glass with unsurpassed transmission of natural UV light into spaces containing special light-requiring flora and fauna. Located in Seocheon, Republic of Korea, the Ecoplex ecological park is a government led initiative to preserve the natural environment of the region and to create a national hub to gather various ecological valuables for advanced research and exhibition in Korea. The site was originally allocated to be developed as an industrial zone but due to its environmental values, the Korean government changed the plan and commissioned a design competition for the Ecoplex and its various facilities which was won by Samoo Architects & Engineers. The Ecorium is composed of various greenhouses and controlled environmentsin order to reproduce the global ecosystem of five different climatic zones ranging from the tropical to the polar regions. Planned as an eco-friendly building, the Ecorium is strategically designed to become a leading facility in regards to sustainability. For example, the alignment and the orientation of the various greenhouses were simulated to create an ideal environment depending on the climate zone the greenhouse would represent. Also, air-flow simulations were carried out so that natural ventilation effects could be maintained throughout the 4-seasons for necessary facilities. The sloped curtain-wall of each climate zones would gather rain-water for cooling & watering plants. With these various efforts, the whole facility was able reduce total energy consumption by approximately 10%. With a grand vision of becoming the hub for education and research on ecology, the Ecorium within the Ecoplex will play an important role in providing an opportunity for visitors to have a hands-on experience of the various ecological environments around the world and teach us the importance of our natural environments. "Bringing full-spectrum light through laminated glass is proving attractive to botanists and other life science professionals," said DuPont Advanced Interlayer Business Director Ron Hull. "Our decision to fully commercialize and promote SentryGlas® N-UV ionoplast interlayer for this market reflects growing demand from around the world for this unique product." The latest project specified in high-UV-transmissive DuPont interlayer is South Korea's National. Ecological Institute (NEI) "Ecorium" project, a 33,090-square-meter, multi-domed, multi-climate-zone nature reserve and sustainability-minded study center under construction in Seocheon-gun. While invisible to humans, UV light is critically needed by many terrestrial and aquatic species for food identification, mating and display, proper growth and good health in environments as close as possible to their normal outdoor habitat. Most architectural laminated glass includes UV blockers to protect interior fabrics and furnishings from discoloration and to avoid prolonged human skin exposure to the UV light rays. Compared with other interlayers available to the laminated glass industry, DuPont™ SentryGlas® N-UV is not cross-linked or cured, relying instead on intrinsic ionoplast stability to resist degradation or loss of clarity from extended exposure to sunlight. Like normal ionoplast sheet, DuPont™ SentryGlas® N-UV offers up to 100 times the stiffness and 5 times the toughness of traditional safety glass interlayers, allowing for larger glass spans. This can further improve natural light transmission when used in combination with high-transmissivity glass. Structural engineering advantages of SentryGlas® interlayer often allow for thinner glass and minimally supported glazing. The interlayer's outstanding resistance to moisture ingress and chemical attack make it ideal for open-edged designs, even in warm, humid environments. SentryGlas® N-UV interlayer is available in sheet form, in 1.52-mm (0.060-in.) thickness. To help life science professionals and others explore product application ideas, DuPont has sample interlayer sheets available immediately for lamination and testing with user-specified glass for envisioned projects. (Fabiana Cambiaso, Università La Sapienza) www.samoo.com © Samoo Architects & Engineers; © Young Chae Park   Ecorium, National Ecological Institute (NEI), Seocheon-gun, Republic of Korea Samoo Architects & Engineers, Grimshaw Architects Area: 33.090 sqm Completion: 2012 Materials: Glass Applications: Envelope.

Carlo Bardelli

02 April 2019

Launched in 2004 by the Austrian company Rieder, fibreC (from the English "glassfiber" and "concrete") is a concrete reinforced with glassfiber applicable outdoors and indoors. The deprivation of the iron core inside of plates allows a very thin but highly durable production: sheets of 8-13 mm, very light but very strong.

Sandblasted or brushed surfaces are colored with the addition of iron oxide and natural additives: this provides varying surfaces for appearance and colors. FibreC is very durable, thin and pliable and it can therefore be used in flat slabs, and shaped in a particular way. Thanks to the unique feature of mouldability of these concrete and glassfiber panels and to the production system, this so thin material can find extraordinary possibilities of application. 

Messestand Gasser Swissbau '12 Basel, L3P ArchitektenRegensberg, Fertigstellung 2012[/caption] The architecture is the interplay of contrasting elements and the result of imaginative ideas that come from the continuous updating of materials, colors and texture of surfaces. The panels and the new elements in fibreC encourage the evolution of these ideas with innovative material suitable for all types of solutions. Similar to a skin of concrete, fibreC façade panels offer new solutions. 

Concrete skin coatings give the buildings a more modern aspect, both visually and in terms of innovation, as if they were covered by a second skin. FibreC is a material which allows a wide range of application and creating a wide variety of organic and creative shapes; it adapts to different forms and solutions, for example sliding constructions, curvatures, sloping walls and roofs.

The work shows all the expressive potential of this material that can be used as a second skin or tissue with spectacular effects on the façade of the building.   www.rieder.cc/it/it/home/ rieder.cc/blog/

Edoardo Croci

13 Jenuary 2019

The purpose of the Design Hub is to provide accommodation in one building for a diverse range of design research and post graduate education. The Hub provides a collegial research base where post graduates in fields such as fabric and fashion design will work alongside those involved in architecture, aeronautical engineering, industrial design, landscape architecture, urban design and so on.

Research groups have the ability to locate and fine tune their accommodation within ‘warehouses’ – open plan spaces where research teams can set up and tailor their work environment to suit their particular needs. Teams may stay for anywhere from six months to three years depending on the nature of and funding limits to their research and education programs. Research may include the need for workshops to make physical models to be located alongside computer studios, three dimensional printing, virtual reality modelling and so on. Given the time frames associated with research projects all the warehouses require a high level of adaptability and flexibility. In that sense these spaces are designed to accommodate the organic nature of research – ever evolving, adapting, changing and growing. The plan of the Hub acknowledges the desire for incidental cross pollination where researchers from one field encounter those from completely unrelated other fields as part of their day to day use of the building. An exhibition space and design archive provide a public interface with both industry and research outcomes. These spaces combined with a variety of lecture, seminar and multi purpose rooms facilitate high level exchanges in a number of forums.

The Hub has a large number of ESD features and incorporates strategies of water, waste and recycling management that are the equal of any ESD focussed building on the planet. In particular the outer skin of the Hub incorporates automated sunshading that includes photovoltaic cells, evaporative cooling and fresh air intakes that improve the internal air quality and reduce running costs. The cells have been designed so that they can be easily replaced as research into solar energyresults in improved technology and part of the northern façade is actually dedicated to ongoing research into solar cells to be conducted jointly by industry and RMIT. The entire building façade, in other words, has the capacity to be upgraded as solar technology evolves and may one day generate enough electricity to run the whole building. The façade comprises a specifically detailed double glazed inner skin on each face of the building and an automated operable second skin shading device. The second skin shading device surrounds the entire building, from the ground floor to the roof plant level. It is made up of nominally 600 mm diameter sandblasted glass disks, which are fixed to either a horizontal or vertical aluminium axel. Each axel is fixed to the outer face of a galvanised steel cylinder of a slightly greater diameter and nominally 130 mm in depth. 21 glass discs and steel cylinders are fixed together in panels of nominally 1.8 m by 4.2 m, which are supported on a secondary galvanised steel frame set out about 700 mm from the curtain wall face of the building. These are accessed by an external service walkway on each level.

Each typical panel is made up of 12 operable glass discs and 9 discs which are fixed. At the ground and plant room levels all glass disks will be fixed. There are 86 panels on each level and therefore 774 panels for the nine levels of the building. Perimeter air intakes and fine mist sprinklers incorporated into the double glazed inner skin provide passive cooling to the UFAD system. The water used in this ‘Coolgardie safe’ system is harvested from the roof. Fresh naturally cooled air provides a less expensive, lower energy consumption and more desirable thermal comfort alternative to a wholly conditioned work environment.   Credits: www.seangodsell.com RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, by Sean Godsell Material: Frosted glass,  Low-E insulating glass, steel profiles and galvanized steel Application: Envelope Area: 13,000 sqm Completed: 2012 Figures: © Earl Carter (Fabiana Cambiaso – Università La Sapienza Roma).

Marco Mignatti