Eco Factor: Sustainable development maximizes use of natural elements.
Italian architecture and engineering firm, Studiodosi, has released this new zero CO2 emission institutional office building, and placed itself among well-known international sustainability related architectural firms. In March 2009 Provincia di Parma (Parma, north of Italy) issued a two-phase architectural competition for its new headquarters building. The dwelling had to be zero CO2 emission and built with sustainable attitudes and strong prescriptions about materials, comfort and air treatments. Out of the 77 submissions StudioDosi was placed second.
It’s a compact public offices building, three levels above ground and one underground for some 13,500 sqm, in which the architectural solution strongly matches with technological & performance requests. Its main features are the double skin treatment (the inner one is double glazed with wide in-between air space, while the outer envelope is made by an irregular shaped climbing vegetable stripes) and the great use of socialization spaces as connections, the vertical cuts that emphasize accesses. The great flexibility of the internal space allows a real modulation of all the demanded functions.
The most important bioclimatic aspects which were considered included the quest for perfect natural light, ventilated walls and the natural air extraction through “wind’s towers” and strong attention to social comfort. No CO2 emissions, waste water collection, geothermal plant, thermal & photovoltaic solar panels, A+ energy class and attention to future disposal. It is the attempt to finally combine aesthetics and sustainability issues, merging the two parts in a controlled quest for identity and full functionality. The estimated cost is expected to be less than EUR 10,000,000, as budgeted by the Province of Parma for this development.
Thanks for the tip: [Stefano Dosi]
