SDA 2022 Entries

• Commercial Building - Buildings that are used for commercial purposes, and include retail, hospitality, workplaces, factories and warehouses and buildings where commercial services are provided. At least 50 percent of the buildings’ floor space will be used for commercial activities. 

Infinite Area is a coworking campus created to encourage technological, institutional and scientific synergies and partnerships. It is the result of an urban regeneration project that transformed an old disused industrial building into a contemporary architecture with a Glocal approach, with an eye to the global dimension, but with solid roots in the territory. Started in 2013 by ZAA | Zanon Architetti Associati, who followed both the architectural and interior design, the works were completed in 2016. In 2018 the last part was completed, curated by Squared Architect and completed in 2019.
The redevelopment of the 2500 square meters of the building is characterized by the choice of a flexible internal structure, divided into 35 private offices with 150 work stations, 7 multimedia rooms for meetings and workshops and large relaxation areas surrounded by greenery. The desire to break down the rigid functional settings of classic workplaces has led to the development of hybrid and versatile environments, conceived to promote multidisciplinary contaminations and easily configurable according to the real use and actual presence, fundamental aspects in the current context where social distancing is crucial. As a metaphor for innovation and progress, the fuselage of an ATR 42 aircraft was inserted at the centre of the structure, in turn used as a possible place for work and interaction. An evocative architectural element, which inspires amazement and curiosity, and which reminds us not only that innovation is a journey to be shared, but also that the primary mission of Infinite Area is to get ideas, talents and businesses off the ground.

Externally, the solidity of the concrete shell has been lightened by large windows that filter natural light, giving great brightness to the work environments. Inside, the industrial style that characterized the old building has been lightened not only by the use of materials such as glass, wood and steel, but also by the combination of particularly bright colours, which give further dynamism to the spaces. An element of continuity between the different environments is the seamless floor made of Deco Nuvolato by Isoplam, a cement-based surface characterized by delicate plays of colour which, thanks to the darker variations that stand out against a lighter background, are reminiscent of the lightness of clouds.
Applied in the Light Gray shade, it has been selected for its qualities of resistance to wear, impact and foot traffic. Furthermore, the absence of joints facilitates ordinary cleaning, which is essential when it comes to very large rooms. The choice of Deco Nuvolato by Isoplam, made with a water-based protective and formaldehyde-free components, is well aligned with the sustainable vocation of the entire complex.

The building is equipped with the most modern technologies to reduce the environmental impact, from photovoltaic panels to the absence of disposable plastic: all concrete evidence of a commitment to sustainability and attention to the ecosystem, not only entrepreneurial, but also social. From the point of view of technologies, the sustainable vocation materializes in a photovoltaic system that covers 80% of the internal electricity requirement, in LED technologies for lighting, in a system for collecting rainwater that is reused for the irrigation of green areas and furnishings made with recycled materials.

The numbers:
98.6 kW produced by photovoltaic panels
1600 trees planted
9500 liters of rainwater recovered for irrigation
5000sqm of cement returned to green lawn
ZERO additional energy needed in summer,
ZERO plastic bottles used
ZERO polluting detergents
ZERO additional square meters cemented during the redevelopment of the headquarters

all photos have Copyright Marco Zanta