Architecture that breathes

Location: Rome
Area: 4.500 Smq
Client: Asset Management Company
Project time: 2014

Enhanced Technical Offer – Public Tender, Rome, Via Boglione

When undertaking the restyling of a building or an entire architectural complex, ecological considerations cannot be overlooked. For us, they represent an essential and highly significant theme. In this project, technologies were adopted to monitor interior conditions—temperature, humidity, air quality, pollutant reduction, and both environmental and acoustic comfort.

In order to achieve a substantial improvement over the base project proposed in the public tender for the redevelopment of the Via Boglione complex, the design incorporated eco-compatible materials with low energy consumption and reduced waste production. Materials and design choices aimed at improving thermal and hygrometric comfort, air quality, and environmental, acoustic and lighting comfort were employed. Additional works were also planned in areas excluded from the tender’s original scope, along with a series of enhancements to improve the usability of the outdoor spaces. Furthermore, aesthetic improvements were introduced to the façades and related external areas, as well as systems to screen the mechanical equipment. Particular attention was paid to selecting low-environmental-impact materials, both in terms of end-of-life disposal and production processes involving low waste generation, low energy consumption and consequently reduced CO₂ emissions.

Where possible, locally produced materials were preferred to minimise transport-related pollution. As a result, we selected manufacturers employing modern production techniques, using readily available raw materials that require little energy to process and pose no health risks.

These improvements applied to almost all materials, including internal masonry and plasterboard partitions, self-levelling compounds, mortars, joint adhesives, renders, surfacers, suspended ceilings, waterproofing membranes, paints and more. Throughout the project, our guiding principles were: prioritising natural materials; selecting construction systems that promote proper breathability and ventilation; and designing in accordance with Legislative Decree 311/06 and subsequent amendments, European regulations on energy efficiency, and the Kyoto Protocol directives.

ioclimatic design, combined with bio-architecture, allows for optimised energy and environmental performance through strategies rooted in environmental integration and landscape respect—ensuring a healthy and comfortable working environment. For the front-office and canteen areas, we designed a self-regenerating green roof requiring no irrigation system, and large skylights in the form of cannon-lumière to improve visual comfort. Two canopies were added to reduce summer solar gain on the south-facing glazed façades, thereby improving interior thermal comfort in the warmer months without preventing beneficial solar gains in winter. Across all environments, upgrades included enhanced roof-slab insulation, improved wall insulation through optimised ratios between solid and opaque surfaces, and the use of renders, mortars, surfacers and paints promoting breathability.

To ensure better interior and exterior air quality, materials with very low or zero VOC emissions—and, where possible, with bactericidal, fungicidal or photocatalytic properties—were chosen.

To improve acoustic comfort, materials with high sound-absorbing or sound-insulating properties were used in place of those specified in the tender base project. To enhance lighting comfort, LED luminaires were installed, cannon-lumière skylights were added to the front-office and canteen areas, and finishes (ceilings, paints and coatings) were selected to ensure optimal light distribution. LED fixtures suitable for spaces with video terminals were specified to guarantee natural colour rendering and a high level of visual comfort.

Special attention was devoted to the aesthetic enhancement of interior spaces, particularly the communal areas and those used by external visitors.
Mechanical and HVAC systems were integrated within accessible suspended ceilings (offices, corridors, etc.), ensuring ease of access and maintenance while minimising visual impact.

The original modular metal panelling system was redesigned and improved through the use of fibre-cement panels mixed with powdered natural stones traditionally used in Rome—travertine, piperino and sandstone. This created a varied and dynamic façade composition while avoiding excessive visual impact in an urban landscape already heavily compromised by the industrial fabric along the Grande Raccordo Anulare.

To make the complex less anonymous and more recognisable to its regular users, metal window surrounds matching the modular panel dimensions were introduced, coloured red for the so-called “Building B” and blue for “Building C”.

During winter, heat loss through the perimeter walls occurs far more slowly than under normal exposure conditions, preventing condensation and the formation of mould. In summer, the system acts as a “thermal shield”, maintaining a lower indoor temperature by limiting the penetration of external heat.