Sustainability and tradition

In these first few years of the new millennium, the world of building design has been seeking to move beyond the dense, concrete modernity that characterised the twentieth century. The most advanced and visionary architecture is striving to create a diffused system of networks throughout urban spaces so as to channel services and information to the nodal points of the metropolis. The urban landscape increasingly consists of architecture that appears to have lost its figurative nature, becoming a system of nodes that change in time and space. Many buildings consist of modular structures enclosed by envelopes that can easily be replaced for functional requirements or in keeping with the latest trends. This is particularly the case in the large metropolises, which are moving away from the conventional city model and increasingly becoming sprawling agglomerates without a centre or periphery. The situation is different in small and medium-sized urban centres, where the structure of the old city still has differentiated zones and architecture is based on forms and materials rooted in the culture and history of the site.
The new headquarters of the CNA (National Artisanship Confederation) is a striking example of a work that is strongly linked to the local area in terms of both its formal composition and the use of materials. At the same time, however, it is a modern building that achieves low levels of energy consumption.
The CNA project is based on two main principles. It complies with environmental sustainability regulations and the latest green building criteria, while at the same time its composition is firmly rooted in local traditions.
A good green building project must begin with the correct orientation of the complex, in this case south-facing to maximise exposure to the heating effect of sunlight during the colder winter months, while at the same time providing effective solar screening during the summer. Special fixed and mobile screens have been adopted for this purpose, and photovoltaic roof panels with the dual function of solar shielding and electrical energy production have been installed. Additionally, the car park area has been planted with trees chosen for their special foliage which provides protection from sunlight while at the same time facilitating the flow of air.
The CNA complex stands on the edge of the new district, in the former Neri area. The special shape referencing the hull of a large ship with its bows pointed towards the city centre symbolises a new city fragment in the making.
The large and bright interior spaces feature ceramic tiles capable of withstanding intense foot traffic, 30×120 cm and 60×120 cm large-format Caesar porcelain tiles in bright, trendy colours. The versions Cashmere, Beauty, Platinum and Jewel (beige, yellow, grey and white) from the Glam collection were chosen for the floor coverings.