Putting people first

The new Relaxxi «Santa Maria dei Battuti» rest home in the town of Noale in the province of Venice was built by combining the Cazzaro Costruzioni Group’s specialist expertise with the skills of professionals with many years of experience in social and healthcare facility management. The complex stands on a 10,445 square metre site and includes a covered area of 2,915 square metres. «The facility comprises three above-ground levels in keeping with the height of the surrounding buildings,» explained architect Marcello Carraro from Studio Associato M. Carraro & S. Simi Architetti, the practice that designed the project. «It consists of two slightly diverging lateral volumes oriented in a north-south direction connected by a north-facing central unit, giving the overall complex a U-shaped layout open to the south with a large internal courtyard.» The two compact, linear lateral units feature continuous windows on the ground floor and asymmetrical openings on the first and second floors. The flat roof ends with a cornice designed to protect the walls. Access to the central volume is from the north via a full-height porch that shelters the entrance. Inclined circular columns support the projecting flat slab. The south-facing elevation features an arcade area on the ground floor and large balconies on the first and second floors to lend continuity to the interior spaces. The various sized windows ensure brightness and visibility. The balconies are equipped with flower boxes planted with sage, rosemary and thyme to stimulate the residents’ sense of smell. The ground floor of the central connecting volume houses the collective spaces, including the entrance hall, reception, common living areas, bar, kitchen, church, clinics and gym. The floor in the hall features ceramic tiles from the I Bianchi collection by Rex. Ceramic tiles from the Chromtech/1.0, Architech/ and Natural/1.0 collections from Floor Gres are used in various other interior and exterior spaces. The first and second floors are each organised into two 30-bed units, making up a total of 120 beds. The 23 square metre rooms (all with assisted bathrooms, ultrasonic baths and remote temperature and humidity control) allow for ease of access and movement, including handling of stretchered guests. Relaxxi «Santa Maria dei Battuti» is the first rest home in the Veneto region with class A energy certification. This achievement owes much to the 25 cm porous terracotta panels used as frame infill units and the 16 cm EPS external insulation integrated with thermal break aluminium window frames and low-emissivity glass. The outdoor area is specially equipped to allow guests and visitors to meet, sit and relax during the warmer months. The courtyard is envisaged as a natural extension of the interior spaces. The project cost about 15 million euros but did not weigh upon public finances as it was entirely privately funded in exchange for a forty-year management concession.