A large leaf resting delicately on light pillars is the image that inspires Nice’s new industrial complex in Brazil, which will be inaugurated next June. Nice, the Italian multinational global leader in Smart Home, Security, Home & Building Automation solutions, has entrusted MC A – Mario Cucinella Architects with the design and construction of the company’s new Brazilian headquarters. Setting a benchmark for sustainable industrial architecture, the complex will be built in Limeira, north-west of São Paulo, and will cover an area of 20,000 square metres. The headquarters has been conceived as a smart factory, inspired by the principles of Industry 4.0. A new production approach based on the use of cutting-edge technologies, designed to improve working conditions, create a sustainable business model and increase the productivity and production quality of the plants.
The building is characterised by a luminous central façade facing the main public thoroughfare and including the lobby, two floors of offices, common areas and all training spaces. The production area is located at the back and is connected to the main atrium through a large window from which all visitors can observe the automated production process, transforming the structure into a “show-factory”. Also at the back, a system of suspended paths, immersed in the forest, connects to the extension of the building which will host public functions for employees. Nice’s new Brazilian headquarters is designed to reduce energy consumption through the use of a series of active and passive measures that take advantage of the favourable climatic conditions. The building, in particular, interacts passively with Limeira’s mild climate by providing shade and allowing diffuse light to radiate into all workspaces. The iconic roof is not only the main architectural feature, but also the most important passive environmental device, offering protection from direct solar radiation during the hottest months of the year.
The complex also relies on natural ventilation for two-thirds of the year, thanks to access to openable façade elements and the integration of movable openings in the atrium patio, turning it into a giant ventilation chimney; a 60 cubic metre water tank stores rainwater for reuse in irrigation. Finally, the landscape design offers a playful interpretation of the variety of the Cerrado biome, Brazil’s second largest biome, from grass to savannah to forest formations. It is deconstructed into five different episodes that complement the main outdoor circulation system and help protect the existing underground water source and the trees above. The landscape design not only adds value to the biodiversity of the whole area, but actively contributes to rainwater management by directing water to a large basin in the lower part of the area.
for further information please visit www.mcarchitects.it
