The building consists of three volumes linked together: the first one is destined to productive activity, the second one is for offices, and the last one is a connecting volume that contains changing rooms on the ground floor and meeting rooms on the first floor. The production's volume is developed on a rectangular plan that better fits with activities and it has a shed roof. The offices’ volume has a flat roof and according to the plan follows two different directions: the east front is parallel to the production's volume and the west side is parallel to the fourth side of the parcel and to the provincial road which it overlooks. The connecting building functionally belongs to both volumes, but the architectural style follows the production's volume through the shed roof.
The office building is characterized by a composition of shifting volumes and finishings that give a sense of movement to the façade. The volumes, that are placed below the same flat roof and enclosed by a white frame in Alucobond panels, are moved backward to create covered and separated areas for having different accesses. The large porch located on the south side allows to mitigate the solar rays and creates a space for vegetation that becomes part of the image of the building: a redwood, growing from a round flowerbed on the ground floor, crosses the roof through a round hole. The façade is articulated with the alternation of the solid parts in prefabricated elements and large windows screened by a system of tubular elements with variable sections and distances.
Although the volumes have different levels of complexity, both offices' and production's volumes are completely made with prefabricated elements which gave the possibility to optimize the time management of the construction phase. The production area is consisted of 8 bays, with pillars and double-slope beams. The façade is made with reinforced concrete thermal break wall panels, while the shed roof is in sandwich panels. Instead, the office building is composed of reinforced concrete thermal break wall panels and a structural system with pillars and beams. It is made up of two structural units: the one on the west side has a flat roof, while the one on the east side is made with inclined beams and purlins to form the same shed roof as the production's volume.
The offices’ area was designed with the idea of having large common areas and a high quality of the distribution spaces thanks to a play of lights and double heights that, together with the double inclination of the building elevations, contribute to creating always interesting spaces. The interiors have been planned down to the smallest detail. The distribution areas are thought of not only as areas exclusively for the functionality of the building but as spaces that contribute to creating an “image of home” that increases the comfort of the workers with wooden finishings, selected lighting fixtures, and furniture. The office layout starts from a main entrance with an access compass placed on a large hall, a double volume illuminated by large curtain walls that distributes the rooms on two levels. On the north side there is the guardian accommodation with independent access. The volume behind the offices consists of a single production environment, with large bays that allow maximum flexibility of space and optimization of the production layout. The space is lit by large polycarbonate sheds placed on the roof and by glass windows evenly distributed along the east and west elevations of the production volume.
A project with modern design and technologically advanced, which at the same time recreates a home space for the Torex family. (Nino Ratti, CEO Torex S.p.A.)
RS2 Architetti Studio Associato is an Italian design and consulting company, which gained solid experience in the field of Architecture, Urban Planning, Planning, Engineering, Prefabrication, Infrastructures, Technological Systems and Interior Design on the Italian and global market. Today, thanks to its international network and a consolidated team of professionals, it expands its vocation and mission at a national and international level continuously.
The main aim of RS2 is to provide its customer the best integrated architectural and engineering design solutions and consolidated organizational experience of the construction process of the commissioned work.
Continuous attention to the new technologies has led the studio to create a spin-off, the innovative startup bimO Open Innovation which provides Building Information Modeling (BIM) services for the digitalization of the construction supply chain.