SEB 12

The SEB 12 embedded itself within its surroundings, integrating together, the pre-existing, heterogeneous, diverse buildings of late 50s, Scuola Edile di Bergamo-SEB (the school for construction workers). Conceived as a multifunctional institute, the building encompasses a variety of spaces devoted to the different processes and crafts of the construction industry: workshops for the future builders, classrooms for theoretical training, meeting halls, first-aid stations etc. The adherence of the program’s variety is reflected in the volumetric composition, overhangs, projecting shifts in materials (plaster, raw concrete, metal) and a clear, visible freedom of openings created by different intensity of lighting, visually and functionally dialoguing with the surrounding. The south the building is connected to the auditorium, sharing an architectural language and its system of paths. To the east is located the office area, punctuated by windows of varied heights that moderate the illumination during the day. The northern front, which represents the main façade, is design to establish a relationship with the neighboring volumes. Finally, to the west, a double row of windows lights up the interior of the classrooms: the first is at eye level, while the second is placed upwards, in order to capture the greatest amount of sunlight. Thanks to a grid/mesh of pilotis on the ground floor, the space is left completely free to host school activities. Rather than imposing an individual voice within the inner complexity of the context, the new building remains true to the typical conditions of industrial area, functioning as a hinge and as glue, joining various elements, aesthetically and functionally. The result is a multiform and flexible architecture, which will be able to accommodate and serve functions other than those of today. In this perspective, the building is already designed to accommodate further expansion. The building, certified energy efficient class A, has been constructed with a load-bearing C. A, cladding and diversity in structure S/R.