CAP Group Headquarters
The headquarters of CAP Group, manager of the water services of the metropolitan city of Milan, is characterized by a monolithic volume with an impressive sloping overhang, an evocative shape that recalls the image of an ark, solid and safe. The concept developed by Claudio Lucchin & Architetti Associati is like a distillation of the company’s core values, including sustainability, expressed through a precise architectural design and energy plan, and the natural element of water, the focus of the company’s activities.
The solutions adopted in the construction of the building envelope, such as the choice of materials and installations, were central to the headquarters achieving LEED Gold certification. In this scenario, the collaboration with Schüco Italia as a design partner proved to be crucial. By using their high quality aluminum systems, it was possible to achieve the intricate interplay of mirrors that defines the building’s six-story façade. As well as providing office space for employees, these premises include areas open to the public.
Schüco experts specializing in custom engineering worked with the architect and the window and door manufacturer – IALC Serramenti – to support them during the study and design phase. This fruitful collaboration, following 1,280 hours of study and 155 hours of testing in the company’s Padua laboratories, resulted in 21 new codes. The new components were designed on the basis of a precise 3D analysis, starting with the Schüco SFC 85 aluminum system, and then adapted to allow the connection between the systems installed in the vertical zones of the envelope and those in the sloping sector. Subsequent tests verified their ability to withstand the elements and their resistance to impact, ensuring that the solutions identified guarantee optimal performance.
The façade also has a variety of window configurations, with fixed, manual and motorized options. In particular, for the latter, the Schüco AWS 114 TipTronic system was adapted to fit a custom frame. The result is an elegantly designed elevation, characterized by formal cleanliness and numerous transparencies, in which the interweaving of mirrors allows the intelligent and versatile use of the available space. Such solutions make the complex permeate the urban context, becoming an active and integral part of it.
Schüco International Italia
Via del Progresso, 42 – I – 35127 Padova
Tel. +39 049 7392000
www.schueco.it