Artisan Roots, Contemporary Design

For 128 years, Carminati Serramenti has developed with the world through the filter of its window and door frames. It began life as a small carpentry business on the outskirts of Bergamo, but it has grown into an international company with business and contacts across the globe, from Europe and the UK to the United Arab Emirates and America, taking its truly “Made in Italy” style with it wherever it goes. Right from its earliest days, the company has embodied ideas like customization, tailor-made and concept design in a blend of artisan skill and, especially as the years past, the latest technologies and cutting-edge solutions. Today, these aspects have become the bedrock on which it works successfully with architects and designers, playing an active role in creating simulations, producing technical drawings or providing consultancy. At the heart of ensuring the utmost quality in everything it creates, from its doors and windows to its paneling and custom-made furniture, is a simple concept: check every item before it even enters the manufacturing process, that is, when a part first reaches the company.

Carminati’s relentless pursuit of quality through control then continues in every production stage, right to testing, type-approval and final inspection. Being able to trace its products and parts is equally important. The solution adopted: provide each product with a label that incorporates the original order details and final destination. Of course, to guarantee the long-term durability and quality of such products, it is essential they are installed to perfection to provide proper thermal insulation, soundproofing, watertightness and load distribution. On this front, ensuring thermal and visual comfort is rooted in a combination of wood and a glass system that is as minimalist as it is technological. An emblematic example of this approach is the Skyline Minimal Frames collection, where the original concept is precisely to conceal the technology used.

The combination of a transparent surface and an exceptionally thin frame produces a truly discreet bridge between interior and exterior in which success lies in attention to detail and striking the perfect balance of proportions. The thin wooden profiles help increase the amount of glass and thus the natural light levels. This is a wonderful example of how one of the most ancient of architectural elements – a window – is able to integrate innovative technology without losing its essence and character.

The resultant sophistication of this collection is precisely why it was chosen by, for example, Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel when they designed and built the Bulgari Hotel and Resort in Dubai. Craftsmanship and custom design are the founding values of Carminati, and they are still at the heart of recent projects like the Djamaa el Djazaïr mosque and numerous private homes, such as a villa in Piacenza by Studio Koster, which rises in the hills like a sort of monolith, in a dialogue between antiquity and contemporaneity.