The new Homes headquarters

The new headquarters of Homes, in the Italian province of Treviso, is the final addition to the manufacturing and commercial complex of this industrial group, which owns a number of furniture brands. The design, by Mario Mazzer, encompasses complementary functional areas: executive offices, administrative offices, meeting rooms, a conference room and client areas. On the ground floor there are also a canteen and nursery on the northern side. Both face onto a narrow open lightwell that extends down from the top floor.
The large two-storey, longitudinal section of the building houses most of the offices, which are linked by a corridor that runs near-centre along the length of the building. The first floor has a large projecting volume on the northern side. The main rectangular portion of the building is crossed at an angle by a three-storey volume, marking the position of the building entrance with its projecting volume, which is relatively autonomous in function.
The foyer is dynamic. Upon entering the building, you cross a double-height space. A white Corian reception desk is placed at an angle, directing visitors toward the lifts and meeting rooms. In the reception area, the light timber flooring is an extension of the timber wall panelling, while the glazed wall forms a transparent border that expands the foyer onto the lawns outside the building.
The oblique section of the building houses the CEO’s office, distinguished by a floor-to-ceiling glazed wall and recurring timber trim that creates a connection between the floors and walls.
The oblique section of the building clearly divides the work areas from the areas intended for communication and interaction. At the southern end is the conference room, with armchairs at floor level and tiered bench seating, which can be divided to accommodate meetings of different sizes.
The recognizability of the building and its contemporary look are partly achieved through the architecture of its façade. There are contrasts between the composition of each side created by the different ways in which the layers of the building shell overlap and the different technologies used in its construction.
On the western side of the main rectangular section of the building, the most distinctive element is the barrier formed by the brise-soleil, which visually overlaps the glazed façade. This grid, formed by 6 1/4” (160 mm) extruded aluminium bars, is suspended from the roof. It defines virtual boundaries with its organic, irregular design, forming a web of intersecting off-vertical and off-horizontal bars, whose material presence separates the inside from the outside, while simultaneously not restricting vision. The western side of the oblique section interrupts the metallic flow of the brise-soleil. But its double-skin glazed façade is still a distinctive element, forming a break that filters light through its rooms. The glazed surfaces of the façade reverse the pattern of the metal grid in a reflection that destabilizes its solidity.
The double-skin glazed façade extends around all sides of the building. This transparent structure reveals the maintenance walkways, supporting brackets, and interior fittings (partly micro-perforated sheet aluminium), overlapping each one in a dialogue between different degrees of visual permeability.
The building has two basement levels, with car parking facilities on the first and a showroom on the second. The showroom occupies an extremely high space, underscoring the multi-functional nature of the headquarters. Access to the showroom runs parallel to the teak walkway that leads to the main entrance. A staircase, lit by a lightwell, leads to the lower basement level.
The main staircase is located where the oblique section of the building intersects with the main portion and runs between all the levels, including the basement. With its long spans, this steel structure forms a commanding presence, with contrasting visual effects created between it and the transparency of its glass balustrades.

Francesco Pagliari