Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Tuscany, Italy
Blending the natural surrounding of Tuscany and architecture, Stefano Gri and Piero Zucchi of GEZA Architettura and landscape architects LAND Italia complete the new Furla Headquarters, an industrial architecture, and office project titled “Progetto Italia,” integrated into nature, where working environment, sustainability, and landscape are harmoniously conceived.
The new Furla Headquarters consists of three volumes covering 18,300 square meters in a 42,000 square meters plot.
The geography of the land was taken into consideration and is enhanced through three fundamental elements – the driveway, the terraces, and Piazza Furla – which define clear areas around the building volumes.
With a system of patios and green roofs overlooking the wooded area, nature crosses the boundaries between inside and outside.
The main entrance recalls the archetype of Tuscan villa access: a linear row of cypresses welcoming visitors.
This design is replicated on the façade of the buildings with sunscreen filtering blades.
The entrance to the offices, with the double-height reception and the large open-air hall, becomes the point where the boundaries between architecture and landscape merge.
Along the avenue, the buildings are arranged in sequence of floors, staggered in a plan, and placed on different levels to accommodate the different activities of the Factory, the parking is integrated into the morphology of the land, and Piazza Furla, the focal point of the axis that marks the arrival and main entrance.
From this focal point – conceived as the heart of the company – you can access both the management and the production departments.
Despite being located in different buildings, they are organically connected through an internal path, thus perfectly integrating working areas that are normally set apart.
The entrance to the offices, with the double-height reception and the large open-air hall, becomes the point where the boundaries between architecture and landscape merge.
The interiors have been designed in such a way as to have real layout flexibility.
The orderly sequence of offices is punctuated by green patios, and relationship spaces, such as meeting rooms, break areas, and showrooms.
Nature is a prominent element, not just because of its beauty but also because it creates a pleasant environment once blended into the building: patios, green coverings, and natural light (filtered by vertical plates positioned according to the sun positioning) contribute to a more sustainable working habitat, where people can also relax and enjoy the contact with nature.
Sustainability plays a key role in this project which has been designed to comply with the green energy best practices: a photovoltaic system is installed over the production building while thermal solar panels guarantee hot water supply (for both sanitary and heating purposes).
Additionally, the lighting system is LED-based and renewable energy is always used when possible.
Project: FURLA Headquarters and Production Complex “Progetto Italia”
Architects: Gri e Zucchi Architettura Srl ( GEZA Architettura)
Lead Architects: Stefano Gri and Piero Zucchi
Design Team: Alessia Dorigo, Marjana Dedaj, Stefania Anzil, Elisa Mansutti, Beatrice Pellos, Francesco Tessaro, Giulia Marcon, and Roberto Pasquali
Landscape Architects: LAND Italia
Client: FC Immobiliare SpA
Photographers: Fernando Guerra, FG+SG fotografia de arquitectura
