New offices and R+D+I laboratories for COSENTINO
Macael
Project designed to meet the growth needs of a leading company in its sector. It is being developed on a large site that houses the various production facilities for all the brand’s products. The programme includes the extension of existing office space and the creation of a new area for laboratories and technological development, as well as areas for staff and an important area for visitors, who will be welcomed on an ongoing basis.
The proposal is arranged around the existing office building, integrating it into the new complex and establishing a primary relationship with the landscape. The origin and evolution of the material to be manufactured is the argument of the architectural solution. Thus, the laboratories and R&D areas are designed in contact with the ground, simulating the blocks of the quarries, and are clad with untreated stone, almost with the natural cut. On the other hand, the office area, the last link in the company’s activity, is grouped in a diaphanous and luminous piece of glass, separated from the ground and protected by a grid made of the brand’s most technological material. This façade becomes a challenge, and the design team was able to work hand in hand with the developer’s R&D team to make the most of the material’s possibilities. The building and the construction solutions themselves reflect the history of this company.
The location and the harsh climatic conditions dictate an architecture of efficient solutions that make the most of natural energy resources. Passive systems such as solar shading, natural ventilation and the integration of vegetation into the building promote energy saving, which is intended to be a reference and reflection of the developer’s philosophy.
