Detectalia Europe

Details_

• CLIENT: Detectalia Europe s.l.u.
• PROJECT: Riccardo Crespi Architetto (AdHocMsl)
• AREA: 900mq
• BUDGET: 400.000€
• PHASES: Preliminary and final design, tender drawings | Site supervision | Completed
• Photografer: ©AdHocMsl

Project description_

The new Detectalia Europe‘s headquarters involves the construction of a building containing the offices and storages located in a  plot inside of an industrial estate in Alicante, Spain. Client’s request was to have building stands out from all other buildings within the industrial area. A Landmark , and icon capable to activate new business for the company.

Our deign intention was to realize an industrial building that visually would break with the typical image of the surroundings and that would different from the  classical shed appeal usually based on pitched roof and facade dichotomy. A building that, thanks to its small size, it was more like a symbolic object to a real building itself. It would have been like a stone set in the ground similar to the characteristic rocky and barren land of the surrounding landscape.

Because of the limited budget, we designed something feasible within economical constrains , avoiding any difficult or complicated solution, tiring to semplify the use of material and details.For this reason it was decided to start to work by using simple elements and of easy realization: a classic metal steel structure with pillars and pitched roof, clad with insulated aluminum panels covered in yellow polyurea on the top side and lacquered white on the bottom.

In collaboration with the engineering firm Maffeis Engineering S.p.A. and using a parametric modeling software we modified the trilithic structure in order to achieve the best balance between plastic form and dimensional and mechanical optimization of aforementioned structures.

The coating is intended to be a skin , which modify and change the concept of being an edge. The roof becomes a facade, and the facade within its tridimensional shape becomes a roof. The main building entrance, identified by a portal made of black metal sheet, is placed in the north side near to the industrial area’s main entrance. In the main lobby there is  a reception area with a well coming area, that connects the exhibition space in the ground floor.  The area dedicated to the  open-space offices on the first floor are connected by a steel custom made staircase.

Our research was not only focused on formal aspects, therefore we strongly believe in the need to design a landmark that would be ecologic and feasible at the same time. For that purpose in order to use spaces at best and to improve the energy efficiency of these, we decrease  the high in the office areas ( 6.00 m) and increase the one in the warehouse ( 9.00 m) favoring and exploiting the formless shapes of building .