Second Facade, Bonfiglioli Headquarters

Peter Pichler Architecture has completed the new Bonfiglioli headquarters in Calderara di Reno, Bologna, Italy, designed with ARUP as structural engineer. The building grows out of the need for an efficient, practical office that expresses the professionalism, innovation and proud history of this Italian manufacturer. Bonfiglioli, founded in 1956, is a global leader in gear motors, drive systems, planetary gearboxes and inverters, whose solutions drive industrial automation, mobile machinery and renewable energy worldwide. The headquarters is the last missing piece of EVO, the group's largest Italian industrial site; EVO meets the latest energy-efficiency standards and is powered by a three-megawatt peak photovoltaic array installed on both new factory roofs and employee parking shades. The new headquarters is designed as a near-zero-energy building (NZEB), using geothermal heat pumps and radiant ceilings to further save energy and improve comfort. The building is both tall and embedded in its surroundings, an unmistakable landmark that achieves sustainability through intelligent geometry. The starting point was to fold the existing masterplan's courtyard typology into the new volume: the ground floor holds a green garden, and the courtyard's chimney effect enhances natural ventilation. Responding to local solar angles, the roof is tilted to enlarge the north facade and maximize indirect daylight in workspaces. The south-facing facade and roof are clad in a custom, continuously folded aluminum mesh that acts as a second skin, filtering sun and ventilation while giving the building its distinctive, sculptural silhouette.