Bonfiglioli Headquarters

Located in Calderara di Reno, the Bonfiglioli HQ is the final project in a wider industrial campus development. The new HQ includes 6,200 sqm of offices, meeting rooms, an auditorium, and shared areas fostering collaboration. Following the urban campus fabric, the NZEB building integrates a courtyard for natural ventilation and terraces that enhance well-being and connectivity, as well as geothermal and photovoltaic systems generating 3 MW of peak power across the campus. Its pleated aluminum façade is inspired by the company's gearwheels and filters the harsh south light.

The competition brief confronted the need to deliver a sustainable, flexible, and high-performance building that aligned with Bonfiglioli’s identity and environmental goals. One of the core architectural strategies was the use of an intelligent geometry: by tilting the roof, the volume was shaped to compress the sun-exposed southern sides and expand the northern ones, prioritizing north light in workspaces. The south-east and south-west facades have a second skin made by a pleated aluminum mesh filtering the harsh south light. Internally, most offices were placed along the deeper northeast and northwest façades, while meeting rooms and service spaces face south, where solar gain is higher. This strategic layout, paired with the roof design, defines a passive architectural system that enhances indoor comfort and overall energy performance. The roof, conceived as the building’s fifth façade, integrates terraces and technical elements within its sloped geometry.

The Bonfiglioli Headquarters is built around an external structural exoskeleton, which creates flexible, open interior spaces free from columns, enhancing adaptability and reducing construction complexity. The building’s envelope combines high-performance materials chosen for sustainability, durability, and energy efficiency. South-facing façades are clad in a custom-designed pleated aluminum mesh that reduces solar heat gain while reflecting the company’s industrial identity. North-facing façades feature full-height, selective glazing that maximizes natural light while limiting thermal loss and solar overheating. These materials support the Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) goals by minimizing energy consumption and lowering lifecycle costs. Maintenance is simplified through integrated access walkways and balconies, allowing safe cleaning and inspections.