If your goal is to design sustainable buildings, it seems only right that your workplace embody those same principles. That’s the mindset adopted by the Italian architecture firm Luca Compri Architetti (LCA) when designing their studio in the city of Varese. Named Working in Nature, the beautiful prefabricated structure boasts an array of energy efficient features that earned it Casa Clima Classe A certification.
LCA’s two-story architecture studio was purposefully located on a site where a small shed originally stood, rather than a virgin plot. Inspired by the rural vernacular, the gabled timber-framed building comprises a series of prefab modules joined together to form an 8-meter-tall structure. The ground floor is made up of five such modules, two of which are outfitted with full-height glazing and sandwiched between the more opaque ones. These large windows, in addition to those on the upper level, open the studio up to the garden to create the feeling of working in nature. Outdoor decks placed on either side of the structure extend the building footprint into the garden.
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In contrast with the timber-clad ground floor, the upper level facade is wrapped in stapled sheet anthracite for a more contemporary look. The architecture studio mixes the open-plan office setup with a more traditional layout. Open seating areas as well as offices enclosed by walls can be found on both floors. Solar panels top the roof to harness renewable energy, while energy savings are achieved through a mechanical ventilation system, efficient insulation, radiant floor heating, and LED lighting.
Via domus
Images via Luca Compri Architetti, © Simone Bossi
