Zooprophylactic Institut of Ancona
The building was built in expansion of the existing premises of the Experimental Zoprofilattico Institute of Umbria and Marche. It houses chemical laboratories, some offices and a conference room and is organized on two main levels set in direct relation with the respective levels of the current Institute. It is thought of as a large elongated parallelepiped that connects to the current seat on the short side while on the other it lies on the existing hill, integrating itself with the surrounding landscape. The visual perception of the whole is completely transformed with respect to the previous situation: the façade of the new building, designed as a large horizontal volume, is marked by a series of vertical lamellar larchs that protect the building from atmospheric agents and strongly characterize it from a formal point of view.
The project was ranked first in the 2011 assignment for the renovation of the headquarters of the Zooprophylactic Institut of Umbria and Marche (IZS). The area is bordered by the countryside and the outskirts of Ancona, in an area dedicated to public services, hidden in the main vehicular streams. The existing buildings were two: the old 60's, including the now-disused director's residence, and the current 90's, of questionable quality and already in poor condition.
From an in-depth analysis, we chose to demolish the historic site rather than restructure it, and use the need for new surfaces as an opportunity for a general re-qualification of the image of the Ancona headquarters of IZS without involving it directly.
The new building (chemical laboratories, offices and conference rooms) is organized on two main levels, set in direct relation to the respective levels of the Institute's present location. It is thought of as a large elongated parallelepiped that connects to the current site on the short side while on the other side lies on the existing hill and integrates with the surrounding landscape. The visual perception of the set is completely transformed: the façade of the new building, conceived as a large horizontal volume, is marked by a series of vertical louvre elements in lamellar larch. These transform into a wall concealing the existing building and creating a screen in continuity with the expansion. The shingles, which strongly characterize the building on the east and west facades, are the symbol of the attention to the building envelope, contributing, along with other technical details on materials and tampons, to the reduction of energy requirements well beyond the demands of current regulations, Projecting the building to the highest scores of verification for green buildings.
