The recent expansion of the Sancassiano headquarters and factory, a company that produces high-tech industrial kneading machines since 1962.
The Sancassiano S. p. a. headquarters, located in Roddi, a small town in the north of Italy, in Piedmont, surrounded by the Langhe hills spectacular landscape, early became world leader in the production of industrial kneading machines and, in 2015, needed to expand.
The project composes the building into two separate parts: the first hosts company new technical offices, while the second includes expanded manufactoring area.
The first building is two floors regular prism shaped construction covered by a metallic shell structure in glass and steel. The structure is made partially transparent by grates and perforated sheets through which the industrial technologies appear visible from the outside.
The second building is where steel machines are created and developed. Production area walls are built by series of vertical prefabricated panels solving thermal insulation issues and soundproofing.
Voids allows direct light into internal spaces. The outer layer is made by self-supporting resistant and non-reflecting metal panels, with different exposure angles in order to create various shades of the façade. Openings for windows and doors are made on prefabricated panels.
A deep gash in the middle of the front façade cuts through the offices’ building and reaches the inside of the factory, bringing light and greenery. A glass bridge connects the two office areas at an intermediate height.
Photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof of the production area. The equipment is placed on the flat roof of the western side of the estate and therefore disguised by the metallic panels.
The constuction technologies employed reduce heat loss and provide comfort to internal spaces. The entire new building has turned into a productive machine: it communicates the sense of complexity, cleanness and efficiency of the structure and the machines produced by the Company.
The keywords for this project are: innovation, identity, efficiency, research.
Paolo Dellapiana [Archicura]
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