Raiffeisen Bank, Savosa

1407

celoria Architects

Trade and administration

New building

Competition

Invitation process

This building has reached very high ecological and sustainable standards. It is the first administrative building certified SNBS Gold in Ticino, it has achieved Minergie P-Eco certification and is made entirely of recycled concrete.
The project changes the paradigm of the bank, which instead of being a closed envelope, opens up towards the public, configuring itself as a glazed volume, light and permeable, creating a dual relationship, with the city and the landscape. The square plan defines the 360° relationship and rests on eight oblique perimeter pillars that taper upwards. The floor plan is also reduced, supporting the vocation of leaning towards the sky. The floor plans are free, allowing for maximum flexibility of spaces. The project stands as the trigger and pivot of an act of urban regeneration of the area that reconfigures the circulation, freeing the northern part from traffic. The platform on which it rests will be extended in the future and will design the new town square.

Image copyright: Giorgio Marafioti

Considerations for the project application

Effective Use of Concrete

The building is made entirely of in-situ recycled concrete. The storeys are square in shape, reducing towards the top. The vertical structure is given by a light framework of 8 perimeter pillars that taper as they rise, and by the central core. To keep the pillars and slabs very fine, there are prestressing cables inside the beams that run from pillar to pillar.
The overhang of the slabs is calibrated to optimise the sun contribution over the seasons and make the building even more sustainable.

Material-Specific Innovations

All materials used in the project are environmentally friendly and comply with the characteristics required by Minergie-P-ECO. The concrete is entirely recycled, meaning the aggregates in the concrete come from the demolition of previous constructions.
The sparing use of concrete, thanks to an exceptional structural concept, has made it possible to minimise the amount of grey energy derived from it, even with a building made of
concrete to achieve the highest ecological certifications.

Interdisciplinary Approaches

Constructing a 5-storey building in fair-faced recycled concrete is not easy, as it was made in several separate castings. The colour and characteristics of the concrete could vary greatly, depending on the mix, the weather conditions and the fact that the aggregates in the concrete could come from different demolitions and have very different characteristics and colour. With the engineer, we therefore opted to produce the concrete in a concrete batching plant that could control these aspects.

Site-Specific Design

The project is configured as a glass volume, light and permeable, which creates a dual relationship, with the city and with the landscape. At an urban level it reconfigures the circulation, freeing the entire northern part from traffic.
The platform on which it rests will be extended in the future and will design the new town square.
In the southern part, we created a cycle-pedestrian path in accordance with the Savosa town planning project, to promote cycle-pedestrian mobility.

Design and Spatial Concept

The Raiffeisen bank no longer wants to be a closed shell, as it was in the past, but wants to be open to the public and welcome all people into its spaces.
For this reason, the ground floor is very transparent and permeable. People who are not customers can also access this floor to study or to meet.
On the upper floors there are different consulting areas with different degrees of privacy.
The work spaces are also designed to have quieter zones and other open spaces.

Thoughtful Structural Design

The structure of the building is optimised to the extreme, relying on eight perimeter pillars and a central core. This reduces grey energy and gives maximum flexibility to the spaces, which can change configuration and function, adapting to all possible future developments.
The ground floor is the exception, as it opens outwards and hosts the bank's reception area and the training room, which is designed to be able to function independently of the rest of the bank and be rented to external user.

Comprehensive Sustainability

This building is SNBS Gold and Minergie P-Eco certified. SNBS standard includes 3 spheres: environment, social and economic. These certifications were achieved thanks to high energy efficiency and the use of ecological materials that minimise grey energy content and the emission of pollutants, combined with the parsimonious use of recycled concrete thanks to an exceptional structural concept; the creation of an attractive working and meeting environment in comfort (thermal, acoustic and light).