ISTITUTE OF RESEARCH IN BIOMEDICINE BELLINZONA - SWITZERLAND

Two major objectives were set for the design of the IRB building:

1. Preserving and Highlighting the Landscape: The design aimed to maintain and emphasize the expansive nature of the existing landscape. This meant creating a building with minimal vertical footprint to safeguard the “green void” and to blend harmoniously with the surroundings.
2. Maximizing the Urban Park: The design focused on enhancing the value of the adjacent urban park.

The building’s energy concept is based on two fundamental elements: maximizing the use of district heating throughout the year, not just in winter, and utilizing groundwater for cooling. The architectural approach emphasizes transparency to create a fluid connection between the interior and exterior, enhancing both the internal environment and the building’s energy balance. For laboratories and offices, vertical external roller blinds were chosen over fixed solar shading elements (brise-soleil). This choice allows for unobstructed views when shading is not needed.

For areas not involved in specialized laboratory activities, conditioning is achieved through radiant ceilings and primary air systems that meet regulatory requirements for hourly air changes per person. This ensures compliance with internal air hygiene and humidity control standards. Each room is equipped with presence sensors that not only control the lighting system but also adjust the climate control system. Openable windows are fitted with sensors; if the control system detects that a window has been opened, it will automatically turn off the room’s climate control system.

In laboratories with biosafety level 2, a variable air volume climate control system integrated with hot/cold radiant ceilings has been implemented. This system interfaces with the fume hood extraction system, maintaining the laboratories under negative pressure relative to the external environment. The entire process was managed following “Quality System” procedures to ensure effective planning and project execution.