EX POLIGRAFICO
HQ ENEL - VIA BOCCHERINI

CLIENT

Residenziale Immobiliare 2004 S.p.A.

ARCHITECTURE

ACVP ARCHITECTS
(Antonio Citterio e Patricia Viel)

LOCATION

Roma

SECTOR

Headquarters and Offices

SURFACE

35.000 sqm

YEAR

2018 -2024

SERVICE

MEP Design
Lighting design
LEED®/WELL® Consulting
LEED® Construction Management
Permitting

FEATURES

Workstations: 1900
Meeting room: 4 , 165 seats
Nursery: 40 places
Food Court
Server Room

A cutting-edge historical redevelopment project featuring innovative design solutions, selection of materials and application of construction methods based on environmental sustainability principles, energy efficiency and occupant well-being

The “Ex Poligrafico” building in Rome is one of the most significant examples of early 20th-century public architecture in the city. Built between 1914 and 1928, it was for many years the headquarters of the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, designed to host various activities, including the printing of official documents and the production of coins and stamps. The building is distinguished by a neoclassical architectural style, with monumental and celebratory forms of the time, and its exterior is characterized by the extensive use of travertine and other materials typical of Roman architecture.

Over the course of the 20th century, the building began to lose its strategic importance, with the productive functions gradually decommissioned until its complete abandonment. In the 2000s, after several proposals for redevelopment, a major renovation project for the Ex-Poligrafico was initiated to return the building to the city in a new form as an office building. The architectural project aims to preserve the historical essence of the building while integrating it into a more contemporary and dynamic context, with the addition of two extra floors above the existing structure. The interior spaces are divided into two separate sections with independent entrances: one from Via Boccherini and the other from Piazza Verdi. The first section to be completed is the one with the entrance from Via Boccherini.

MEP Design

A distinctive feature of this project was the placement of the systems, particularly the Air Handling Units and the electrical cabinets, in the new double-height basement level, which was created by excavating below the existing building. The roof houses the chillers, the remaining air handling units, and the photovoltaic system.

The design of the vertical distribution of the systems was a challenging task for the designers, as it involved creating both vertical and horizontal pathways within a historic building to serve the various intended uses, such as offices, a daycare center, a dining area, and a data center. Special attention was paid in the design of the systems, not only to improve energy efficiency for the purpose of obtaining the LEED Gold certification but also focused on the well-being of the occupants in anticipation of obtaining the WELL certification.

All systems are monitored by a supervisory control system, while air quality measurement in the spaces is carried out using a network of sensors capable of continuously measuring the key air quality parameters (PM10, PM2.5, CO2, VOCs, Temperature, and Humidity).

The building has achieved LEED® BD+C New Construction Gold certification, standing out particularly for its use of eco-friendly, low-emission materials and for its 100% renewable energy supply.

WELL® v2 Pilot Q2-2019 certification in progress

Lighting Design

The lighting design considered the openings in the façades for both natural and artificial lighting of the interior spaces, with the goal of enhancing the architectural features in line with the instructions from the Client and the Special Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape of Rome. Externally, the main façade on Piazza Verdi was highlighted with discreet and as uniform as possible lighting, emphasizing the horizontality of the architectural forms with accents on the upper frieze and the Savoy coat of arms.

Internally, the design adopted technical and aesthetic solutions in harmony with the technological and compositional features of the architectural project and the interior furnishings, in compliance with current regulations and the energy and management requirements of the LEED and WELL protocols, ensuring maximum comfort and well-being for the end-users. To ensure flexibility in the redistribution of the interior spaces, the lighting management system was designed with wireless equipment for control, occupancy detection sensors, and measurement/regulation of illumination levels at workstations.