Mario Cucinella Architects has broken ground on a 16,000 sqm industrial complex in Brazil for Nice, the Italian multinational which is a world leader in the Home Automation, Home Security and Smart Home sector. Located in Limeira to the northwest of São Paulo, the building, which aspires to meet LEED certification, will be topped with a roof inspired by the shape of a tropical leaf. In addition to the roof design, the building will act as a landmark example of sustainable factory architecture.
The complex will be the new headquarters of Nice in Brazil and one of Nice's global R&D centers. MC A's design aims to reinterpret the concept of a production building by establishing a dialogue with the surrounding environment and community. The building will present a light, open front to the main public street. Here, two floors of offices, communal areas, training spaces, triple-height showroom and a soaring lobby will be housed under the dramatically cantilevering roof. Production facilities will be located to the rear, overlooked by a window from the lobby so that visitors can see the automated final assembly line in action.
Beyond the production space, suspended pathways will lead to a rear building of staff facilities containing a gym, nursery and outdoor kitchen area for traditional churrasco cooking, which will be dedicated to employees and their families.
The headquarters is designed to reduce energy use through a variety of passive and active measures that take advantage of the favorable climatic conditions. As a result, the building will be able to operate off-grid for some portions of the year with zero carbon emissions.
Thanks to a combination of thermal mass and natural ventilation, the production area will require no cooling or heating. The overhanging roof will provide the glass facades with shading from solar radiation while allowing all working spaces to be flooded with diffuse light. Openable façade elements will allow the whole Nice headquarters building to rely on natural ventilation for two-thirds of the year.
Images: Courtesy of Mario Cucinella Architects