Administration Building in Recanati, Italy

Adjoining an existing building, the new administrative headquarters of a lighting manufacturer was conceived to provide a maximum degree of natural lighting and ventilation for most of the year. The structure is built to a rectangular plan (40 x 19.3 m) and contains open-plan offices and a number of enclosed spaces on four storeys laid out about a central planted atrium. The executive areas are situated on the top floor and have access to an adjoining roof garden. A sunscreen roof construction, with fixed aluminium louvres distributed according to requirements, protects the fully glazed south face from overheating. Twelve roof lights over the atrium permit daylight to penetrate deep into the interior of the building. They also provide a central means of air extract that allows a natural ventilation of the office areas. The stairs and lift, which are situated in the atrium, are in a transparent metal and glass construction. Glass walls and balustrades to the atrium contribute further to the sense of transparency and the distribution of daylight internally.