🌍 DICEA Laboratories at the University of Florence Headquarters 🏛️
We are excited to share the architectural and structural design of a new building for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICEA) at the University of Florence, located in the Scientific and Technological Center of Sesto Fiorentino. This thesis addresses the creation of a state-of-the-art facility to house the department's laboratories, focusing on functional needs and environmental compatibility.
Highlights of the Project:
▪️ The project started with a detailed analysis of the current laboratories at the Santa Marta site, using surveys and interviews with technical and scientific managers.
▪️ The building design is split into three blocks (A, B, and C) to meet regulatory constraints while ensuring proximity and compatibility for the different laboratory functions.
▪️ Blocks A and C were designed at the final project level, while Block B reached the executive design level for both architecture and structure.
▪️ Sustainable construction is a core theme of the design, using eco-friendly materials such as wood, glass, and aluminum. These materials reduce environmental impact and support a dry construction approach, further enhancing sustainability.
▪️ Wood was used extensively both as a structural material in the roofing and continuous facades, and as a finishing material in the advanced screen facades that define the building’s aesthetic.
A key feature of the thesis is the structural design of the laminated arched wooden roof for Block B, which spans 47 meters to accommodate maritime engineering simulations. The design process included the use of finite element models and a deep understanding of the wood material’s properties, such as hygroscopic behavior, viscous effects, and joint deformability.
This project represents a significant step in merging sustainability with high-performance structural design.
Author: Giacomo Fantacci, relatori: Prof.ssa Arch. F. Bazzocchi, Prof. Ing. V. di Naso, Prof. Ing. M. P. Lauriola
