The Edison Business Center (more or less 30 thousand square meters) is located  in the former Marelli area of Sesto San Giovanni (Milan). The complex, designed by the Garretti Associati studio, features three buildings (more or less 10 thousand square meters each) that surround a wide central square on Edison street. Since the project, the complex has been developed according to energy saving standards and environmental sustainability: section depth of more than 21 meters, seven centerpieces structural facade, transparent elements sized in order to let the most natural light in, while avoiding direct thermal radiation. The only elements entirely made of glass (1/3 of the transparent surface) are the “bubbles” that link the two wings of the building and are its main architectural peculiarity. The buildings compose a structured system, since the two main bodies of the building are not aligned with the central glass core intended for vertical circulation. The glass bodies or “bubbles”, which mark the barycenter of the central square, contain the ground floor entrances and the reception halls of every other floor. The different heights of the buildings (5 to 10 floors) gives dynamism to the complex, while its length (21,75 m) determined the positioning of fixtures, services, meeting rooms, stairs and emergency exits in the central part of each floor, while the surrounding areas have been used to optimize the internal layout. The area overlooking the southern and northern facades features open spaces: more than 200 meters of office room with windows on three sides and only 2 pillars. The 1.35 meter grid on which the buildings are built allowed the realization of 2.70 meter individual offices. The windows and doors posts are positioned in order to allow the partition wall to fit on the project's grid.

Absolute eco-sustainability

The buildings feature an external insulation layer with wide windows alternated with continuous ventilated facades corresponding to the central core, to the ground and first floor areas overlooking the square and to some of the corners. External insulation allows the elimination of thermal bridges and increases the hot mass and thermal inertia, hence improving the building's reactions to thermal internal/external charge, air conditioning response, environmental comfort and energy savings. Almost 57% of these systems are made of glass panels (9915 square meters). The brick brise-soleil system and the low emission windows, thanks to their high solar selectivity, allow better results in terms of sunlight exploitation for internal visual comfort and provide protection against summer thermal radiation. The inclination, the insulation and the solar factor of the surfaces, brise-soleil and ventilated walls have been optimized by the designers thanks to a sun and climate simulation. The east, south and west oriented offices feature windows with internal reflecting curtains, in order to direct thermal radiation on work stations as laid down by the law (L. 626/94) and reduce energy consumption. For these same reasons, all windows can fit electric BMS controlled curtains.

  Glass systems

The “bubble” areas (3600 square meters) are made with structural cell facades (height across flats = 3450 mm, width = 1350 mm) with selective Ipasol Sky 30/16 glass (Ug=1,4 W/m²K). The 2200x4400mm insulated windows with 50 mm external cover (3500 square meters) used for the office buildings were produced with purpose built matrices. This kind of window offers an extremely high wind/water insulation and acoustic performances in conformity with the 5/12/97 government decree. Both aluminium profile systems were designed by Focchi and produced by METRA. The entrance booths (300 square meters) feature a posts and beams system and single pitch point fixed glass (30° angle). The curtain wall with beams and posts (3200 square meters) features METRA's Poliedra-Sky 50 system with selective Ipasol Sky 30/16 glass (Ug=1,4 W/m²K).

The project

Design: Garretti Associati S.r.l., Milan

Fabrication: Focchi S.p.A,. Poggio Berni (RN)

Customer: Nexity Italia S.r.l., Milan

METRA Systems:  Poliedra-Sky 50,  “Project-based special profile customization”

Finish: Opaque RAL 9012 polish