GIOVANI, CARINI E MOLTO OCCUPATI YOUNG, CUTE AND VERY BUSY

To describe BALANCE ARCHITECTURE (formerly BLA) in three words, we can just paraphrase the title of a famous flm that launched Ben Stiller’s career as a director in 1994. Like the main actors, they are young and cute, but anything but unemployed, on the contrary: in business since 2011, they are an international frm based in Turin, whose staff include Alberto Lessan, Jacopo Bracco, Giorgio Salza, Giulia Barbero, Alejandra Mora, Alp Arda, Anna Dziurych and Eudes Margaria. The average age of the architects is 34: despite this, BALANCE ARCHITECTURE has already been involved in two Biennales – Venice 2021 and Shenzhen 2022 – exhibited and presented their projects in Milan, Venice, Rome, Selinunte, Paris, New York, Lubljiana, and Tashkent, and its works have been published in leading national and international magazines. In 2022, the National Council of Architects, CNAPPC, awarded them the ‘Young Talents of Italian Architecture 2022’ prize.

BREDA Superlab BICOCCA, edifcio direzionale di circa 6500 m2 a Milano – il progetto più grande affrontato fnora –è un fabbricato lungo 100 m che ospitava gli ex-uffci di un’antica e rinomata fabbrica, la Breda Siderurgica. Sorretto da una esile struttura in ferro, è talmente effciente che dai calcoli emerge che non vi è un kg di ferro in più rispetto a quanto staticamente necessario: chi aveva dimensionato le sezioni dei profli HE dei pilastri e le travi reticolari, aveva ottimizzato il materiale al meglio e costruito una trama strutturale spazialmente interessante. L’approccio al progetto è stato quindi evidenziare questa tensione costruttiva, salvaguardarla e portarla alla luce. Lasciando la struttura interna a vista, sono stati generati 1.600 m2 di spazi abitabili aggiuntivi e ogni piano reagisce con lo spazio, la luce e il contesto. Quelli superiori sono differenziati da una sfumatura di tono per un grado di astrazione contemporaneo: Piano Zero (Verde), Piano Primo (Giallo), Piano Secondo (Corallo). Anche il cortile è stato riqualifcato, con nuove aree verdi, un progetto paesaggistico e una nuova viabilità, pedonabile e ciclabile. Vero plus di questo edifcio? E’ di categoria LEED Gold Compliant e il primo mai costruito ad avere un curtain wall in gomma siliconica trasparente, brevetto depositato!

BREDA Superlab BICOCCA, un immeuble de bureaux d’environ 6 500 m2 situé dans le quartier Bicocca à Milan – le plus grand projet réalisé à ce jour – est un bâtiment de 100 m de long qui abritait les bureaux d’une ancienne aciérie historique, la Breda Siderurgica. Soutenu par une fne structure en fer, il est si effcace que les calculs montrent qu’il n’y a pas un kilo de fer en plus que de ce qui est statiquement nécessaire : ceux qui avaient dimensionné les sections des profls HE des piliers et des poutres en treillis avaient optimisé le matériau de la meilleure façon possible et construit une trame structurelle intéressante du point de vue spatial. L’approche du projet a donc consisté à faire ressortir cette tension constructive, à la sauvegarder et à la mettre en lumière. Les 1 600 m2 d’espace habitable supplémentaires ont été générés en laissant la structure interne exposée, et chaque étage est en harmonie avec l’espace, la lumière et le contexte. Les étages supérieurs se différencient par une nuance de ton qui leur confère un degré d’abstraction contemporain. Rez-de-chaussée (vert), premier étage (jaune), deuxième étage (corail). La cour a également été réaménagée, avec de nouveaux espaces verts, un projet d’aménagement paysager et de nouvelles voies de circulation, piétonne et cyclable. Le véritable atout de ce bâtiment ? Il est conforme à la certifcation LEED Gold et est le premier bâtiment jamais construit à être doté d’un mur-rideau en silicone transparent, dont le brevet a été déposé !

BREDA Superlab BICOCCA, this 6500sqm offce building in Milan – the largest project taken on so far – is a 100m-long construction that once housed the offces of a famous old factory, Breda Siderurgica. Supported by a slender iron structure, it is so effcient that calculations show there is not a kilogram of iron more than is statically required: whoever sized the sections of the HE profles of the pillars and lattice girders optimised how the material was used as effectively as possible and constructed a spatially interesting structural pattern. The approach to the project was to highlight this structural tension, safeguarding it and bring it into view. By leaving the internal structure exposed, 1,600 m2 of additional living space was created and each foor reacts with the space, lighting and setting. The upper foors all have their own shade of colour to create a very contemporary sense of abstraction: Floor Zero (Green), Floor One (Yellow), Floor Two (Coral). The courtyard has also been redeveloped to accommodate new green areas, a landscaping project and a new pedestrian/cycle path. So what is the building’s real wow factor? It is LEED Gold Compliant and the frst ever to be built with transparent silicone rubber curtain walling, patent pending!

“Cerchiamo di pensare i nostri progetti a partire dalla composizione di elementi assemblati e montati nelle tre dimensioni. Studiamo Jean Prouvé, le costruzioni a secco e cerchiamo di utilizzare in modo effcace ed effciente ogni materiale. Pensiamo che l’accoppiamento di materiali plastici come il cls e leggeri o a telaio come la carpenteria metallica e il legno, siano un modo appropriato di generare tensioni spaziali, alternando sensazioni di solidità a sensazioni di leggerezza”.

“Nous essayons de concevoir nos projets à partir de la composition d’éléments assemblés et montés dans les trois dimensions. Nous étudions Jean Prouvé, la construction à sec, et nous essayons d’utiliser chaque matériau de manière effcace et effciente. Nous pensons que la combinaison de matériaux fuides et plastiques comme le béton et de matériaux légers et d’ossatures comme la charpenterie métallique et le bois, est un excellent moyen de générer des tensions spatiales, alternant sensations de solidité avec les sensations de lumière et de légèreté.”

“We try to design our project based on a composition of elements assembled and ftted together in three dimensions. We analyse Jean Prouvé’s work, dry construction, and try to use every single material effectively and effciently. We think that a combination of sculptural materials like concrete and lightweight/ framed materials such as metalwork and wood are the right way to create spatial tension, alternating feeling of solidity and lightness”.