Collaborate in the realization of a project suspended between design, sustainability and experimentation by making available its own skills and structural capabilities. This is the role of Coverhat in the realization of "Living nature", a greenhouse / pavilion set up for the FuoriSalone 2018, where, thanks to an innovative energy management system for climate control, all 4 seasons were simultaneously reproduced. Developed by Carlo Ratti Associati, the project, divided into a space of 500 square meters, allowed visitors to experience climate change from one area to another, and explore the relationship between city and nature by putting the lens on the "sustainability" factor. Roberto Rescia, CEO of Coverat, explains the company's role in the initiative. "Coverhat - explains Rescia - was responsible for providing the pneumatic roofing system for the steel structure of the exhibition pavilion, taking into consideration the needs and objectives of the project".

 

Q. To respond to the philosophy of "Living Nature" and at the same time to cope with structural urgencies, what solution has been adopted?

R. Considering the reduced slope of the roof, we suggested a "cushions" solution to guarantee the drainage of rainwater. The limited duration of the event and the running season allowed us to bet on a daring solution for the specific shape of the steel structure that is not only very flat, but also has the collection of water inward. Another peculiarity of the solution adopted is the wide lights of the central cushions: their important size, often difficult to bear without any intermediate support, was made possible by the use of the air under pressure.

 

D. Which material did you aim for?

R. For the cushions, transparent PVC has been used for its transparency properties coupled with an underlying layer of PVC coated polyester in order to obtain the graphic effect required by the project and to satisfy the thermos and shading requirements. Specifically: for the area destined to host the "winter" season, the outer layer was packaged using PVC coated with translucent PVC to limit non-allied solar irradiation of internal cooling for that particular season. We arrived at this solution through progressive steps after having verified several opportunities with our technical partners, but the result was excellent.

 

D. A complex and structured project: which were the most relevant and critical issues to face?

A. The design challenges encountered were stimulating, first of all finding the right compromise to achieve the shading effect required by the architects with a graphic pattern that would match the rest of the pavilion. The solution should have also allowed the realization of the "fritting" system, adopted only in the "spring" area, which consists of an intermediate layer to the cushion that moves thanks to the controlled management of the internal pressure and varies the shading capacity of the cushion. These aspects were the most challenging to solve, but also thanks to the valuable advice of our external collaborators, the technique was refined and the initial objective was achieved.

 

Q. Which were the figures of Coverhat who played a central role in the correct realization of the project?

R. Our project manager took care of managing the various phases of the project, from the definition of the construction details of the carpentry, suitable for fixing the cushions, to the layout through the planning coordination for the production up to the installation plan on site. This aspect is not trivial considering the limited time available and the several workers involved at the same time. The architectural part was instead entirely the prerogative of the Carlo Ratti Associati studio, while for the installation we are committed to supervising the various operations on site.