Architecture  ·  Buildings

Steeped In Nature

July 9, 2023

words by Joel Wong | images courtesy of Fernando Guerra | FG+SG fotografia de arquitectura

A meld of working environment, sustainability and landscape are harmoniously conceived within the Furla Headquarters “Progetto Italia”, fully envisioned as a blend between architecture and nature.

Sustainability, environment and nature are concepts that are fully integrated within the Furla Headquarters “Progetto Italia”, located in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, in the province of Florence. Conceived as an industrial architecture and office project integrated into nature, the project highlights a paramount theme; one which allows for the integration of the industrial architecture into the Italian landscape, providing an opportunity to rethink the quality of the workspace. 

GEZA Architettura, who were hired to design the Furla Headquarters, envisioned a perfect blend of architecture and nature. Utilising the unique elements of the Chianti landscape; hill, heritage and agricultural areas, the team were tasked with ensuring that each of the elements are able to communicate harmoniously together.

The Furla factory consists of three main sections; the offices, the lab and logistics, covering a space of almost 42,000 sq.m. The challenge for the GEZA Architettura was to ensure that each of these sections are harmoniously integrated with the surrounding landscapes without having too much of a contrast with the rest of the natural surroundings, ensuring a functional balance between the architecture and nature.

The GEZA team took the morphology of the land into full consideration, enhancing it through three fundamental elements; the driveway, the terraces and the Piazza Furla, all of which define the voluminous areas around the building. A system of patios and green roofs overlooking the wooded area helps to blend nature both within the interior and exterior of the building, allowing users to immerse themselves and contemplate the surrounding landscape. The facade mimics the rhythm of the linear row of cypresses, with sunscreen filtering blades making a welcoming sight for visitors.

The main entrance to the offices hearkens back to the archetype of Tuscan villas, with its double-height reception and the large open-air hall becoming the point where the boundaries between the architecture and landscape are merged. The interiors are designed in a way in which the layouts are flexible, with the orderly sequence of the offices defined by the green patios, or as the team refers to it, relationship spaces.

Steeped in nature and prominent in its beauty, the Furla Headquarters offers a pleasant environment that blends the main building with the green patios, coverings and natural lighting which contribute to a more sustainable working habitat. Sustainability plays a key role in this project, which has been designed to comply with green energy best practices, providing a space where people can also relax and enjoy contact with nature.

Established in 1999 by Stefano Gri and Piero Zucchi, GEZA Architettura is a studio led by curiosity and passion, focused on research of the synthesis of Ideas, Beauty and Functionality. According to GEZA, the project involves designing the SPACE (Architecture) within its ENVIRONMENT (light and landscape) through the seasons of TIME. The primary focus of the studio surrounds industrial architecture in relation to the landscape, in a new way of conceiving workspaces.

For more information, please visit About GEZA Architettura.