Insights
Shared knowledge, innovation and communication: the importance of networking for the future of building architecture.
Coordinated by Giorgio Tartaro, the conversation was led by Giorgio Spaziani Testa (President of Confedilizia), Simone Pane (Chair of Material Typology at Rufa, Rome University of Fine Arts - Accademia delle Belle Arti), Pasquale Piroso (architecture studio Loft Canova) and Paolo Amoretti (Sales Corporate Account Corradi) in an interesting exchange on building architecture and the importance of the dialogue between the various players involved in the project.
Opening the round of questions, Giorgio Tartaro addressed President Spaziani Testa, inviting him to reflect on the building situation in Italy.
“As a result of the numerous stop-and-go actions over the past two years between the pandemic, the war, the subsidies, some construction sites have come to a halt, and probably the cause of this phenomenon is to be found in a broad mechanism that affects both the construction world and the world of architectural design”.
The two worlds are certainly connected, explains Giorgio Spaziani Testa, and “at a time of general economic difficulty, present in Italy as well as in other countries, we should look at the phenomenon as a more complex situation within which a possible solution to the problem is inherent. We must create a stable and balanced system of subsidies, at a level that over time will favour the improvement of real estate from all points of view, but without creating jolts in the market”.
Everything related to bricks and mortar, particularly but not only in Italy, drives the economy forward. It is therefore of paramount importance to manage and implement a kind of incentive that is controlled and productive.
The network culture as a possible solution
One possible strategy against the crisis in the construction sector is to maintain high levels in terms of quality of work, continues Simone Pane, who explains how crucial it is to follow the guidelines given by architects when carrying out projects.“The architect is a bit like a director, they don't just do drawings, they do many things, it is a very complex figure. In actual fact, it is they themselves who deal with the companies, but first and foremost they protect their customer”.
“The true role of the architect is precisely that of the coordinator of all the players involved in the works”, continues architect Pasquale Piroso, who points to a shared management of companies, suppliers, designers, etc.. This is to ensure a congruity of projects as well as to safeguard customers from overpricing and unmanageable situations such as those that have arisen over the past year.
A common knowledge of available resources and new professional codes is essential if one wants to ensure reliable performance and a strong idea. Thus Giorgio Tartaro insists on the point of sharing ideas and knowledge specific to certain sectors, questioning Paolo Amoretti (Sales Corporate Account Corradi) on the importance of the performance resulting from the collaboration of several professionals and their joint knowledge.
“The theme of the unscape concerns an organic system”, Amoretti specifies, “because nowadays we no longer think in terms of a product, but in terms of a work plan, and therefore the pergolas as well as other parts of the project, e.g. the decking and the flooring coexist with the other structural elements. The home is therefore an organic system, including the outdoor spaces which are acquiring incredible value in terms of investment in the expectations of the market players, i.e. the company, the developer, the end user. An investment which has to take into account countless variants, such as the very important aspect of climate change”.
The building industry as a system
As a result, collaboration between companies creates a system made up of precise rules and subjects, continues Tartaro, which excludes improvisation, where everything can be customised according to the customer and where each situation/project requires customised solutions.Systemic cooperation is certainly also a very topical issue in the context of the new European legislation on the obligation to intervene in buildings for energy improvements, which must be accomplished by 2030. Operators will have to apply for subsidies to be able to carry out these standards, taking advantage not only of the installation of central heating systems, insulation and all energy efficiency interventions, but also actions such as shading and other solutions that can be integrated but which are not structural interventions.
Research and innovation are the other two ingredients for a winning formula, which when added to dialogue and experience guarantee quality work that lasts because it has a solid and valid foundation.
What needs to be understood is that companies do not improvise, but do a great deal of research into materials and solutions, stresses Simone Pane. “Everything always starts with the professionals. Our work has a lot of research and experience behind it ”.
The last round of questions is focused on the importance of outdoor spaces within a project and how this aspect has gained a different relevance in recent years. “The post-pandemic”, explains the President of Confedilizia, “has generated demands and a market for outdoor spaces in cities, but also in places that are more removed from large metropolises. This trend will continue because a different sensibility has been created and because there is a desire to recover places that are being lost, the “hamlets” for which there are so many ideas to exploit not only for tourism, but also for the lives of Italians and foreigners alike”.
Added to this are smart working and the enhancement of workplaces and leisure spaces. According to Piroso, “the boundary separating indoor and outdoor space has become a thin line, whereas before it was a barrier. Many things have changed, there is more of a need to experience the outdoors as indoors. The union of the two dimensions has become fundamental. Today, the budget for a house sometimes prioritises the outside more than the inside”.
Having concluded this reflection on the search for the natural element in architectural design, we close our multi-voice debate. This is intended as a tool to highlight the importance of communication and exchange, and to contribute to the growth of what we Corradi call the culture of living, while always keeping a watchful eye on protecting the urban landscape and the outdoors.