Food & Wellness Club is the proposal for a wellness area near Bologna by the Italian studio Barberio Colella Architetti.
Studio Name: Barberio Colella Architetti
Design Team: Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella
Year: 2015
Location: Bologna, Italy
Photography Credits: Barberio Colella Architetti
His two main themes, water and forest, guide the entire project. Water is the most precious element for human life and he produces one of the most precious materials for human civilization, wood. From the outside, the translucent material (polycarbonate) of the form and façade looks like dew on the leaves. Instead, the interior features shades of wood reminiscent of the colour of the bricks that make up Bologna. The balcony system of the side pavilions is also inspired by the city’s famous ‘Portici’.
The parabola created by the water jet has inspired the shape of the envelope and courtyard. The plant cell collection is the inspiration for the building’s hull and the pattern throughout the structure. This is a clear reference to plants and wood that use minimal internal tissue (cells) to design layouts. The structure consists of curved plywood cells based on a parametric design. They are connected to each other by a system of nuts and bolts. Reflective sheeting can block up to 83% of the sun’s heat, greatly reducing air conditioning costs. In winter, the same film retains heat under the roof, reducing energy consumption. In addition, courtyards are used to improve passive ventilation in winter and summer.
The common area (Aquazone) is the heart of the project and is designed as a fluid space with two pools on the ground floor and one on the first floor, with pools of various sizes. The club also features a fitness centre, 600 m2 day spa with Turkish bath, sauna, solarium, massage area, bathtub and sensory shower, four 50 m2 spa suites, meditation area, restaurant and coffee shop.
Barberio Colella Architetti
Barberio Colella Architetti is an architectural, interior and furniture design firm based in Bari (Italy) and leads by Micaela Colella and Maurizio Barberio. After sharing the academic path at the Politecnico di Bari, they continued their education with the attainment of the PhD in Architectural Design from Università Roma Tre. The studio deals with the development of innovative concepts in which the design approach is focused on finding new architectural design strategies based on high sustainability and reversibility, appropriate use of materials and building technologies, tectonic innovation, romantic visions and cutting-edge design. Barberio and Colella have received prizes and awards (A ‘Design Award, World Architecture Community Award, Fassa Bortolo Sustainable Architecture Award), participated in exhibitions and international trade fairs, published articles and made lectures. Some of their projects have been published extensively and gained media attention constantly. The firm recently was selected among the winners of the 1st International Design Building Competition to build a green office in Changzhou, China.
