An open layout dedicated to smart working is the central feature of Casa Siemens, an office building designed by Barreca & La Varra in Milan.

With its 15,500 sqm area, the Italian headquarters of the German conglomerate company is a significant step for the redevelopment of the Adriano district, an important industrial center in the last century, now at the center of a process of urban renovation and social empowerment. Together with the building, the project completed in 2018 includes green spaces with social areas for employees, new traffic works and a public sports facility.

Inside Casa Siemens, large open spaces are only interrupted occasionally by the lifts, which organise the floors into 3 macro-areas, to best meet business needs.

The interior design, conceived by Lombardini 22 – in collaboration with DEGW for the workplace and FUD for signage – uses the new P660 smart walls, produced by Faram, to define the different typologies of environments: spaces for meetings, brainstorming, leisure and social gatherings, but also for individual work and private appointments.

"Faram has satisfied the twofold objective of guaranteeing transparency and, at the same time, the privacy of certain areas. We also appreciated the innovative solution of the curved glass lines. An intervention, therefore, in line with our idea of open space and sharing," says Alberto Cannistrà, Real Estate Director of Siemens.

The P660 glass walls give transparency, lightness and luminosity to the work spaces, thanks to the thin and minimal frames with a thickness of only 60 mm. They can accommodate a single central or lateral glass, a double glass and even a triple glass for maximum soundproofing. The profiles are designed for maximum speed of assembly and excellent acoustic comfort (43.7 db).

According to Gianandrea Barreca from the studio Barreca & La Varra: “large mirrors, slim structure with rigorous design and lightness are characteristics consistent with the general structure of the new building. When we were asked to use this product we were pleased, because we believe that it fully reflects the general philosophy of simplicity, minimalism and attention to detail that guided the project of Casa Siemens. Our challenge in this project was to try to bring quality and particularity to the overall rigour of the masterplan system, and Faram’s 1957 P660 product contributed to good results and well-being in the work spaces.”

To frame the spaces for leisure or informal meetings, Faram 1957 has developed customised solutions such as the coating of aluminium profiles in elm paper, which helps to create warm and welcoming environments.

Alessandro Adamo, DEGW Director and Lombardini22 partner, says: “We have interpreted the main values of the Casa Siemens project, based on communication, hospitality, innovation and well-being of people. Thanks to the essential design of the frame, the large transparent surfaces and the acoustic performance of the system, Faram 1957 synthesises aesthetics and functionality with the right balance, participating in the construction of spaces based on the most advanced principles of Smart Workplace.”