Technology, sustainability, lean management are only a few of the guidelines followed when building the new company headquarters in Arcugnano.
In the name of welfare and of the spirit of belonging, the new structure, which houses production and offices, has provided for the adoption of innovative solutions in space management and in the choice of furnishings.
2019, the turning point for ASA. To corroborate last year’s positive results (significantly increased revenues from sales and services: + 14.6% from 2017 and + 30% compared with 2016) there is also the new company structure which, built over a surface of 4000 sqm in Arcugnano, consists of an office area on two floors (1200 sqm), a production area and a warehouse of about 1000 sqm.
The building, already prepared for a future expansion, was born from the need to adapt the company to its new requirements as a result of the constant growth from its foundation (1983) to the present day. The development of spaces specifically designed for training both customers and salespeople and the technical service staff, the intelligent redistribution of the areas in order to improve the quality of work and the adoption of open space premises which, thanks to an ad hoc study of the furnishings and to the use of sound-absorbing panels, promote teamwork whilst still ensuring privacy and acoustics, move in this direction.
To facilitate sharing, there are also several meeting rooms, job islands, a refreshment point and "coffee break" islands with micro-filtered water dispensers to reduce the use of plastic. Additional choices were also made in the name of attention to the environment and sustainability.
INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY: THE GUIDELINES
"That the structure should fully respect the identity and philosophy of the company - explains Matteo Da Soghe, who over the past year donned the ‘helmet’ of Building Manager for ASA, working alongside Zerbato Architetti studio throughout all the construction phases – was the foundation from which we began the project’s development and implementation, which included choices aimed at respecting the environment and people. Throughout the building, for example, winter/summer air conditioning is ensured by an energy-efficient heat pump system with micro-perforated duct distribution system which allows a capillary distribution of air and temperature avoiding ventilation”.
The construction work also included the installation of a specific system that deals with air treatment: expelling exhaust air in favour of other clean air taken from the outside, the equipment enables maximum compliance with energy efficiency, which is also ensured by an exchanger that uses the temperature of the exhaust air to compensate the incoming air. With a view to sustainable management, there is also the lighting design, entrusted to high-efficiency LED technology with a high colour rendering index, a 33kW photovoltaic power plant to integrate the energy consumption of the company's plants and the availability of a point for recharging electric vehicles.
PEOPLE AND OPTIMISED OPERATION: THE COMPANY'S ASSETS
"The good fortune of finding a building space very close to the previous one, just over 500 metres away - explains Roberto Marchesini, ASA’s Managing Director - has allowed us to not create any discomfort for the staff, avoiding changes in their habits or generating difficulties for the move. Preserving their well-being was one of the diktats we set ourselves before giving shape to this project which, even during its development, took staff needs into account. We are convinced that working in a "made-to-measure" environment promotes a greater spirit of belonging to the company, an essential prerequisite for its future".
The future that for ASA speaks the language of growth. This is also confirmed by the logistics of the structure in which the "flows" have been designed to facilitate the entire production chain.
"The new headquarters - concludes Marchesini - also allow optimally managing operations according to the precepts of lean manufacturing which, duly integrated in the layout, offer benefits in terms of organisation, transit times, goods handling and safety at work”.
