Competition for the new FART SA workshop and depot in Riazzino

Architect 1: Lopes Brenna sagl
Architect 2: Viscardi Zocchetti Studio arch. SA
Civil engineer: Borlini & Zanini SA
Electromechanical engineer: Elettroconsulenze Solcà SA
RCVS engineer: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Building physics: Ing. Andrea Roscetti
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: Borlini & Zanini SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: –

Let’s start with the movement of vehicles.
The concept of flows, determined by a ring-shaped circulation that includes stopping in the workshop, storage, refuelling and washing, always in forward motion, becomes a defining element of the entire project. A hinge element between architecture and landscape. The main themes of functionality, operability, optimisation of spaces and flows become the track on which the territorial response of the project is developed.

The workshop and depot aisles are conceived as a large double hangar, made up of a steel structure with adequate structural spans to allow fluidity in the operations of sheltering, entry and exit of vehicles, while maintaining a necessary simplicity of construction and cost containment. This large volume is answered by two functional nuclei, located on the two short sides that contain the rest of the storage and respectively workshop programme.
These two volumes, mainly made of concrete, stabilise the entire building and support the two metal trusses that partially suspend the roof of the depot and workshop.
The two large metal trusses also define a terraced roof area that allows the modularisation of spaces for the workshop lighting sheds, technical areas and areas for future expansion without having to intervene further on the main structure. The volumetric reaction of these two systems generates four rounded, recessed corners which, in addition to determining the pedestrian accesses to the building, define four safe pedestrian rest areas protected from the circular movement of vehicles.

This architectural concept has a clear territorial response.
The two compact lateral cores are oriented “head-on” towards the cantonal road and the railway, introducing a concept of verticality and urban presence. the large volume of the workshop and storage lanes, on the other hand, is presented as a horizontal and permeable element whose design cannot disregard the daily movement of the vehicles that will pass through it.
the daily movement of vehicles.

The orientation of the new building, perpendicular to the cantonal road, and the resulting visual permeability between the plain and the mountain, respond to the awareness that the urban definition of these infrastructural areas cannot disregard a broader territorial logic, i.e. the human need to take possession of places (including workplaces) by being able to see a field, a river, a lake or a mountain. Basically, like from the window of a bus.

Architect 1: Architect Giovanni Bresciani
Architect 2: Francesco Sala arch.
Civil engineer: Franco Gulisano SUP-OTIA
Electromechanical engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
RCVS engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
Building physics: Tecnoprogetti SA
Geotechnician: –
Fire police specialist: Tecnoprogetti SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: Tecnoprogetti SA
Traffic engineer Brugnoli and Gottardi Engineers Consultants SA

Thinking about the new FART workshop and depot means thinking about a hybrid building that has to meet different working environments, important logistical and traffic requirements. A clear separation and organisation of all flows is decisive for the organisation of the building. These premises, together with the characteristics of the site, generate the basic shape of the building.

The project proposes a tripartite building both thematically and typologically; it consists of two simple volumes housing the warehouse and workshop, which are joined by a connector body containing all the storage and work spaces.

The two main bodies are positioned on the site following independent logics; the first, containing the warehouse, is placed in continuity with the adjacent building. The second, containing the workshop, is set back from the main road, following the setback dictated by the high voltage line. This shift allows the central body to obtain the necessary amount of façade to guarantee the necessary overlooks for the work spaces.

Architect 1: STUDIO CALORI
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Arnoldo Frigerio engineer
Electromechanical engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
RCVS engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
Construction physics: Tecnoprogetti SA
Geotechnician: –
Fire police specialist: Felpro sagl
Environmental/sound consultant: Tecnoprogetti SA

The competition site lies between the cantonal road to the north, the railway line to the south, an industrial building to the west and a partially built-up area to the east. A portion of the site, on the north-eastern side, is crossed by a high-voltage power line. The site – orographically – acts as the terminal of the slope that slopes down from the north. The large forecourt, even if fenced in, is still an important space, and for this reason we decided to give the paving a more valuable appearance by inserting stone ribs that echo the module of the structure.

The generators of the project are the large structure and the bus manoeuvring areas. The proposed building, with a rectangular base, fits into a rather irregular fabric, trying to place itself in an orderly manner. The contents, with service and storage activities, direct the project towards an industrial-type architectural setting. The size of the building, deliberately large in length and height, identifies it as an industrial complex, but the accentuation of the structure gives it a distinct representative appearance. All the functions are grouped together in a single recognisable volume, whose construction elements are optimised and simplified in terms of design, economy, energy, management and control. The request to maintain a large external forecourt for the parking of articulated buses, parking spaces for drivers, a temporary structure for changing rooms and employees and the contents of the space programme have generated the design guidelines.

Architect 1: Hermes Killer sagl
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: IM Maggia engineering SA
Electromechanical engineer: IM Maggia engineering SA
RCVS engineer: Erisel SA
Building physics: Erisel SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: Erisel SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: OIKOS SA
Traffic engineer: Brugnoli e Gottardi Ing. Consultants SA
Landscape architect: OIKOS SA

FLEET GROWTH AND FUTURE CHALLENGES – For public transport companies, this period brings with it major challenges. The ecological transition and the saturation of road traffic are driving the ever-increasing demand for efficient, widespread and reliable public transport. FART has also entered a phase of significant growth in its bus fleet as a result of the increased frequency of routes following the opening of the Ceneri base tunnel and the associated revolution of the regional rail network.
The growth in the fleet took the form of the purchase, between 2018 and 2021, of 49 new vehicles, 30 of which articulated, bringing the fleet to 65 buses. In response to this increase, FART has launched a competition to recruit 50 new drivers.

STRATEGY TO ENLARGE LOGISTIC INFRASTRUCTURE – In order to accompany the growth of its fleet and in preparation for the transition to electric traction, FART has taken action to adapt its logistics infrastructure by identifying two key projects, one in Ascona and one in Riazzino, which are the subject of this architectural competition. Following the abandonment of the Ascona project due to the numerous objections, the company focused its efforts on the Riazzino project, which is taking on a fundamental role in FART’s development. However, as the 2020 Annual Report states, the Riazzino facility makes it possible to “meet current needs adequately, but without any reservations in the event of further expansion in the future.”

THE UNEXPLORED POTENTIAL OF THE RIAZZINO PROJECT – Recognising the key role of the new facility for the entire public transport network in the Locarno region, it was decided to check the limited reserves on the site for future expansion. An in-depth analysis showed that the Riazzino site, from both a planning and a logistical point of view, has potential far beyond what was identified in the preliminary study. This potential, which is the result of optimising the flow of traffic on the site, makes it possible to park 27 articulated buses inside the depot, i.e. 35% more than planned, and to offer the possibility of expanding the surface area of the workshop from 30% to 50%* in the future, which can easily be converted into a further 6/10* spaces for articulated buses. The total potential of the area is 33-37* articulated bus stands, which is 65 to 87% more than planned. In addition, there are four uncovered outdoor parking spaces that can be created without impeding the movement of vehicles on the ground.

* 33 units respecting the distance from the AET overhead line imposed by the call for tenders; 37 units respecting the distance according to OLEI standards with renegotiation of the terms of the surface rights contract.

Architect 1: Durisch+Nolli Architetti sagl
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: AFRY Switzerland SA
Electromechanical engineer: IFEC Ingegneria SA
RCVS engineer: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Building physics: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Geotechnical engineer: AFRY Switzerland Ltd
Fire police specialist: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Traffic engineer: AFRY Switzerland Ltd

The new Fart workshop and depot in Riazzino is a public transport logistics project and must first and foremost meet functional requirements through optimum flow and function management. The site is located in a heterogeneous context, typical of industrial areas, and is defined by the cantonal road, the railway, the high voltage line that crosses it and by the obligatory coexistence between the existing and the new plant.

It is therefore the site with its characteristics, together with the logistical needs of traffic, manoeuvring and parking of large buses, that defines the project. This is why the distribution scheme of the new building is directly derived from the flow diagram of the large buses. The project is thus materialised as a “constructed programme” in relation to the characteristics of the site. And it is materialised as a quality project “that responds directly to the requirements”, combining functional needs with a simple, effective and coherent construction, characterised by a sparing use of simple, unprocessed materials, capable of responding in the best possible way to the construction requirements, to the most recent demands for sustainability and to the circular economy. It is in this way that the project corresponds directly to the requirements of Fart SA.

Architect 1: FLORIANI & STROZZI ARCHITETTI sagl
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Marcionelli & Winkler + Parteners SA
Electromechanical engineer: PROELBA & ML – Electrical projects SA
RCVS engineer: Marco De Carli studio di ingegneria SA
Building physics: MAWI ENERGIE SA
Geotechnical engineer: POSEIDON ENGINEERING SA
Fire police specialist: Marcionelli & Winkler + Partners SA
Environmental/sound consultant: DIONEA SA

The objective for the competition “New Fart workshop and depot in Riazzino” is to build a new structure capable of accommodating up to 20 18.75m articulated buses, 5 lanes for vehicle fleet maintenance, as well as the more administrative and service functions of the above-mentioned facilities. The design concept seeks to meet the flow and space requirements necessary for the proper functioning of the system. The perpendicular arrangement (with respect to the access road) of the new building facilitates the manoeuvring of vehicles in and out of the structure and also allows the composition of a single volume that places the storage and workshop channels in sequence. This arrangement allows maximum rationalisation of the structural elements, reducing the heated envelope surfaces to a minimum.

The arrangement of the various elements in sequence (refuelling, washing, storage, workshop) allows the vehicles to carry out routine actions in the correct sequence (e.g. refuelling before storage) without hindering the internal circulation of the various flows.

Architect 1: teo architect sagl
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Battaglia ingegneria
Electromechanical engineer: ERISEL SA
RCVS engineer: ERISEL SA
Building physics: ERISEL SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: ERISEL SA
Traffic Engineer: Studio Ing. Francesco Allievi SA

The programme was divided into 3 external volumes:
1. the main building, containing all the storage, workshop, training, changing rooms and technical areas;
2. the building reserved for washing the buses;
3. the refuelling shed.

The main building is developed perpendicular to the cantonal road, on the north-south axis, positioned in the centre of the plot. Storage and workshop spaces have been unified in a single volume. The volume consists of 3 floors above ground, and a basement.
The smaller buildings, the washing area and the refuelling area, have been placed at the ends of the competition area, in order to facilitate all the bus manoeuvring spaces.

The staff parking areas and all the main entrances face onto the cantonal road, so as to optimise staff routes and avoid conflicting with those of the buses. The main access to the complex is in the north-west corner of the plot, while the exit is on the opposite side, in the north-east corner. All staff parking spaces are located between the access and the exit.

Architect 1: GAGGINI ARCHITECTURE STUDIO
Architect 2: DIREZIONE LAVORI SA
Civil engineer: Bonalumi Engineering SA
Electromechanical engineer: Elettroconsulenze Solcà SA
RCVS engineer: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Construction physics: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: IFEC Ingegneria SA

The proposed site for Fart’s new buildings is located in the Riazzino area, characterised by the clear boundaries, to the south and north, of the cantonal road and the railway. The existing constructions in this area have a craft, industrial and administrative character with considerable volumes. In this kind of context, the urbanistic aspects considered are mainly given by the particular landscape of the Magadino plain, surrounded by mountains on both sides, which clearly define and connote the whole space. We therefore tried to keep the construction low and simple, so as to fit into the built landscape of the plan with an elementary building as agricultural buildings, greenhouses are. The road has a lot of traffic and limiting access to a single point was one of the first objectives to reduce the impact on traffic. An adequate
A suitable response to the functional requirements and, in particular, to the necessary movements on the plot, substantially influenced the positioning of the building.
A clear strip towards the street front has been kept free, as a green leisure area and as a future reserve of space in case of new needs.

The main design choices adopted are as follows:
– Construct a single building containing all the contents, in order to make the construction simple and flexible, decrease the volume and the facades, rationalise the vertical circulations and the escape routes.
– Raise the height of the building beyond the limits of the water table and the height of the garages with the workspaces beyond the maximum overflow height. The existing ground level is raised by approx. 1.30 m and the difference in level with the road is taken up by the large space in front of the building with minimal slopes.
– In front of the building, a large open space will be defined, partly as green space, partly as parking spaces, as an entrance area, where it will be possible to carry out the various manoeuvres and make the positioning of the main entrance and the accesses for the various vehicles clear.
– Use a simple and modular type of construction.

A great deal of attention was paid to traffic flows within the plot: a one-way traffic direction was established in a counter-clockwise direction in order to avoid crossroads and allow maximum fluidity of movement. In this way, forward motion is always respected and movements are direct for all necessary movements. The parking spaces for vehicles, which are located in a strip along the road, never cross the bus manoeuvres.
The exit onto the cantonal road is positioned centrally, so that the rules of open sight distances both to the right and to the left are respected (Standard VSS40 273a), even if the speed of the vehicles should be higher than indicated.

Architect 1: baserga mozzetti architetti
Architect 2: Giulio Pandolfi
Civil engineer: Ingegneri Pedrazzini Guidotti sagl
Electromechanical engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
RCVS engineer: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Construction physics: IFEC ingegneria SA
Geotechnical engineer: GNOTUL SA
Fire police specialist: IFEC engineering SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: IFEC ingegneria SA
Traffic engineer Engineering office Francesco Allievi SA

General approach
The project site belongs to the Piano di Magadino. This fact influenced us in the general design of the project. We looked for lightness and transparency in the respect and in the memory of the “horizontal void” that the Piano di Magadino represents in the geographical context, but also rationality and simplicity that refer to the agricultural constructions of the Piano.

Urban concept
The proposal is composed of three elements: a building for the bus depot, the workshop, the washing area and all the other annexed spaces; the circular refuelling shelter and a defined area for employee parking. The orientation of the main building perpendicular to the Ticino River and the preservation of a passing void next to it manifest the desire for permeability of the space across the plane from one side to the other. The main building as well as the refuelling shelter rests punctually on the ground, out of respect for the Plan. The employee car park is a simple horizontal carpet, designed by thin strips of vegetation running through it.

Architectural concept
The main volume appears as a single unitary complex composed of the bus depot and the workshop and washing volume, linked by an upper band corresponding to the structural height for the roof. Between the volumes of the main functions, the bus depot and the workshop, we propose a courtyard as a crossing external space and a place of reference, reception and connection between the functions.
It also becomes a protected and resting place for staff, as well as access to all the functions. A 4-storey volume containing all the annexed functions for staff and workshop management rises in relation to it. The administrative, training and break areas face the courtyard to the south and the workshop to the north or the top floor on the slopes. In the basement, the cloakrooms and changing rooms for the staff, the ancillary functions of the workshop and the tyre and fuel depots are organised.

Architect 1: Gian Paolo Ermolli
Architect 2: Dürig SA
Civil engineer: Passera & Ass. Studio di ing. civile SA
Electromechanical engineer: IFEC ingegneria SA
RCVS engineer: IFEC ingegneria SA
Building physics: IFEC engineering SA
Geotechnical engineer: Passera & Ass. Studio di ing. civile SA
Fire police specialist: IFEC engineering SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: IFEC ingegneria SA

The insertion into the project area is defined by various data elements (vehicle movements and radii of curvature, succession of operations, construction phases, distance to the high voltage power line, height of the road, etc.).
from the high-voltage power line, height to avoid flooding). In spite of these fixed elements, a clear insertion of buildings is possible. The depot/
The depot/workshop is located along the railway and generates a large forecourt facing Via Cantonale in which the service building (refuelling/washing) finds a precise position and gives a clear identity to the area.

The programme is divided between a main building and a service building. This creates simple and operationally optimal structures and at the same time no temporary structures are required during the construction phases. The main building houses the warehouse, workshop, rest and training areas for staff, and in the basement the changing rooms, storage and technical installations. The service building houses the two supply lines and the two washing lines. The efficient organisation of the plot offers at least three additional outside parking spaces for 18.75 m buses.

Bus movement, flexibility. Vehicles can drive around and through both buildings. All movements on the area are circular in a counter-clockwise direction, so that
dangerous situations do not arise. Employee parking is concentrated in the eastern area so as not to interfere with bus operations.
The refuelling and washing lines are accessible independently and without one obstructing the others. All lines have a large waiting area (up to two buses per line) before accessing the
(up to two buses per line) before entering operations. At the end of the service the buses, after refuelling, park in the depot already facing the exit for the next service.

Architect 1: Marco Calvello architect
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Studio di ingegneria Küng e Villa
Electromechanical engineer: ERISEL SA
RCVS engineer: ERISEL SA
Building physics: ERISEL SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: ERISEL SA
Traffic engineer: Studio di ingegneria F. Allievi SA

The site is located between two important roads: the Cantonal road to the north and the railway line to the south. The competition area lies between the plain, occupied by the agricultural fields of the Magadino plain, and the edge of the mountain, on the slopes of which medium and small scale buildings, both residential and private, are mixed with larger buildings,
are mixed with larger buildings of another kind. The size of these buildings can be traced back to that of sheds and warehouses. The heterogeneous composition and the juxtaposition of independent constructions have generated an unconnected and arbitrary urban development in which the limits imposed by the two road axes are the only factors that regulate and delimit the area.
The limits imposed by the two roads are the only factors that regulate and limit the expansion of this method of occupying the land.

The volume of the intervention and its tectonic peculiarities must be the elements of distinction and recognition of the Fart company in the area. The ambition with this project is to make the building an element in which the company identifies itself at urban level, just as the buses that run along the roads are. The container therefore describes its content through a careful choice of materials and colour combinations to associate the bus fleet with a building.

In order to preserve the large surface area available in the competition area, a solution was chosen in which all the spaces occupied by the buses, both for storage and for the workshop, are grouped together under one large roof. This choice has made it possible to propose a building of proportions and volumes suited to the context.

Architect 1: TL Consulting sagl
Architect 2: TL Consulting sagl
Civil engineer: Petoud Ingegneri SA
Electromechanical engineer: Elettroconsulenze Solcà SA
RCVS engineer: Think Exergy SA
Building physics: Think Exergy SA
Geotechnician: Geoexpert – Dr. D. Mazzaglia
Fire police specialist: Della Sicurezza Fabio della Casa
Environmental/sound consultant: DIONEA SA

If we consider the fact that it belongs to an environmental system or a homogeneous landscape area to be decisive, then the hamlet of Riazzino in the municipality of Lavertezzo can rightfully be included in the extraordinary landscape of Lake Verbano. This term is used to describe a precise place with absolutely special environmental and climatic characteristics, but also typological and figurative if both natural and artificial aspects are included in the term “landscape”, so as to provide an original aspect of this vast humanised territory. Leaving aside the Roman period, which organised the settlement trend as it unfolded, the focus was on the period of rebirth of the lakeside towns: the Middle Ages. This historical phase led to the creation of villages, fortresses and castles and, in general, to a very well-defined and highly original example of the physiognomy of inhabited places which, in the buildings intended for public functions, seemed to be characterised by compositional instances involving “gigantism”, “out-of-scale” and “figurative affabulation”.

This typical artificiality of the territory is confirmed by certain experiences, punctual in different periods, such as the 16th and 17th century Sacred Mounts (Sacri Monti di Arona, di Orta, di Ghiffa), the fortress and the colossal statue in Arona (“San Carlone”), the Casa Anatta of the Monte Verità revolutionaries in Ascona, the fortresses, castles and noble houses on the Borromean islands and on the islands of Cannero and Cannobbio, the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, the castle-rock of Angera belonging to the Borromeo family, the Visconti Castle in Locarno and – in a more recent period – the “out-of-scale” 19th-century buildings, such as Alessandro Antonelli’s Boca Sanctuary and the works designed by the great architects of the 20th century, such as the private villas of Aldo Rossi in Verbania, Guido Canella in Meina, by Vico Magistretti in Ghiffa, such as the extension of the Villa Faraggiana Museum in Meina, with the pavilion of the Valerio Adami Foundation, designed by Guido Canella, such as the industrial centre in Verbania (Tecnoparco) designed by Aldo Rossi, or the “Asse” in Bellinzona designed by Aurelio Galfetti.

This sense of artificiality and theatricality was taken into account in the design of the complex, considering it as part of the same public, institutional and religious buildings already present in this area with well-defined characteristics. Modern materials were used that recall the essentiality of military and defensive architecture (fortresses, castles, casemates, etc.), theatrically forcing the connotation of colour, highlighting with strong, bright colours the total – and for us appropriate – net contrast of materials and colours, precisely “artificial” (Montana eco-steel sheets) with the providential “green” nature, In this regard, the two opposing squares could be used, perhaps paved in a pattern, as pseudo-theatres to support the Locarno Film Festival between July and August, appropriately freeing up one of the two squares for short, sporadic periods at night, for use as an open-air cinema, thus also recalling some of the settings adopted for the works of Luca Ronconi.

Architect 1: Krausbeck sagl
Architect 2: Krausbeck sagl
Civil engineer: Brenni Engineering SA
Electromechanical engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
RCVS engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
Building physics: Tecnoprogetti SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: Tea Engineering sagl
Environmental/sound consultant: –

In addition to the important functional aspects that characterised the new Fart bus depot, the project seeks a virtuous integration into the built fabric of the Riazzino industrial area. The programme is solved by accommodating the required contents in a single building located at the rear of the site, creating a large urban void towards the road.

This precious reserve of building land contains, in the central strip, a large square for manoeuvring and parking buses, and in the front strip, the car parking area arranged as a tree-lined area that borders the pavement and acts as a green façade. The built volume occupies almost the entire width of the site, leaving laterally the lanes necessary for vehicular traffic and for access to the external service areas for washing and refuelling.

The building consists of 3 distinct parts that reflect the different space requirements of the complex. The main ship is a regular space, with a rigorous structure modulated by the bus stops. In the centre is the service building, which has three levels – basement, ground floor and mezzanine – and divides the main ship into two: a heated workshop and a cold store. At the top is an elongated glazed body containing the spaces that need more environmental quality.

Functionally, the building manages the flow of vehicles and personnel optimally. The central body integrates the access and circulation of people within the entire structure. On the basement floors are the storage and technical rooms, on the ground floor are the workspaces adjacent to the workshop, and on the first floor are the service areas for staff.

Architect 1: Sassi architetto sagl
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Mauri & Ass. SA
Electromechanical engineer: Elettroconsulenze Solcà SA
RCVS engineer: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Building physics: Think Exergy SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: Borlini & Zanini SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: –

For the new Fart SA workshop and depot in Riazzino, it is proposed to build two separate bodies: a supply and washing block and the main building. It was decided to build the main building entirely above ground, avoiding excavation.

The main building is located at the bottom of the lot, on the south side. The parking spaces have been positioned along Via Cantonale, with a row of trees aligned along the same axis as the existing trees. The main building is a prefabricated structure measuring 46 x 87 x 10.4 (h) metres. The prefabricated pillars measure 50 x 50 x 740 centimetres and support the main truss (precast concrete IPE, h 140 cm).

The roof is made of prefabricated sheds with a wing-shaped section, the north side is glazed, the south side is covered with photovoltaic panels for a total of 1’300 m2. The elevations are characterised by the presence of vertical blades, also prefabricated, which give rhythm and expression to the elevation. The estimated cost for the supply and installation of the prefabricated parts is 3.2 million francs.

Architect 1: Itten+Brechbühl AG
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Pini Swiss Engineers SA
Electromechanical engineer: Elettronorma SA
RCVS engineer: Rigozzi Engineering SA
Building physics: EcoControl SA
Geotechnical engineer:
Fire police specialist: Tea Engineering sagl
Environmental/sound consultant: –

The project for the new Fart workshop and depot in Riazzino conceived a simple, clear and unitary volume, capable of bringing together all the required functions. The reasons for this choice are many: firstly, the need to optimise and simplify the construction phases in a compact site, guaranteeing the space necessary for operation even during the construction phase and without excessive complications; secondly, to generate a clear and representative volume that can optimise its functions also with a view to transformation of the building.
Secondly, to generate a clear and representative volume that can optimise its functions, also with a view to future transformations, guaranteeing flexibility of spaces between workshop, warehouse and staff areas, making it possible to potentially share spaces according to needs that may change over time and according to evolving transport technology. Finally, the compactness allows for optimisation of the use of the site, guaranteeing ample free areas for parking, manoeuvring and future storage, while also reducing the surface area of the facades in favour of a single representative building.

The volume is located in a context defined by the succession of large buildings, mostly dedicated to production and commercial functions, along a Cantonal road that acts almost as a “showcase” for those who walk along it. The proposed building is an element of continuity with the existing facade, located off-centre with respect to the site, in order to preserve as much free space as possible in view of a potential burial of the power line and a possible future use of the site and the remaining volume.
residual volume. The architectural volume has a rectangular shape, with the short side facing Via Cantonale. This approach allows the building’s infrastructural and logistical functions to be placed in the background, as they are more hidden from Via Cantonale, giving the building a clear direction and a representative façade for those who work there, ensuring a balance between infrastructural and working functions.

Architect 1: Alberto Rossi
Architect 2: Architect Tommaso Fantini
Civil engineer: Lorenz Kocher Gmbh
Electromechanical engineer: IFEC Ingegneria SA
RCVS engineer: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Building physics: Ing. A. Roscetti
Geotechnician: –
Fire police specialist: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Construction management: Direzione Lavori SA

The project site is located on the northern edge of the Piano di Magadino, stretched between the two infrastructure lines of the railway and the cantonal road.
The shape, orientation and dimensions of the plot – like all those that make up the craft-industrial-commercial sector of Riazzino – derive from the pre-existing agricultural land use of the Piano.
of the Piano.

The entire district is characterised by a succession of banal large sheds arranged in a disorderly fashion, without any identity in relation to the context and their content. The interstices between one building and another are almost completely occupied by squares and car parks, while the public space – if we can talk about it – is only designed and sized according to vehicular traffic.

These preliminary remarks on the context are the basis for the territorial concept, strongly linked to the typological choice of a building with a central plan and circular development. An autonomous and complete figure that seeks to establish a more abstract relationship with the surrounding agglomeration of anonymous quadrangular buildings and that is able to stand out as a strong identity and recognisable element on a territorial scale.
The sense of operation and autonomy of the building seeks to give the most convincing response to the construction of a new site, rather than passive construction on a site.

Architect 1: Studio Marae
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Studio di ing. Sciarini SA
Electromechanical engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
RCVS engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
Building physics: Tecnoprogetti SA
Geotechnical engineer: Geoexpert SA
Fire police specialist: Tecnoprogetti SA
Construction management: Studio ingegneria Sciarini SA
Noise consultant: Tecnoprogetti SA
Environmental consultant: OIKOS sagl

The project site is located on the border between the industrial and residential areas of Riazzino. This specific situation represents an important issue in approaching the project. The proposed building lives of this duality and tries to react in the best possible way in order to harmonise and implement the coexistence between the industrial and residential reality.

The creation and continuation of the tree-lined avenue already started in the lot adjacent to the project site turns out to be a necessary condition to give the cantonal road a higher quality and create a filter between the two areas. In this sense the interaction between the two areas is guaranteed, but at the same time the trees will provide both visual and sound protection from bus traffic and activities inside the workshop. The chosen trees respect the maximum heights and do not interfere with the existing electrical network on the site; this issue will be further investigated in a later design phase.

The competition programme calls for an extremely pragmatic design that manages to place all the different functions in the structure in the best possible way and to make them interact in the best possible way. At the same time, the designer considers it necessary that the building is designed with a high architectural and urban quality that succeeds in fitting in with the existing context and that develops an architectural identity in the surrounding situation.

Architect 1: Epure Architecture et Urbanisme SA
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: DL e Ingegneria SA
Electromechanical engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
RCVS engineer: Tecnoprogetti SA
Construction physics: Tecnoprogetti SA
Geotechnical engineer: DL and Engineering SA
Fire police specialist: Tecnoprogetti SA
Environmental/sound consultant: Tecnoprogetti SA

At the urban planning level, the site is strongly characterised by its northern and southern boundaries; the FFS site to the south and the cantonal road to the north define a settlement area marked by infrastructure. The infrastructure has a strong impact on the landscape, which is mainly “interrupted” by the profile of traffic areas, even within the boundaries of the sites.

The design concept proposes an installation perpendicular to the road network in order to free up a landscape fringe to the east that can integrate the rest areas and trees, which are currently totally absent from the site. The introduction of the green island to the east allows a sparing use of the land and a reduction of the impermeable surfaces: it also allows the reuse of the excavated material on site, minimising earth movements and therefore the costs related to excavation, transport and disposal of the soil.

The project enhances the specificities of the site with a positive interpretation of its complexity and proposes an integral concept that takes into account the programme, topography, viability and sustainability.

Architect 1: Forni & Gueli Architects
Architect 2: –
Civil Engineer: G. Dazio & Associati
Electromechanical engineer: Scherler SA
RCVS engineer: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Building physics: Ing. A. Roscetti
Geotechnical engineer: G. Dazio & Associati
Fire police specialist: Ing. D. Pedrazzi
Environmental/phonic consultant: Ing. ambientale A. Berrone

The project is located in the municipality of Riazzino, on the perimeter of the Piano di Magadino, in a “spine” of industrial volumes. This “spine” is crossed by the cantonal road and the SBB railway line. These two transport infrastructures mean that all the lots present, including those affected by the project, have an advantage over the other production centres. They have a central position with respect to the centres of the Locarno-Bellinzona-valley area.

The lot is ideal for the functions to be performed and we understand the reasons for the decision to build the new building in this position. In the context, along the cantonal road before the lot, there are numerous productive buildings, including new ones; these are then contrasted with the more residential part located at the foot of the foothills of the Alps and then rising in the nuclei upstream. As designers, we tried to define a design theme that could meet the required needs but at the same time enhance and identify the project in relation to the site; a volume that is elegant, of a certain intrinsic quality and that can fit into the territory and landscape while maintaining a clean industrial character appropriate to its function.

Architect 1: Architects Russo Cortesi sagl
Architect 2: Marco Bondini sagl
Civil engineer: Luigi Tunesi ingegneria sagl
Electromechanical engineer: Piona Engineering SA
RCVS engineer: Studio di ingegneria PROTEC SA
Construction physics: IFEC Ingegneria SA
Geotechnical engineer: Studio Ammann
Fire police specialist: Della Sicurezza Fabio della Casa
Environmental/phonic consultant: IFEC Ingegneria SA

The main building has a rectangular floor plan and is developed on various different levels according to the different activities and uses of the rooms. The volume can be perceived as a solid modeled in such a way as to let its functions shine through from the outside. To the north, a setback leaves space and invites the main access to the administrative building.

The setback of the vehicle access gates from the volume of the building above creates a covered strip to protect the entrance to the parking spaces and work aisles.
The shed roof provides optimal lighting for the workspaces. The two pavilions for washing and refuelling have a rectangular basic shape and are deformed along a 45 degree axis to accommodate the traffic lanes. The load-bearing structure is made of steel and the tanks are installed underground beneath it. The structural concept is designed to meet the need for a large amount of free floor space.

Architect 1: dueA architetti sagl
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Valeria Gozzi
Electromechanical engineer: Studio di ingegneria elettrotecnica C&C electric SA
RCVS engineer: Zocchetti SA
Building physics: Andrea Roscetti
Geotechnical engineer: Valeria Gozzi
Fire police specialist: Tea Engineering sagl
Environmental/sound consultant: DIONEA SA

The project idea is based on multidimensional rotating flows that serve the entire building dynamically and safely. Dynamic because the movement itself generates the building, which becomes a theatre and a spectacle of all-round pathways from the territory. Safe because all possible connections in the various circuits are made from the left, the point of greatest visibility for the driver.

The image we worked on is that of a contemporary arena where the manoeuvres of the buses enchant the spectators like the parades of circus horses. Like a merry-go-round, like a carousel in fact, conveying to each passer-by their own emotional memory of the ride. The building consists of a ground floor in the form of a basin, in a white tub, the base of which provides a platform for the zenithally lit workshop, and for the boxes which, on two levels, house the storage and work spaces. The perimeter of the basin is home to the 8 pillars that carry the large external truss of the upper level, which houses the parking spaces arranged in a halo, exploiting the very idea of designing the circulation in accordance with the radii of curvature of both incoming and outgoing vehicles. The roof is covered with sarnafil with integrated photovoltaic panels.

Architect 1: Felicia Lamanuzzi Architect
Architect 2: Elisa Valero
Civil engineer: Cristina Zanini sagl
Electromechanical engineer: Elettroconsulenze Solcà SA
RCVS engineer: Think Exergy SA
Building physics: Think Exergy SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: Borlini & Zanini SA
Construction Management: Marco Bondini sagl
Landscape architect: LAND Suisse sagl

Since we were faced with an industrial building, built with an iron structure of beams and pillars, whose raster is compatible with the functional requirements set out in the call for bids, we felt it was our duty to respect the environment, consistent with the increased sensitivity to the climate crisis and in line with the promotion of a circular economy, even in the building sector, to start the design process by investigating the possibility of reuse.

And so the project, given its relevance to an industrial/artisan context, hence its close relationship with functional needs, becomes an opportunity to investigate the reduction of overall energy expenditure, not only thanks to the reduction in the volume of demolition (and consequent disposal) and the recovery of more surface area available for future needs, but also thanks to the recovery of material from the demolition/disassembly of disused buildings made available for reuse. This choice, which entails detailed planning from the early stages of the project to compile an inventory of reusable materials from existing buildings, lays the foundations for the formation of a useful as well as ecological building materials exchange, a tool already in use in other cantons.

In addition, the request in the invitation to tender to guarantee the use of a portion of the square for the bus depot, even during the construction phase, has reinforced the principle of reusing existing structures, even partially, as a starting point for the project.

Architect 1: Juan Campopiano architect
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Casanova Ingegneria SA
Electromechanical engineer: Evolve SA
RCVS engineer: Evolve SA
Building physics: Evolve SA
Geotechnical engineer: –
Fire police specialist: Evolve SA
Noise consultant: –
Environmental consultant: –

The project proposes a single building with all the required functions; the building is positioned perpendicular to the road. The choice of a single building allows a simple solution to the technical problems of a complex programme.

The proposed building positions the functions according to similarities, the workshop workspaces are all positioned on the ground floor, the workshop storage spaces in the basement, the workshop work and relaxation spaces are positioned above the workshop workspaces, the workshop and bus storage spaces are side by side.
This arrangement makes it possible to optimise the heated surfaces and the electrical and plumbing systems. On the other hand, the perpendicular positioning to the road reduces the space available for buses to circulate on the site.

Architect 1: Valeggia Panzera & Ass. sagl
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: Medeng SA
Electromechanical engineer: SPED – De Lorenzi SA
RCVS engineer: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Building physics: Ing. A. Roscetti
Geotechnician:
Fire police specialist: FELPRO sagl
Environmental/phonic consultant: Ing. A. Berrone

The project stems from the desire to identify with an element that is as light and simple as possible. For this reason, a single volume was conceived consisting of two main elements, the opaque parallelepiped located on the ground floor and a second translucent parallelepiped located above the first.

The building has been placed longitudinally to the road axis, set back from it to create a void in the urban context; this space also takes on a technical function, making its surface available to users. Another principle on which the building was designed is the logistics of vehicular traffic; its inclusion in the urban fabric and the position of certain functions have made it possible to optimise the latter, thanks to the inclusion of all the functions and/or activities in a single volume, generating empty space around the building, thus simplifying traffic routes.

Architect 1: Andrea Nardi Architect (Pegasus Consortium)
Architect 2: Guido Brandi Architect
Civil engineer: Büeler Fischli Bauingenieure Gmbh
Electromechanical engineer: Elettroconsulenze Solcà SA
RCVS engineer: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Building physics: Ing. A. Roscetti
Geotechnician: –
Fire police specialist: Visani Rusconi Talleri SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: –

ABACO combines the two new entities of the Fart depot and workshop in Riazzino in a single building. By occupying the part of the site already built, ABACO creates a strong identity towards the cantonal public road. The building will consist of a 4-storey head section facing the cantonal road, in which the space programmes for the workshop staff and the depot staff will be concentrated. The single volume enclosing the workshops and the depots will be developed on the north-south axis, occupying the entire depth of the lot and ending with the washing areas and the filling station.

ABACO acts as a volumetric link between the two neighbouring compartments: the lower volume of the workshop and depots is aligned with the existing depot to the west, while the head building, which houses the tertiary and public programme, is aligned with the buildings to the east. The passage of high-voltage cables, apparently a problematic constraint, becomes a design resource: the 45-degree cut imposed by the geometry provides an opportunity to characterise the front of the building. Behind a large window connecting the two main façades, a generous industrial staircase accompanies the workers’ entrance, underlining the public character of the gesture with its presence. By combining all the functions in a single building, ABACO efficiently occupies the site, leaving ample space for bus handling and parking, freeing up space in the southeast quadrant for a possible future extension of the bus depot.

The new Fart building extensively re-uses all the steel profiles of the existing structure on the site. These elements are catalogued, disassembled, stored on the site at the time of demolition and then reconfigured into the new structure, reducing production costs but above all eliminating greenhouse gas emissions due to the production of new steel.

Architect 1: Massimo Frasson
Architect 2: –
Civil engineer: De Giorgi & Partners Consulting Engineers SA
Electromechanical engineer: PROELBA & ML – Electrical projects SA
RCVS engineer: Marco De Carli studio di ingegneria SA
Building physics: MAWI ENERGIE SA
Geotechnician: –
Fire police specialist: Marcionelli & Winkler + Partners SA
Environmental/phonic consultant: DIONEA SA
Traffic engineer: Studio Ferella Falda SA

The new FART maintenance and depot centre plays a strategic role in the local area as a response to the development of public transport in the Upper Ticino, which is expected to take place in the medium to long term. The development of public transport means lengthening routes and intensifying services, also in view of the increase in the circulating fleet that began with the public tender in 2019. The scenario therefore sets priority development objectives by creating a logistics centre between Sant’Antonino and Locarno/Ascona.

The former General Electrics site is located at the eastern end of the industrial plain which has seen its development since the 1970s. It is bounded by two strong anthropic elements: to the north by the cantonal road and to the south by the railway line, at its fork. The particular position of the intervention requires an initial design response that resolves the change of scale between the industrial area coming from the west and the small settlement to the north-east, in the immediate vicinity: a moderate plan-volume articulation is therefore the instrument considered appropriate for the configuration of the new building.