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Introducing the integrated design model with Francesca Federzoni, CEO at Politecnica
- Stella Manferdini
- INSIDERS
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Politecnica is a major design company that stands out globally for its specific integrated approach and for the high specialization of its professional partners. From plant engineering to urban planning, from structural to architectural projects, Politecnica puts in place a comprehensive vision that integrates a number of technologies, facets and teams in a multidisciplinary sense. For this reason, the model of Politecnica can be defined as that of a symphonic orchestra rather than of a group of soloists. We talked about it with Francesca Federzoni, CEO of Politecnica, who wisely illustrated to us the philosophy of integrated design that she has been carrying out for over twenty years.
Palazzo della Rovere, Savona, Italy, Politecnica
Image copyright: @Politecnica
Teatro delle Passioni, Modena, Italy, Politecnica
Image copyright: @Politecnica
Politecnica develops projects in all sectors, both public and private, in Italy, where the company was founded, and abroad. How is such a network structured?
Our company presents a corporate form that consists of several figures and a widespread ownership. The fact of bringing together partners and professionals from around the globe has allowed us to have a strong base of specialized industry experts. We carry out both public and private projects by relying on professionals who have gained experience in a specific segment, where the sector of interest also identifies the client. For any given variation of the market we can thus have a continuity not only in terms of proficiencies, but also of cultural references.
For instance, the direction of public works in Italy is almost a profession in itself because of the very specific skills it requires. This also applies to the outside world, where we are present on projects financed mostly by donors, therefore by international development banks such as the Caribbean Development Bank. Every client has a language that must be learned and understood, and this is why we establish stable working groups that serve clienteles with managerial analogies at the project level. Also for the private world, which in our case is mainly populated by large private or multinational organizations, we have experienced connoisseurs of the market.
Your approach is defined by the concept of "integration". Would you explain how you understand and decline this term on a project level?
Having trained professionally within Politecnica, its design approach is the only one I know and perhaps I tend to take it for granted. However, as I look around, I realize that it is not so obvious. Integration and multidisciplinary means that every professional within Politecnica always has an overview of the entire process. Therefore, whatever the role, from the architect to the electrical system engineer, everyone participates in the meeting tables.
We believe that individual specialization is best expressed when you learn to put yourself in the shoes of other disciplines, that is when professional empathy allows you to make the right choices, aware of the implications they will have on other disciplines. This approach also avoids many interference issues. However, it is not only a topic of interference, but also of mindset. Indeed, we think of the building as a human body in which all parts have equal importance and interact with each other.
It is our characteristic, our added value. It means thinking with a wider and more complete breadth, I would say. This is not to say that it is worth more or less than other approaches, it is simply our signature. Moreover, this method allows a great balance between the different disciplines. To make a design comparison, I would say that ours is a symphony orchestra rather than a group of ten soloists.
New Zealand University Hospital, Koge, Danimarca, Politecnica
Image copyright: @Politecnica
Ponte Demerara, Guyana, Politecnica
Image copyright: @Politecnica
What other terms belong to your corporate philosophy?
On the one hand I would think of some very common ones, such as “sustainability”, a word that, if you do not give it a real content, remains empty. It is a word perhaps inflated, that we are tired of hearing, but that we have not practiced enough, as evident from the results of our daily lives. Then, to choose a more unusual one, I would say “humanity”. In my opinion this term covers all the facets of the others I could choose. When you look at the world with humanity and empathy, the themes of sustainability and inclusiveness in respect of future generations become natural facts. Although we are neither philosophers nor sociologists, our work has a great impact on people’s lives, on our world and on our cities. The humanist approach towards a technical profession such as ours is another of our characteristics.
Politecnica was among the first to adopt BIM technology. What are the new design frontiers today?
Starting from Building Information Modelling, it is true that we were among the first to use it in a tangible way. However, we are still far from making full use of the potential and processes of BIM. I believe that the design part has now made great improvements, while the direction of the works and the construction site are still in a very experimental phase, as well as the maintenance management, which is still in its infancy. BIM is a chapter that still needs to be explored and I think it has much potential to be unveiled. These possibilities can be fully exploited throughout the entire supply chain, from design to management up to maintenance, otherwise there is always one part missing.
Recently I invited a professor from the Polytechnic of Milan to have a conversation at OICE, the trade association member of Confindustria that represents Italian engineering, architecture and technical-economic consulting organizations. Precisely because he comes from the university world, he has an experimental vocation superior to that of our societies. On that occasion, he recounted to us what implications artificial intelligence and the metaverse could have on our profession. I must admit that I was amazed at what could be done by bringing the modalities of artificial intelligence within the management of the construction site by simply supporting the design of prefabricated elements with 3D printers and the automation of repetitive machining.
The theme of the metaverse is not immediate and not easily accessible. On complex designs I see less immediate implications, but I can guess that there is the possibility of doing more experimentation with virtual mock-ups. I believe that this is an area which I still have to fully understand but which I cannot stop looking at with curiosity. It should also be stressed that there is a generation gap on this theme and this is why Politecnica must make use of the intergenerational character that characterizes it to become increasingly familiar with such tools.
Are there any new projects you would like to share with us?
In the public sphere, we designed a hospital in Pavia, the first new large-scale Italian hospital established after the pandemic. This work has given us the opportunity to put in practice and give an answer to the important demand for flexibility of spaces and environments that followed the pandemic. With investments of this type we must also deal with strict financial budgets, therefore it is a “controlled” and yet innovative design.
As for the private side, after a slowdown in 2022 due to the increase in raw material prices, several construction sites have been inaugurated and today’s market is prospering. I would mention in particular two important infrastructure works in Ljubljana: the project construction management of a bridge and that of a motorway. We have discovered a country that, also thanks to the finding of large oil deposits, is growing each day more. It was already in our strategy to strengthen our presence in the Caribbean countries and, thanks to these two important tenders that we won, we had the chance to bring it forward.
Nuovo Kerakoll K2X, Sassuolo, Italy, Politecnica
Image copyright: @Politecnica
Nuova Manifattura Bulgari, Valenza, Italy, Politecnica
Image copyright: @Politecnica
During these fortunate years for engineering and architecture in Italy we are trying to become stronger abroad because I fear that this extraordinary moment will soon end. Also because of the new procurement code, which does not see the project as a fundamental element, the Italian market will probably turn again into a difficult territory. In this medium period we are expanding to different countries so as not to have to rethink our dimension in the future.
Navigating markets of different areas of the world we found that, both in highly advanced and developing countries, the technical and cultural approach changes much. For example, Danish engineering has a much lower propensity to risk than the average and therefore, from an engineering point of view, tends to be conservative and experiment little. In Italy, on the other hand, there is a much higher risk disposition, for better or worse. To me, the cultural aspect is the most fun and stimulating side of the work. I also believe that we must have great humility in approaching a country that we do not know in order to learn its customs. This applies to the types of construction and to the materials used not only for a theme of sustainability, but also in respect of the context and approach to technology of the place.
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