Mangini Group: translating values into projects

In the contemporary context of architecture and construction, in a redefinition of values and priorities increasingly paying higher attention to performance and preservation of the planet, the flexibility of spaces and elements becomes crucial, and the reduction of waste and emissions in achieving it, a mission. Extending the company’s vision to modular construction was the intuition of the Mangini Group, which placed this Italian company about to celebrate a 70-year-long history in this very track: translating values into products, values into projects. Key values in the Mangini philosophy such as versatility and sustainability express such vision, which can also be translated into a holistic approach from the single prefabricated element to the turnkey realm.

Versatility, first and foremost, is a key value in the design and realisation of workspaces, now that worksphere is evolving at a rapid pace. One project in which Mangini Group has been involved in giving expression to this value is the People Hub Milanofiori, realised by 967 ARCH in Assago, for Accenture. The slender 15-storey prism stretching between the city consolidating new districts and the nature of a woodland, sees glass as the protagonist element, in 31,500 square metres of surface area destined for 3000 workstations, but also and above all for a constellation of hybrid spaces that determine the experience within the Accenture workspace. Gathering spaces such as kitchenettes on the floors, relax areas, terraces and “open air” areas flank spaces dedicated to accessibility with tools and technologies to support people with disabilities, spaces dedicated to mothers and parental care, and spaces for occupational health services, sports and events.

To such a complex programme, in a building that has obtained Leed® Gold Certification, the response could only be flexible and modular for interiors as well: here, Mangini supplied 4,400 square metres of Flux One movable partitions distributed over 13 floors. An example of versatility, Flux One is a continuous double-glazed mobile partitioning system, with a universal aluminum guide profile, which in this project articulated a 66.1 double-glazed laminated glass with incorporated acoustic Pvb film, and single hinged doors in 33.1 laminated glass framed with aluminum profiles painted in a classic pure white (RAL 9010). With Flux One, With Flux One the noise reduction performance goes up to 47 decibels (a conversation between people measures 60-70 dB on average) and the seismic performance is guaranteed by compliance with the NTC 2018 seismic regulations. Versatility is systemic in the Flux system, considering that the same profile can contain a steel structure for blind panels, and that in the centre of the profile, between the two panes of glass, standardised electrical systems can run, while modular LED strips can be placed on request in the PVC gasket sealing the glass.

Sustainability is another fundamental value, almost more of an ethical sphere embracing all the values in Mangini’s vision, as it represents the answer to challenges where the difference, in fact, is in values that translate into economic, physical-technical and environmental performance. The CoFactory DesignTech laboratory, developed by Pinifarina Architecture in Milan’s Certosa District, is a project where modularity and sustainability become synonymous: a connection to which Mangini has given shape through its technologies.

In its 1,500 square metres on two levels, DesignTech transforms a former storage area into an open space used as a production and prototyping laboratory with numerically controlled machines and quick modeling tools, surrounded by modular spaces – each with its own color identity – for coworking, offices, meetings and laboratories.  With an appreciable influence on streamlining the construction process and reducing waste, in addition to Flux One mobile partitions and Teka systems, about 270 square metres of Planika Classic and Planika Steel mobile partitions have been employed. On the ground floor, the space is determined with Planika Classic with chipboard cladding in Urban Concrete finish, and with other Classic and Steel modules in chipboard or clad in RAL 9010 steel; on the first floor, cabinets are positioned in plasterboard compartments with doors and backs in different colors according to the color code of the office to which they belong.

The Planika ecosystem embodies the utmost breadth of process sustainability once again through its high flexibility of use: Planika Classic mobile partitions aim to maximise room comfort, with floor-to-ceiling wood panels with concealed fastening on a galvanised steel mullion and transom structure. Planika Steel adds a cladding of shaped shell panels in pre-painted sheet steel, maximising safety performance and durability. Modularity in its purest state, Planika is a system that shows – with articulations such as Planika Health for healthcare facilities – how Mangini's value range can be extended to what the Group defines as a holistic approach: from the single modular element to the design and production of self-contained volumes, delivered on a turnkey basis to customers.