From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace

Regeneration is about restoring to a place the meaning that time has eroded. This was the premise behind Corde Architetti Associati’s transformation of a disused 1970s industrial building into a shared workspace and community hub. Located in the town of Sacile in Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, this former marble processing plant stood abandoned for over 20 years. It has now been reimagined as a contemporary business hub designed with relationships, reuse, and sustainability as its underlying principles.

The project has become best practice of the BOXinBOX research program, an urban regeneration initiative aimed at reviving over 11,000 abandoned industrial sites across north-eastern Italy. In this case, the site has become a space that is used on a daily basis by the people who designed it. Along with other creative professionals, Corde Architetti Associati opened its own office here, adding impetus to the growth of this dynamic and inclusive work ecosystem.

The original building – a steel structure with a shed roof and concrete infill walls – was gutted and reimagined as the architectural framework of the new business hub. Following the model of a Russian doll, the design team inserted twelve prefabricated volumes made of CLT panels inside the shell, without needing new foundations and, since the volumes are covered by the pre-existing roofing, waterproofing solutions. Together, these units form an articulated spatial composition with pathways, courtyards, and plazas, suggesting the layout of a miniature city. Sections of the perimeter walls were demolished and replaced with translucent polycarbonate panels, transforming the old factory into a kind of opening greenhouse. This bright, unconditioned intermediate space connects the various modules, while providing natural ventilation and protection from the elements.

Sustainability was a key consideration during every phase of the project. Wherever possible, existing materials were salvaged and reused, including marble slabs, which were repurposed as flooring, and the sheet metal roofing panels used as cladding for some parts of the façades. The interior palette centers on natural tones, with white surfaces and wood finishes accented by yellow elements in the structural frame and furnishings in soft pastel shades. A raised floor, with light gray ceramic tiles in the common areas and dark carpeting in the more private zones, completes the picture.

A photovoltaic system makes the complex energy self-sufficient, while the former factory yard has been converted into a green space, where spontaneous vegetation, bees, and butterflies have returned to the landscape.

Since the hub was completed, professionals, creatives, and designers have opened offices here, creating a dynamic community and a place in constant transformation for hosting events, concerts, and public gatherings. With large doors that swing open toward the city, the interiors remain open and in dialogue with their surroundings, bridging the gap between the workplace and the local context.

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From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

Sustainability informed every phase of the project. Wherever possible, existing materials were reclaimed and reused. In addition, a photovoltaic system makes the complex energy self-sufficient.

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

The former factory yard was transformed into a new green space with plants, tables, and seating.

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

The building retains the shed roof of the original structure, which has been adapted to allow ample natural light into the offices.

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

The original building – a steel-framed structure with a shed roof and originally used for marble processing – was reimagined to accommodate a new function. The existing framework was painted yellow, and twelve prefabricated office modules made of CLT panels were inserted inside.

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

The new volumes form an articulated spatial composition of pathways, courtyards, and plazas, suggesting a miniature city, complete with colorful chairs and tables that enliven the setting.

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

Corde Architetti Associati and other professionals have opened their offices in this reinvented space, adding impetus to the growth of a dynamic and inclusive work ecosystem.

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

From Processing Plant to Shared Workspace | © gerdastudio, courtesy of Corde Architetti Associati

The interiors feature wood surfaces and a dark gray floor. Desks and workstations complete the scene.

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