The International Training Centre was supported by GET Consulting to complete its journey towards the LEED Gold certification for the Africa pavilion in Turin. The site represents a landmark in Turin’s history, which has once again demonstrated its commitment to sustainable development.
Antonio Giangregorio, facility manager at ILO, stated: “It is an iconic building protected as a heritage asset. These types of buildings have constraints but also many possibilities.”
GET was thrilled to explore these possibilities as specialized consultants, facing the project’s challenges.
International Training Centre in Turin Sustainability Commitment
The International Training Centre, as part of the International Labour Organization, has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable principles ever since its birth. Its history starts with the world exhibition of 1961 and continues to these days following its values. The Centre believes in training as an essential element for progress. For these reasons, the collaboration with ITCILO allowed GET to combine real estate with support for social and equity aspects.
The site is located within the natural area of the Parco del Valentino which was an inspiration for the renewal. It was important for the client to maintain the focus on environmental sustainability, one of the 17 SDGs (developed by the United Nations). For these reasons, LEED certification was a natural choice, as Antonio Giangregorio, Facility Manager of ITCILO, said after the building’s inauguration: “We decided to select LEED because it is a holistic protocol and takes into account not only the building’s energy performance but also sustainability issues such as the use of resources, processes control even during the construction and demolition of the building, …”.
Now the environmental sustainability themes promoted by the Centre are represented through the building’s infrastructure too.
LEED Gold achievement
The process to achieve LEED certification started with kick-off meetings to clarify the main project goals and coordinate stakeholders. After that, GET supported the Client in all aspects of the process, helping him to find the right regenerative strategies according to the request.
The International Training Centre is a historical building and is set in a zone that had already been regenerated with the birth of the urban area called “Italia 61” (created for the celebration of the Centenary of the Unification of Italy in 1961); given these characteristics, the team decided to proceed toward the LEEDv4 for Building Design and Construction (BD+C), specifically with the protocol dedicated to “New construction and major renovation”.
Working on a building with such a history created many challenges for the team, Antonio Giangregorio gave us an example in his interview: “These buildings have an exposed contrary metal warping, which means reduced heights of air ducts, so every single passage was a challenge”.
Another project’s goal was to create a workspace that prioritized people’s well-being, as Antonio himself told us: “We tried to create a space that was multicultural and inclusive in all respects. In fact, some interesting features were introduced in the project”.
The campus provides several services within walking distance of the renewed building, including book sharing, gym, restaurant, laundry, medical service, and many others; in addition, structural elements were optimized and restored to promote building sustainability and people’s well-being. Furthermore, natural elements were incorporated within the design creating a link between inside and outside thanks, for example, to the green inner courtyard overlooked by the facades.
Thanks to the commitment of all stakeholders the building enhances ever more ITCILO values.
The importance of the working team
GET’s team supported the International Training Centre’s project as consultants. Along with senior partners of the company, there was Alessandra Viotti (Sustainability, Health & Wellbeing Specialist). For her, this was the first LEED project followed from start to finish. Thinking back to this project, Alessandra claims this has been an excellent opportunity for her professional development, as she has had the chance to be involved in every step of the process and become familiar with the role.
According to Alessandra, the main project’s challenge was to enhance the building while respecting its original identity. The goal was achieved, as she said: “I saw the building grow, the project maintained its historical identity, yet the building is renewed. […] It has exploited its flexible and light structure; however, it has evolved in terms of air, light, acoustic… It has been a complete consultancy and achieving LEED Gold was a great result obtained thanks to the work of everyone involved.”
Working in a team is fundamental to obtain the best results, if you want to add GET Consulting to your group take a look at our consultancy services.
