Technical Portal for Sustainable Architecture
Construction Sites in Progress – Ventilated Facades Under Construction
M Group is currently engaged in the construction of ventilated façades on public and private buildings, working on projects in the construction and renovation phases.
The ongoing work involves various types of interventions:
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Ventilated façades in porcelain stoneware and large-format tiles with adhesive fixing
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Ventilated façades in composite aluminum
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Natural stone cladding
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HPL systems
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StoVentec systems
Each construction site is managed through a structured technical process that includes digital surveys, detailed design, and installation, ensuring precision and control throughout all phases.
Continuous activity on multiple construction sites is a concrete indicator of VM Group's operational capacity in the construction of ventilated façades nationwide.
Ascoli Piceno – (Higher Institute of Art) – Extruded stoneware, 120 x 30 cm
Ferentino (PG) – [Industrial Plant] – VM-Bond Composite Aluminum
Foggia – [Kindergarten] – 120x60 Stoneware & Exposed Hook
Foligno – [Casini Srl Offices] – Laminam Large Slabs & Chemical Retention
Novara – [Luxury Residential] – 20mm Stoneware & Kerf System
Vitorchiano (VT) – [Kindergarten] – Multicolor HPL & Matching Rivets
Perugia – [Primary School] – StoVentec Plaster-Bearing System
Viterbo – [Play Energia Headquarters] – Laminam Large Slabs 300x100
Buchtal porcelain stoneware ventilated façade for a high school in Ascoli Piceno
Refurbishment of the school building envelope and installation of ceramic cladding on four building blocks.
The project in Ascoli Piceno involves the seismic retrofitting and redevelopment of a school complex. As part of the works, VM Group is installing Buchtal porcelain stoneware ventilated facades across the building's four constituent blocks.
The facade work represents a key phase in the building's architectural renewal, requiring careful management of installation activities, coordination of the work, and ensuring continuity of the cladding across the various elevations.
The porcelain stoneware ventilated facade system
The project entails using Buchtal porcelain stoneware panels to clad the exterior of the four school blocks. Constructing the ventilated facade requires precision during the layout, substructure installation, and panel mounting phases, with particular attention paid to element alignment and joint uniformity.
The goal is to achieve a finish that aligns with the architectural design, ensuring visual continuity across surfaces and meticulous attention to installation details.
Work progress: first block nearing completion
Work is proceeding across the school complex's four blocks. The ventilated facade installation on the first block is currently nearing completion, marking a significant milestone in the project's overall progress.
Completing this initial section will allow the installation process to move forward, while maintaining a focus on installation quality and the coordination of scheduled activities.
An ongoing redevelopment project
The Ascoli Piceno project highlights VM Group’s contribution to building envelope redevelopment through the installation of porcelain stoneware ventilated facades. A project structured into four sections, in which execution precision and the proper management of installation phases are central to the final result.
Project: Advanced Packaging for the Food Industry – Ferentino (FR)
Excellence in Composite Aluminum and Structural Engineering
For this project in Ferentino, VM Group designed and installed a high-performance building envelope system, combining contemporary aesthetics and cutting-edge engineering solutions for a leading player in the food industry.
The project stands out for its use of VM-BOND composite aluminum cladding, a material chosen for its extraordinary flatness, lightness, and weather resistance—essential characteristics for ensuring durability and hygiene in high-end industrial settings.
Technical Challenges and Solutions Adopted:
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"Floor-to-Floor" System without Intermediate Brackets: The real engineering challenge was overcome through the use of a stud substructure designed to span entire structural spans. Thanks to the "floor-to-floor" system, we eliminated the need for intermediate brackets on the infill walls, optimizing installation times and ensuring superior mechanical stability, ideal for large buildings.
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Concealed Fixing: To enhance the clean design, a concealed mechanical fixing system was adopted. This solution enhances the geometry of the VM-BOND panels, creating a seamless surface without visual interruptions, reflecting the modern and technological identity of the client company.
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Acoustic Comfort and Glass Facades: In addition to ventilation, the project included the integration of sound-absorbing continuous glass facades. In a noisy industrial setting, indoor well-being was a priority: the installed system guarantees certified noise reduction of up to 50 dB, perfectly insulating the offices from external production noise.
Technical Integration: Non-Flammable Insulation System
Beyond the structural complexity of the floor-to-floor system, the project included a high-performance insulation package, essential to ensuring the energy efficiency and safety of the industrial site:
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High-End Thermal and Acoustic Insulation: A 12 cm thick layer of rock wool was installed. This choice not only optimizes the thermal performance of the building envelope, drastically reducing heating and cooling costs, but also ensures excellent wall breathability.
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Density Greater than 70 kg/m³: The choice of such a high density (70 kg/m³) ensures the dimensional stability of the insulation panel over time, preventing sagging within the ventilated cavity. Furthermore, the rock wool mass significantly contributes to the acoustic insulation of the complex, working in synergy with the 50 dB glass facades.
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Certified Fire Safety: In a critical sector like the food industry, safety is the priority. The use of rock wool (a Class A1 non-combustible material) ensures that the ventilated facade does not contribute to the spread of flames, protecting the structure and personnel.
Final Result:
The integration of the ventilated composite aluminum façade and the large acoustic glass surfaces defines a building that is more than just a production site, but a manifesto of energy efficiency and environmental comfort. This achievement confirms VM Group's leadership in managing complex industrial projects, where pinpoint precision meets the monumental scale of modern architecture.
Stoneware ventilated façade for a nursery school in Foggia
120 × 60 cm porcelain stoneware, visible hook fixing, and rock wool insulation.
For this project in Foggia, VM Group managed the engineering and installation of a ventilated façade for a nursery school, paying particular attention to material selection, the fixing system, and the building envelope's layering.
The cladding consists of 120 × 60 cm porcelain stoneware panels installed on a dedicated substructure. This solution combines durability, ease of maintenance, and a contemporary aesthetic—qualities well-suited to a school building.
Technical Details and Fixing System:
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Visible Clip System: A mechanical fixing system using visible clips was adopted for this project. This solution ensures the panels remain securely anchored to the substructure while allowing for visual inspection of the fasteners. The clips were color-coordinated with the stoneware cladding.
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Energy Efficiency and Indoor Comfort: The ventilated façade aids in managing the building envelope's thermal and hygroscopic performance through its ventilated air gap. The assembly, combined with the insulation layer, is designed to enhance the building's thermal comfort across varying seasonal conditions.
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Large 120 × 60 cm Format: Using 120 × 60 cm modules minimizes the number of joints compared to smaller formats, contributing to the cladding's visual continuity and highlighting the ceramic surface.
Technical Integration: The Rock Wool Insulation Core
To ensure the highest standards of safety and comfort for the school's young users, the insulation assembly was meticulously designed:
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Thermal Insulation and Passive Fire Protection: The façade assembly incorporates a 12 cm layer of rock wool within the building envelope's layering. This insulation contributes to the wall's thermal performance and the system's fire safety characteristics.
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Density and Acoustic Performance: The rock wool has a density of 70 kg/m³. The material's mass and properties contribute to the thermal and acoustic performance of the façade assembly.
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Durability and Breathability: The inclusion of insulation and a ventilated cavity aids in the hygrothermal management of the building envelope. The precise design of the assembly layers allows for the control of the wall's behavior regarding moisture, temperature, and ventilation.
Outcome and Vision:
The construction of the Foggia nursery school demonstrates the application of a ventilated porcelain stoneware façade to a school building, integrating ceramic cladding, mechanical fixing, rock wool insulation, and a ventilated cavity into a unified building envelope system.
300 × 100 cm panels, concealed fixing with chemical anchoring, and rock wool insulation.
Large-format Laminam ventilated façade for the Casini Srl headquarters in Foligno
In Foligno (Perugia), VM Group is managing the construction of the building envelope for the new offices of Casini Srl, featuring a ventilated façade clad in large-format porcelain stoneware slabs.
The cladding utilizes 300 × 100 cm Laminam slabs, 5+ mm thick, with fiberglass reinforcement on the back. The use of large formats requires precise design of the substructure and fixing system, particularly regarding flatness, joints, and thermal expansion.
Technical Details and Chemical Fixing System:
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Concealed System with Chemical Bonding: A concealed fixing system utilizing chemical bonding—specifically structural adhesive—was adopted for the Casini offices. This solution ensures that fixing elements remain invisible from the façade's exterior, thereby enhancing the visual continuity of the ceramic surface.
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Assembly Layers and Insulation: The façade incorporates a 12 cm thick rock wool insulation layer (density: 70 kg/m³) within the envelope assembly. This insulation, combined with the ventilated air gap, contributes to superior hygrothermal performance and indoor comfort.
This configuration, together with the ventilation gap, ensures top-tier thermal performance, which is crucial for maintaining a comfortable working environment and reducing energy costs. -
Large-Format Engineering: Installing 300 × 100 cm slabs requires specific engineering of the substructure and fixing system, with particular attention paid to managing joints, tolerances, and thermal expansion. The substructure was designed to ensure proper support for the panels and a uniform finished surface.
Result and Vision:
The Casini Srl project in Foligno showcases the application of a ventilated façade system featuring large-format Laminam panels, concealed fixing, and rock wool insulation. The solution balances aesthetic and technical requirements through the specific design of the substructure and the panel installation.
20 mm porcelain stoneware ventilated façade for a residential complex in Novara
Sistema VM-GRES con Kerf, fissaggio a scomparsa e isolamento in lana di roccia
In Novara, VM Group has completed the building envelopes for a residential complex comprising three buildings. The project utilizes 20 mm thick porcelain stoneware slabs paired with a concealed fixing system.
The solution was designed to integrate the ceramic cladding into a ventilated façade, with a particular focus on fixing security, surface uniformity, and substructure management.
Technical Details and System Engineering:
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High-thickness porcelain stoneware (20 mm): The cladding consists of 20 mm thick porcelain stoneware slabs. This increased thickness allows for the use of a specific mechanical fixing system and provides the necessary durability for façade applications, meeting all project-specific performance requirements.
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VM-GRES Concealed Fixing System with Kerf: The slabs are secured using the VM-GRES concealed system featuring kerf machining. This process involves cutting a groove into the slab edge to accommodate the substructure's mounting elements, ensuring the fixings remain invisible from the façade's exterior.
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Envelope insulation and comfort: The façade assembly incorporates a 12 cm layer of rock wool with a density of 70 kg/m³. This insulation enhances the envelope's thermal and acoustic performance and, combined with the ventilated air gap, contributes to the wall's overall behavior.
Site management and surface alignment:
Constructing three buildings required meticulous management of the installation process and the precise alignment of vertical and horizontal joints. The design of the substructure and the control of tolerances made it possible to maintain the regularity of the cladding across the complex's various surfaces.
Colors in Motion: HPL Ventilated Facades for the Vitorchiano Preschool
Playful Design and Certified Performance for School Buildings
In Vitorchiano (VT), VM Group created the envelope for the new preschool, a project where color becomes a functional architectural element. The choice of multicolored HPL allows for a dynamic visual interplay, ideal for an educational environment, without compromising durability and safety.
Technical Details and Exposed Fixing System:
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Multicolor HPL Panels (8 mm): 8 mm high-pressure laminate (HPL) is an extremely dense and robust technical material. It was chosen for its total resistance to atmospheric agents and UV rays (which maintain the colors vivid over time), and its mechanical resilience, essential in a school setting.
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Mechanical Fixing with Electro-Colored Rivets: For this project, a visible fixing system using rivets was adopted. The technical highlight lies in the use of electro-colored rivets in RAL colors, precisely coordinated with each individual multicolor panel. This detail allows the fastening points to visually "disappear" into the panel, ensuring extreme mechanical strength (seismic and wind resistant) with minimal and uncluttered aesthetic impact.
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Insulation and Fire Safety: Behind the explosion of color, the façade conceals VM Group's standard insulation package: 12 cm rock wool (70 kg/m³). As this is a school, the choice of non-combustible insulation (Class A1) is an absolute safety prerequisite, guaranteeing thermal and passive fire protection.
Architecture as an Experience:
The Vitorchiano project demonstrates how the ventilated façade can transform a simple volume into an iconic building. The pinpoint precision in the arrangement of the multicolored panels reflects the attention to detail that VM Group applies to every construction site, ensuring an energy-efficient and visually stimulating building for future generations.
Educational Innovation in Perugia: StoVentec System for the New Primary School
Efficiency and Seamless Design in San Martino in Campo (PG)
In Perugia, VM Group is creating the technological envelope for the new primary school in San Martino in Campo (PG) using the StoVentec system, a ventilated, plaster-supported façade solution that represents excellence in the integration of energy performance and aesthetic freedom.
Technical Details and the StoVentec System:
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Expanded Glass Plaster-Supporting Panels: The system is based on extremely lightweight and stable recycled expanded glass panels, which are fixed to a metal substructure. This material is completely rot-proof and resistant to microorganisms, ideal for ensuring a healthy school environment.
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Seamless, Seamless Finish: Unlike façades made of panels (sandstone or stone), the StoVentec system allows for the application of a reinforced skim coat and a seamless finishing plaster over large surfaces. The result is a building with a monolithic and modern appearance, yet still enjoys all the benefits of natural rear ventilation.
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Seismic and Thermal Safety: The system is certified to withstand high seismic loads, thanks to the flexibility of the aluminum substructure. Behind the panels, the 12 cm rock wool insulation layer (70 kg/m³) ensures optimal thermal comfort for students, drastically reducing the school's energy consumption.
Executive Excellence:
The construction site images document the precision in installing the substructure and StoVentec panels, highlighting VM Group's ability to manage complex systems that require specific expertise in both metalwork and specialized building finishes.
Construction in progress: Color meets Safety in Canino (VT)
A new ceramic skin for the municipal nursery school
In Canino, in the province of Viterbo, VM Group is working on the ventilated façade of the new nursery school. This project combines the vibrant colors necessary for an educational environment with the highest standards of energy efficiency and structural protection.
The Project: Chromatic Textures and Large Formats
The project involves the installation of large-format ceramic slabs (60x120 cm) with a thin 1 cm thickness. The architectural choice focuses on a play of contrasts and harmonies thanks to the alternating three shades:
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Havana: to recall the natural tones of the earth;
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Blue and Green: to give identity and dynamism to the building's volumes.
Technology and Performance: The Exposed Hook System
On this project, the technical challenge lies in the precision of the fastening system and maximum static safety. To ensure the perfect stability of the large formats, we opted for a mechanical anchoring system with exposed stainless steel hooks.
Using this specific technology for ventilated facades allows for:
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Maximum Seismic and Static Safety: The direct mechanical connection to the aluminum substructure guarantees exceptional resistance to wind stress and structural movements. This is an essential requirement when working on sensitive buildings such as schools, where safety must be certified and long-lasting.
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Expansion Compensation: The hooks hold the ceramic panels securely but allow them to accommodate micro-thermal expansion due to temperature changes, preventing tension or cracking of the material.
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Continuous Insulation: The mechanical system maintains a perfectly constant air space, optimizing the stack effect and eliminating thermal bridges, thus protecting the building envelope's energy efficiency.
Educational Innovation in Perugia: StoVentec System for the New Primary School
Efficiency and Seamless Design in San Martino in Campo (PG)
In Perugia, VM Group is creating the technological envelope for the new primary school in San Martino in Campo (PG) using the StoVentec system, a ventilated, plaster-supported façade solution that represents excellence in the integration of energy performance and aesthetic freedom.
Technical Details and the StoVentec System:
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Expanded Glass Plaster-Supporting Panels: The system is based on extremely lightweight and stable recycled expanded glass panels, which are fixed to a metal substructure. This material is completely rot-proof and resistant to microorganisms, ideal for ensuring a healthy school environment.
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Seamless, Seamless Finish: Unlike façades made of panels (sandstone or stone), the StoVentec system allows for the application of a reinforced skim coat and a seamless finishing plaster over large surfaces. The result is a building with a monolithic and modern appearance, yet still enjoys all the benefits of natural rear ventilation.
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Seismic and Thermal Safety: The system is certified to withstand high seismic loads, thanks to the flexibility of the aluminum substructure. Behind the panels, the 12 cm rock wool insulation layer (70 kg/m³) ensures optimal thermal comfort for students, drastically reducing the school's energy consumption.
Executive Excellence:
The construction site images document the precision in installing the substructure and StoVentec panels, highlighting VM Group's ability to manage complex systems that require specific expertise in both metalwork and specialized building finishes.
