Primary school, Torricella

Scuola infanzia di Torricella-Taverne

The construction of the Torricella-Taverne nursery school is part of the overall reorganization of an area in which the construction of various public, scholastic and sporting works is planned.

The Celoria Architects studio has translated the constraint represented by an existing wall into a resource, which, by touching the individual elements present in the area, defines their mutual relationships.

The wall has in fact become the main subject of the intervention, constituting the base of the building and the site of the pedestrian walkway that leads to the school and connects to the sports fields via a ramp.

The three remaining sides of the podium are underground and house the technical and service rooms in a waterproof Drytech Tank structure.

The planimetric organization of the building interprets the functional indications relating to school buildings, with the aim of optimizing circulation spaces, reducing distribution to a minimum and eliminating corridors.

The abstract composition of the volume is however softened by the introduction of some elements somehow extraneous to this composed monumentality, which allude to ancient bastions characterizing their formal expression. 

Even if the final touch of tenderness to the Torricella-Taverne nursery school is given by the row of small colored scooters parked under the loggia.

Project: Celoria Architects, Balerna

Structure: Brenni engineering SA, Mendrisio

Construction: CSC SA, Lugano

AIL tunnel, Agno

Cunicolo AIL Agno-Bioggio

The AIL Agno-Bioggio tunnel for high voltage systems runs alongside the Vedeggio river for 4 km and, in a central stretch, is also bordered by the Prati Maggiori canal. Precisely at this point the route of the structure crosses the Riale Roncaccio drainage canal.

To overcome it, the tunnel dives further below the riverbed up to -5 meters from the ground level. Due to the particularly delicate position exposed to multiple water pressures, this section of the tunnel was created with a total Drytech Tank: foundation, walls and slab.

The Drytech Tank structure of the AIL Agno-Bioggio tunnel has a thickness between 30 and 40 cm and the joints have been waterproofed with injections of DRYflex expanding resin.

By sealing the entire thickness of the joint, the resin also protects the reinforcing bars, because it keeps water completely outside the concrete. In the event of any infiltrations, the system provides practical and easily manageable maintenance from inside the structure, without interruptions to the service.

The real possibility of carrying out maintenance contributes to the main quality of waterproofing: which is to prevent water from entering for the entire life of the work, i.e. for 50 – 100 years in the case of civil engineering structures, as prescribed by SIA 272.

Structure: Comal Engineering, Lugano

Construction: Implenia, Bioggio oh the 

Hydroelectric power plant, Casale Monferrato

The new hydroelectric plant of Casale Monferrato

Building for water can sometimes mean having to build underwater too. The new Casale Monferrato hydroelectric power plant was built below the left bank of the Po, and the river also completely flooded the construction site during the 18 months in which the work was carried out.

The natural flooding in the floodplain area where the construction site was opened did not represent a problem for the Drytech Tank, because the construction characteristics and materials of the system cannot be altered by the presence of water, not even during construction.

The same DRYflex resin, which is injected into the construction details to seal them, is effective in the presence of water, even under pressure.

Built by Allara SpA of Casale Monferrato, the system consists of a mobile weir in the riverbed, an intake structure upstream of the weir from which the diversion canal begins which conveys the water to the central building which houses the groups of energy production and, downstream of this, the return channel into the riverbed.
The work is completed by two access ladders – one on each bank – for the ichthyofauna and the ramp for the passage of canoes.

The mobile barrier crosspiece, made up of a tubular structure in water-inflatable rubberized fabric, guarantees the diversion of the water flow to the lateral intake work of the left bank.

When the water level upstream reaches the maximum authorized level, the crossbar is depressed under the pressure of the water that overcomes it, avoiding flooding.

With its 200 meters of longitudinal development, it is the largest flexible dam in the world built with this technology.

The production plant hosts four turbines that generate an average power of approximately 3000 kW, for an annual production of 21 GWh.

Access to the turbine room is guaranteed by an underground tunnel connected to an entrance hatch. The tunnel is also a full Drytech Tank (waterproof floor, walls and slab), connected to the main body by a movement joint which has been waterproofed with DRYset injectable Waterstop Tape.

Owner: Idropana, Turin

Technical direction: STA Engineering, Pinerolo

Structure:
Eng. Gianluca Odetto – SERTECH, Loranzè

Construction:
Allara SpA, Casale Monferrato

Drytech Tank: 1,200 m2

The snow factory, Carosello of Livigno

Drytech has built the new 5,600 m³ water tank, which will feed the cannons for artificial snow Close to the Carosello 3000 station in Livigno.

Close to the Carosello 3000 station in Livigno, Drytech has built the new 5,600 m³ water tank, which will feed the cannons for artificial snow.

The work, built in 5 months with a 2’175 m² Drytech Tank, is completely underground to have no impact on the Alpine panorama.

The practicality of the construction of the Drytech Tank makes the construction of these structures faster.

Time is a decisive factor in any construction site, but it becomes even more important for applications conditioned by seasonality (the structure had to be ready in time for the opening of the ski season) and with a climate that reduces the useful building time to a few months.

Drytech Engineering has formulated a waterproof concrete suitable for environmental conditions, based on the characteristics of the aggregates present in the plant chosen by the Edil Dona company in Valdisotto, Sondrio.

The acrylic resin DRYflex, which waterproofs the details by pressure, is certified for use in structures in contact with drinking water, so it is safe for the environment and therefore perfectly suitable for use in a tank that feeds the guns of snow.

One of the main acceleration factors on the construction site is the control of shrinkage cracking.
In fact, the Drytech tank allows you to make continuous castings (the bed was cast in a single solution) because the cracks are induced by the Cracking Elements, which can also act as disposable formwork.

Client: Carosello 3000, Livigno

Project: Studio Associato DMP, Livigno

Structure: Ing. Piergiacomo Giuppani, Sondrio

Construction: EDIL DONA, Valdisotto

Drytech Tank: 2,175 m²

Blade, Canobbio

Rivestimento in Cor-ten della residenza Blade di Canobbio

For architect Mino Caggiula “Designing means reworking what we have absorbed to find new solutions. Blade is the product of the experience lived inside a work of art by the American sculptor Richard Serra.”

The Ticino architect feels it is “a great responsibility to leave a balanced and integrated mark on the territory, capable of generating a harmonious connection with the space and the surrounding landscape.”
The operation was to carefully “scratch” the hilly terrain through the insertion of curved Cor-Ten steel blades, positioned so as to prospectively override the view of the forest to the south and lead the gaze towards the lake.

Organized into two separate blocks, the housing units are divided by a system of primary and secondary blades. The distribution on two levels also generates large terraces, which take on the dimensions of real private hanging gardens.

Tognola Group, which is the promoter and general contractor of the project, also developed the interior design of the villas. The complex also includes a wellness area reserved for residents, with gym, sauna and Turkish bath, plus an outdoor swimming pool.

The entire underground structure, the garage with its lift pit, the SPA and the swimming pool were built with the Drytech Tank system.

Promoter: Tognola Group, Lugano

Project: Architect Mino Caggiula, Lugano

Strutture: Engineer Alessio Casanova, Pazzallo

Construction: GTL, Gravesano

Foto: Paolo Volonté

Drytech Tank: 2’875 m2

Reka Village, Albonago

Infinity pool of the Reka holiday village in Albonago, overlooking the Gulf of Lugano

“Making holidays and free time accessible to all”: it was with this objective that the Swiss Travel Fund (Reka) was founded in 1939, founded by visionary entrepreneurs, trade unions and tourism and transport companies. At the time, travel and holidays were prerogative of an elite.

Reka was created with the aim of making them accessible to an ever-increasing number of families, initially with a targeted savings system, then by developing its own holiday offers at affordable prices.

Reka has expanded and reconfigured the tourist village of Albonago with an investment of 33 million francs, creating 49 apartments, two hotel rooms, a tavern/pizzeria, a panoramic swimming pool, a wellness area, a bicycle station, areas for barbecues and playgrounds, for approximately 270 guests.

Drytech created all the waterproof structures of the car park, underground areas, swimming pools and wellness area.

One of the symbols of the Reka village is undoubtedly the infinity pool overlooking Lake Ceresio, with an incomparable view that embraces the entire Gulf of Lugano, the iconic Mount San Salvatore and extends to the horizon as far as Malcantone. A privilege truly available to all families.

Preliminary project: Itten+Brechbühl, Lugano

Project: Charles De Ry Architettura, Paradiso

Structure: Pianifica, Locarno

Direzione Lavori: Implenia Building, Besso

Construction: Barella, Chiasso e Giovanni Quadri, Cadempino

Drytech Tank: 5’360 m2

Olympic swimming pool, Livigno

Federal Olympic Center of Livigno

One thousand eight hundred and sixteen and 50 meters. Added to the hyper-training altitude of Livigno are the 50 precious meters of the “Federica Pellegrini Swimming Area”: the new Olympic swimming pool, built by TMG of Berbenno di Valtellina.

The new swimming pool has 12 competition model starting blocks (6 on each side), with 5-position track start platforms. With particular attention to the swimmer’s well-being and the environmental impact, the water is disinfected with a hypochlorite (with low chlorate content), produced on site with electrolytic salt transformation technology, which among other things allows the reduction of chlorination waste products.

The safety of the structure is also at levels of absolute excellence. The pool is in fact equipped with the Angel Eye system: 20 underwater cameras that record images of the swimmers in real time. The system is able to identify dangerous situations and, in the event of an alarm, sends a signal directly to the lifeguards’ smartwatch.

Drytech carried out the waterproofing of all the foundations of the building, all the perimeter walls and the recovery tanks, collaborating with the structural engineers right from the design phase. All these structures are in contact with the waters of the Federia stream, a tributary of Lake Gallo, whose flow varies depending on rainfall regimes and, above all, seasonal thawing phases.

Naturally the new Olympic pool of the Federica Pellegrini Swimming Area is open to the public. Inside the Aquagranda center you can also snorkel while admiring the fish on the seabed or travel to the interstellar stations of Mars, Moon and Venus. All this thanks to Divr: a new form of virtual reality that uses multisensory technology, amplified by immersion in water.

Ownership: Aquagranda, Livigno

Project:
Architect Giovanni Colturi

Project collaborator: Geom. Demis Spiller

Structure: Eng. Fabio Fabiano, Varese / Engineer Marco Finazzi, Palazzolo Sull’Oglio / Eng. Fabio Sibaud, Como

Construction: TMG, Berbenno di Valtellina

Drytech Tank: 2,300 m2

Polis, Pregassona

Polis Multifunctional Center in Pregassona

The plan of Polis Multifunctional Center in Pregassona is a double L that welcomes and embraces, enhancing the sense of openness towards the outside. An architecture that is both symbolic and functional, which guides routes, creates aggregations and integrates the Center into the urban fabric.

The structure was designed by Studio Mario Campi, winner of the international competition in 2008. The subsequent development of the work was managed by the architect Rosario Galgano, until the inauguration in 2021.

The complex is an important resource of the social services network for the elderly in the Lugano area.

On the lower level, the nursery, with its own outdoor play area, overlooks the courtyard, which contributes to the intergenerational and interconnected character of the Polis Centre.

The opposite wing instead houses the structures for the functionality of the centre: radiology, underground car parks, supplier entrance, technical rooms, etc.

This level, partially buried in the profile of the hill, is made with the waterproof Vasca Drytech structure.

Drytech also created the waterproof covering of the courtyard pools, with the continuous Drycoat covering in two colors obtained from the mixture of quartz sands (not from paints) and therefore resistant to continuous exposure to atmospheric agents, without chromatic degradation.

The complex, like every new building in the city, complies with the Minergie energy standard, significantly reducing energy needs. Furthermore, the Polis Center is unique for the self-production of electricity, through an integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV) which exploits both the horizontal surfaces of the roof and those of the facades, equipped with a further 1,600 meters2 of photovoltaic panels.

Project: Studio Mario Campi

Executive project: Architect Rosario Galgano, Lugano

Structure: Afry Engineering, Rivera

Construction: Consortium GarzoniRizzani De Eccher

Drytech Tank: 2’900 m2

Aqueduct, Vira-Mezzovico

The Vira-Mezzovico aqueduct

The new water storage and supply basin is part of the General Plan of the Aqueduct of the Municipality of Vira-Mezzovico.

Set into the mountain slope to minimize its visual impact, the Drytech concrete structure is entirely waterproof, both to the water present in the ground and to that collected in the internal basins. Even the slabs, covered by the lawn, are in Drytech Tank, therefore also resistant to root development.

The perfect correspondence between structure and function of the Drytech Tank makes it not only a solid barrier to water (the waterproofing is as thick as the structure), but also a durable system, because it is predisposed to extraordinarily practical maintenance. To the point that, specifically, any intervention does not require emptying the reservoirs or even interrupting the service.

The modernization plan of Aqueduct of Vira-Mezzovico also affected the water network, renewed for flow and efficiency in all its twenty kilometers of underground pipes.

Drytech Engineering collaborated already in the design phase with Lucchini & Canepa Engineering, for all aspects relating to the waterproofing of the structure.

Structure: Lucchini & Canepa Engineering, Lugano

Construction: Implenia Switzerland, Bioggio

North face, Pregassona

The beautiful building designed by Gieffe Studio has a north-facing façade with completely windows

The beautiful building designed by Gieffe Studio has a north-facing façade with completely windows. Rules are (also) made to be broken.

An original choice dictated by the shape of the sediment and made possible by the performance of modern thermal insulation systems and materials.

The three-family villa is set in a sloping plot facing north-west, with a 270° view of the Cassarate valley, which ranges from the Denti della Vecchia to Lake Lugano.

Gieffe Studio has therefore designed ultra-panoramic window walls for the living areas, recessed and re-oriented with respect to the front of the building, thus guaranteeing the interiors natural lighting and correct sun protection in all seasons and favoring the view of the mountains on the north façade and of the lake on the west.

At street level there is the garage, connected to the floors by an internal lift, and built with a 700 m2 Drytech Tank. The main entrance is located on the south side, at the height of the third floor.

The rationalist design is made organic by the warm travertine stone cladding and the changing reflection of the mountains and the sky that is projected onto the large windows and the elegant glass railings.
The cut and the different tones of the stones lighten the large continuous wall on the mountain side, harmoniously inserting the volume into the gentle slope of the land.

Project: Gieffe Studio, Lugano

Structure: Eng. Lucini Cesare, Paradiso

Construction: Gtl, Gravesano

Drytech Tank: 700 m2