Bologna Business School (BO)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION. The project involved the construction of a University Campus in the Apennines of Bologna, on unstable ground, with a large underground floor. The first floor featured extensive glass facades covered by a canopy. The structure concluded with an additional building located 14 meters above the underground level, which had to be connected via a group of elevators. The project was completed with the construction of roads, stairs, pedestrian paths, and rest areas outside.

THE PROBLEM. The clayey foundation soil was unable to support itself and exerted significant pressure on the buildings when wet. The first-floor slab required large spans with a substantial central opening on which the upper building was to be constructed without support. Externally, the roads and paths were challenged by the low shear strength of the soil on which the structures were built.

THE SOLUTION. Pile walls were constructed to support the soil, using the top-down technique for the greater heights, and the entire underground part was built in reinforced concrete. The unsupported part was constructed with a steel frame, without unsightly bracing, and the canopy was made of aluminum to minimize weight. Externally, the structures, such as the stairs, were built on micropiles, while for the new embankments, in accordance with landscape requirements, extensive use was made of reinforced earth techniques and, more generally, bioengineering.