ARTICLES
In today’s urban context, marked by a growing search for sustainability and efficiency, the Manni Group Design Award competitions aim to create a platform for discussion on architectural innovation using offsite methods.
This sixth edition, themed "Vertical Farms," provides designers the opportunity to engage with offsite steel systems. This methodology not only enables a quick and modular construction process but also ensures certified performance and maximum safety on site. Offsite solutions are fundamental for efficiently and effectively realizing ambitious projects, speeding up the creative process and guaranteeing outstanding results.
From robust steel structures to endless possibilities for facades, the MGDA Abacus highlights how the offsite world offers a range of versatile and innovative systems.
Let’s explore these possibilities:
This Gold Mention emphasizes the value of steel structures, notable for their design adaptability and complete recyclability. The mechanical precision and technological characteristics of steel allow for significant design freedom, making these structures much lighter than traditional construction systems.
The jury will award the Gold Mention "Isopan | ISOFIRE WALL | Temperature-Controlled Environment" to the project that best applies Isopan's ISOFIRE WALL, known for its excellent fire behavior, superior insulation performance, and application versatility. These features make ISOFIRE WALL the ideal choice for environments requiring strict temperature control and enhanced safety. This mention celebrates projects that incorporate these solutions to create safe, efficient, and comfortable spaces for occupants.
The "Aesthetics that Lasts" Gold Mention rewards the use of ADDMIRA solutions by Isopan for facades, emphasizing the importance of enduring aesthetics in modern architecture. ADDMIRA technologies ensure long-lasting performance, weather resistance, and, most importantly, maximum design freedom: material textures, natural stones, ventilated facades, the options are endless! This mention appreciates the ability to create facades that combine advanced functionality with significant aesthetic impact, enriching urban architecture with surfaces that capture attention and integrate with the surrounding environment.
Possible solutions include:
Urban heat islands pose significant challenges in modern architectural design. Using FORTELIA's Cool Roof systems can effectively mitigate this phenomenon, improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Consequently, the FORTELIA "Flat Roof" Gold Mention is specifically focused on projects that excel in the optimal application of these solutions for flat roofs.
Discover how fire safety becomes a distinctive element in today's architecture with the Gold Mention ROCKWOOL | Fire Safety, awarded by Bernard Plancade, CEO of ROCKWOOL Core Solutions. This prestigious mention is reserved for projects that incorporate mineral wool as an insulating core in sandwich panels, highlighting Manni Group and its partners' approach to promoting safe and environmentally friendly solutions.
Each edition of the Manni Group Design Award is not just a contest but an incubator for innovative ideas that push the boundaries of architecture towards new horizons of sustainability and urban integration. With the support of advanced technologies and offsite solutions, “Vertical Farms” promises to transform urban landscapes into living, productive ecosystems, proving that the future of architecture is already here.
ROCKWOOL Core Solutions is part of the ROCKWOOL Group, offering advanced tailor-made stone wool insulation products for original equipment manufactured (OEM) panelised systems. At the ROCKWOOL A/S, we are committed to enriching the lives of everyone who experiences our product solutions. Our expertise is perfectly suited to tackle many of today’s biggest sustainability and development challenges, from energy consumption and noise pollution to fire resilience, water scarcity and flooding. Our product range reflects the diversity of the world’s needs, while supporting our stakeholders in reducing their own carbon footprint. Stone wool is a versatile material and forms the basis of all our businesses. With more than 12,400 passionate colleagues in 40 countries, we are the world leader in stone wool solutions, from building insulation to acoustic ceilings, external cladding systems to horticultural solutions, engineered fibres for industrial use to insulation for the process industry and marine and offshore.
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 111,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €78.6 billion in 2021. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
Zero is an Italian deep-tech company specializing in vertical farming innovation. Based in Pordenone, Zero draws inspiration from nature as a productive platform, developing solutions that integrate science, software, engineering, and creativity to make vertical farming simpler, more accessible, reliable, and scalable.
Their mission is to create a new domain at the intersection of technology and biology, called "Future Farming." The impact of Zero's activities ranges from the food sector to cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials.
Zero is part of the Future Farming Initiative (FFI), a cutting-edge public-private partnership between ZERO and Ca' Foscari University of Venice. Funded by the European Community's Next Generation EU program under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), FFI is set to become a leader in Vertical Farming.
Gelora Solutions is committed to generating long-term value in the cold chain through the engineering, procurement, and financing of state-of-the-art, reliable, sustainable, and tailored temperature-controlled environment solutions. Gelora Solutions has over 12 years of experience delivering turnkey food logistics and supply chain solutions across three continents. We deliver innovations that preserve food and resources. Enabling asset management solutions and integrating Industry 5.0 technologies by offering innovative strategies to reduce emissions and optimize energy use.
In this sixth edition, we are also pleased to have the Institutional Patronage of the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles, highlighting the city's significance as a hub of architectural innovation and urban sustainability. The Institutional Patronage enhances the "Vertical Farms" contest, facilitating dialogue and cultural exchange between the involved countries, and reinforcing our shared commitment to solutions that effectively address contemporary urban needs.
Manni Group Design Award Cashprize | 15.000€
Each Team must include at least one team member aged from 18 to 35
Early bird | 23/03/2025
Material Submission Deadline | 21/05/2025
Ambra, Performance Marketing Manager at Manni Group, develops digital marketing strategies with a focus on innovation in offsite construction and architectural design. With over 8 years of experience in digital marketing, she has coordinated the international launch of sustainable construction systems and the digitisation of the industry. Specialised in lead generation and data analysis, she leads initiatives such as the Master in Offsite Technologies for Architecture and the international Manni Group Design Award Contest, enhancing the dialogue between manufacturers and designers to promote cutting-edge solutions.
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