New environmentally friendly headquarters: Italian quality with zero impact

In early June 2010, Santoni opened the new offices in its headquarters in Corridonia, a design dedicated to natural lighting, energy-saving and eco-compatibility. This important project is part of a process of environmental awareness that Santoni has started a long time ago.

Firstly from the production point of view: the leathers used for the production of shoes are always natural and untreated. The vegetable tanning helps the raw skins to become leather in total respect of nature. Even the paper used in all business communications and in promotional materials is FSC-certified (i.e., coming from environmentally well-managed forests) and soon all packaging will also be produced according to these guidelines.

The materials used in the production of the building glass, steel and aluminium are 90% recyclable.

Studies of sunlight led to the choice of a "double skin" facade that allows the building which is completely transparent to function as a real greenhouse during the winter months and as a solar chimney during the summer ones. The two glass walls far between 80 centimetres create an internal vacuum which heats the air during the winter by acting as a thermal insulator, while flowing through grids, creates currents that cool the surfaces during the summer months. The water surface at the entrance contributes to the functioning of this mechanism.

This system reduces dramatically the power consumption of the building.

The amazing vertical gardens in the lobby and the conference rooms give an unexpected breath to the space, making it more pleasant, and purifying the air: it naturally regulates the humidity and temperature, and absorbs carbon dioxide during daylight hours.

The glass roof of the central vacuum space is designed to ensure the offices facing inward diffused lighting. A system of ribs, changing according to the position of the sun, protects against the dazzling reflections of sunlight.

System collecting rainwater and the re-use of so-called "white water" also allow saving precious water resources.

903 kWps of photovoltaic’s for sustainable energy independence

To complete the green project, during 2011 was built a photovoltaic plant on the roofs of the car parks and factories Santoni.

The photovoltaic plant consists of 3,945 photovoltaic panels in polycrystalline silicon, sub-grouped into 10 independently productive sub-fields to divide the risk of downturn and to optimize the production based on the actual consumption of the plants.

Among the 10 sub-fields the car park is to be pointed out. Covered with 408 photovoltaic modules that develop an output of 91.8 kWp and that seamlessly integrate with the new company’s architecture.

The plant produces a total of 1,107,500 kWh per year, corresponding to 170% of the requirements of the industrial group that is around 650,000 kWh per year. The surplus production compared to the current energy demand will cover future increases in demand, ensuring complete sustainability of production.

With an investment of approximately 3.5 million Euros, Santoni shoes are created “zero impact."