The design of a modern building cannot overlook the integration between architecture and building services. This synergy is crucial for creating structures that are highly efficient, functional, and sustainable, capable of addressing contemporary demands for residential comfort and energy optimisation. MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) design plays a key role in this process, enabling the reconciliation of a building’s aesthetics with its technical and service requirements, enhancing the quality of spaces and delivering technologically advanced solutions. With careful planning, it is possible to create buildings that not only comply with current regulations regarding energy performance and environmental sustainability but also offer a more comfortable and safer living experience. In this article, we will explore the fundamental principles of MEP design, analysing the benefits and strategies for effective integration, while delving into the implementation of the Green Lodge project.
MEP Design
MEP design is responsible for managing the three core areas of building services engineering, specifically focusing on mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. The model developed, in combination with the architectural and structural designs, provides a comprehensive overview of the building project. This discipline is essential because it optimises collaboration and data sharing among the various professionals involved in a project, thereby accelerating the delivery of the designs.
Benefits of Integrated Design
Integrated design offers a range of benefits. Firstly, projects carried out using this approach allow for a strong focus on energy efficiency and living comfort, thanks to the development of optimised systems that enable better management of aspects such as lighting, climate control, and ventilation.
Reference Standards and Strategies for Reducing Energy Consumption
MEP design also enables detailed analysis of sustainability factors, in compliance with international certifications and standards, including the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for sustainable buildings, BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) environmental assessment standards, and the NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) certification for buildings with nearly zero energy consumption. To achieve these objectives, various solutions must be integrated, such as the use of energy-efficient LED lighting, high-efficiency heat pumps, renewable energy sources, and low-environmental-impact systems.
Difference Between Traditional and Integrated Design
Thanks to MEP, it is possible to immediately identify any potential issues involving clashes between architectural, structural, and building services elements at every stage of the design process, thus preventing design errors. Carrying out these checks and verification procedures during the preliminary stages results in savings in both time and money, benefiting all parties.
Although traditional design is still the most commonly used approach, often due to professionals’ reluctance to adapt to innovative design methods, integrated design ensures greater harmony between aesthetics, functionality, and efficiency. This is achieved through close collaboration among all disciplines involved from the very early stages of the project.
The Project
The Green Lodge project embodies an ecological hospitality concept that fully respects the landscape and its existing features. Situated within the Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa complex in Montegrotto Terme (PD) and designed by Studio Apostoli, the Green Lodges serve as a manifesto for zero-emission wellness hospitality. This innovative resort comprises seven suites, housed in four elevated wooden structures that are connected by a system of ramps, walkways, and accessible terraces. Additionally, a beautifully restored historic villa, the eighth and most expansive offering, enriches the overall experience.
To preserve the site’s natural heritage, 160 micropiles support the new buildings and outdoor spaces, ensuring that the roots of the ancient trees remain untouched. A detailed mapping of these trees was carried out before any design work began, allowing the lodges to be strategically positioned in harmony with the landscape. Rather than removing the trees, they are seamlessly integrated into the design, with their trunks visible through glass panels inside the lodges. The natural topography of the site shapes the lodges, making them appear as if hollowed out from the trees themselves. The architecture perfectly aligns with the sustainable vision of the project: in addition to their unique positioning among the trees, the lodges are clad in larch slats, constructed from eco-friendly materials, and feature a timber-based building system. They are also equipped with a heating system powered by thermal spring water.
A cornerstone of this wellness-focused concept is the lodges’ zero CO2 emissions, contributing to the complex’s Net Zero status. The commitment to sustainability extends further: two of the lodges are fully accessible, with no architectural barriers, ensuring ease of use for all visitors. The destination’s slogan, “Make room for nature,” embodies its ethos – an invitation to embrace the surrounding vegetation and create an oasis of tranquillity. It is a project that achieves a harmonious balance between human presence and the natural world.
Inside the suites, each designed in a unique hue selected from a calming palette that promotes relaxation and harmony, guests are immersed in the surrounding gardens, whether through expansive windows, private terraces, or internal courtyards that safeguard the ancient trees. The interior spaces flow seamlessly between living, sleeping, and service areas, creating a sense of openness and tranquillity. Natural light fills the suites by day, while soft, warm artificial lighting enhances the atmosphere in the evening and night, with carefully programmed lighting for outdoor areas. Suite sizes vary from 35 to 80 square metres, arranged on single or double levels, and feature warm industrial-style parquet flooring made from reclaimed wood, reinforcing the project’s commitment to low environmental impact.
The furnishings are crafted from wood, with upholstered pieces and curtains made from eco-sustainable fabrics. The wallpaper features botanical motifs, printed on eco-friendly non-woven fabric made from cellulose sourced from FSC-certified plantations. Completed at the end of 2023, just six months after construction began, the Green Lodge project has already garnered four prestigious awards so far this year. It was recognised at the LIV Hospitality Design Awards, won the International Architecture & Design Awards, and received two certifications at the Grand Prix du Design in Montreal for its Hotel & Resort category and for its integration of Architecture and Wood.
Building Services
Given the project site and the characteristics of the local subsoil, geothermal water has been selected for winter climate control – an approach already in use at the hotel’s main building. This method offers a sustainable solution with numerous advantages. As a form of geothermal energy, it is both renewable and virtually inexhaustible. As a result, the system is not affected by fluctuations in fossil fuel prices and contributes to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Using geothermal water has minimal environmental impact, as it involves no combustion and therefore emits no pollutants into the atmosphere. Thanks to its naturally high temperature, it delivers excellent heating efficiency. By relying on a local resource, the system reduces dependence on external energy supplies and increases the site’s energy autonomy.
Pre-insulated underground pipework has been laid from the main geothermal plant to supply a satellite unit dedicated to this project. From the satellite plant’s new heat exchanger, two pre-insulated “flow and return” manifolds branch off via buried pipes, delivering heating to each individual housing unit. Geothermal water is also used for domestic hot water supply, with dedicated circuits routed from the main plant through the satellite system to serve every unit.
Pre-insulated pipes are essential for distributing heat-transfer fluids when installed underground. These pipes consist of an inner conduit, typically made of plastic (PE-RT or PEX), that carries the hot water, and an outer insulating layer, usually made from expanded polyurethane or polystyrene. Installing the pipes underground allows the surrounding soil to act as a heat reservoir, further enhancing the system’s energy efficiency.
Winter climate control within the interiors is provided via underfloor radiant heating, with individual temperature regulation for each room. This system, combined with the thermal performance of the building envelope, evenly distributes heat, ensuring consistent comfort and avoiding fluctuations between warmer and cooler zones. The use of low-temperature water minimises dust movement and mite proliferation, improving indoor air quality – ideal for allergy sufferers and those with respiratory conditions.
For summer climate control, each unit is equipped with its own independent system, consisting of ducted indoor units of various sizes. All outdoor units are located on the rooftops. Each terminal is fitted with an electronic thermostat connected via Modbus to the centralised Building Management System (BMS), a low-sound inverter fan, and a motorised two- or three-way on/off valve. The outdoor unit features an inverter-driven compressor, an electronic expansion valve, and an electric heating element, ensuring proper operation in winter and preventing ice from forming on the coil. The system uses R32 refrigerant, which has a higher cooling capacity than other gases, delivering improved energy performance and reducing electricity consumption.
Innovative Solutions for Integrating Design and Building Services
For the Green Lodge project, all necessary measures were taken to achieve an efficient and aesthetically harmonious result through the effective integration of building services and architecture. Solutions such as modular systems, concealed or recessed installations, and ducting integrated into structural elements were employed to disguise building services and enhance the overall visual impact.
The climate control system, for instance, was carefully integrated with the architectural and lighting design, with supply and return grilles discreetly hidden in niches and ceiling coves. Another key solution concerned the organisation of technical spaces, which is essential to ensure their functionality. In the case of the Green Lodges, equipment was installed in technical rooms or in entrance areas to bathrooms (vestibules), improving acoustic comfort and ensuring easy access for maintenance.
Conclusions
The Green Lodge project is a tangible example of how the integration of architecture and building services can lead to the creation of efficient, sustainable, and functional buildings – combining aesthetics with technological innovation, and energy performance with living comfort.
Every element has been designed to meet the needs of both today’s and tomorrow’s design challenges, with the aim of improving people’s lives and reducing environmental impact. The Green Lodge project clearly shows how an integrated approach forms the foundation for building a more intelligent, sustainable, and environmentally conscious future.
Davide Quanilli
Davide Quanilli is a Building Engineer-Architect with extensive experience in the design and construction of residential and commercial buildings, with particular expertise in the hospitality and wellness sectors. A graduate in Architectural Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering in Trento, he has developed strong skills in integrating structural, MEP, and architectural solutions, with a focus on energy efficiency, sustainability, and harmony between form and function. Over the course of his career, he has worked on numerous complex projects in various countries, combining technical engineering knowledge with a strong aesthetic and functional sensitivity in architecture. His experience ranges from MEP design consultancy and coordination to site supervision, with the aim of creating refined, innovative spaces. Passionate about new technologies and construction methods, Davide Quanilli is constantly in search of solutions that enhance the quality of life in built environments while meeting the highest industry standards and regulations'
