On 7 th september, in the presence of institutions, stakeholders and partners, the largest European innovation center has been inaugurated in Roncade, Venice, Italy. An international center for professionals and entrepreneurs, a training center, a reference point for the territory. With its 51 hectares, the H-FARM CAMPUS will be able to accommodate up to 3000 people, becoming the largest innovation center in Europe.

The enlargement led to the creation of 10 new structures dedicated to education, start-ups and companies for a total of 30,000 square meters of covered area with “no added built volume”, thanks to the recovery and demolition of several existing buildings in a state of neglet.

Five buildings dedicated to training, from childhood to university and post-university, can accomodate up to 2.000 students. The student residence offers 244 beds; the sports center consists of a small arena and over 5.000 uncovered square meters hosting multipurpose playing fields.

The campus is also equipped with a restaurant, a conference hall opened to the public and a big library designed by architect Richard Rogers (Center Pompidou in Paris).

The project, carried out by Zanon Associated Studio (ZAA), designed a “soft” insertion of the new buildings in total respect of the surrounding environment. The new structures are provided with large windows and moderate height in compliance with a widespread architecture: in fact only 10% of the entire area is built: the remaining space, 27 hectares, is used as an equipped park and wooded area, opened to the public.

The entire construction process, from the design of the buildings to the construction and management phases, has followed the LEED protocol guidelines.

The complex is going to be one of the most technologically advanced centers in Italy and Europe and has a green and sustainable footprint being self-sufficient for 85% of its energy needs, thanks to photovoltaic systems with storage and on site exchange of energy with the network.

H-Farm was founded in 2005 in Ca ‘Tron, Venice, with the aim to support the development of digital projects that make life easier for people and companies and was the first Venture Incubator in the world to adopt a model that combines investments, consultancy for companies and digitally enhanced training programs.

H-Farm’s mission is to lead companies’ digital transformation and produce culture through new educational and business models. H stands for Human, because, for H-Farm, people are the focus: in services, in relationships, in interactions. Human because people make the difference.

Now, with the opening of the Campus, H-Farm has become the largest innovation center in Europe.

StercheleGroup has contributed to this great project with its prefabricated bathroom pods in fully compliance with the project requirements, reducing on-site problems and construction time. The prefabricated bathrooms were delivered on site complete with all installations, sanitary fittings, taps, finishes, furnishings and lighting.