Collaboration Between Architects and Companies in the Development of a Modern Architecture Lexicon: Bombelli’s Technological Systems

In the modern architecture of the post-war periods, the use of considerably complex technological systems for building envelopes (windows, curtain walls, innovative coatings, etc.) saw intense collaboration between designers and building companies. More than in the past, the architect, while still managing the entire project and having full ownership of it, needed the specific knowledge of the companies’ technical offices to develop their design solutions at the executable level. On the other hand, the companies, collaborating with the architects and actively taking part in the design process, gained experience that allowed them to successfully patent products and technological systems capable of meeting the needs of the market. The collaboration between architects and companies has frequently been the real engine of technological innovation in modern architecture. This paper presents the main collaborations and projects undertaken with the Bombelli company, using them as a frame of reference for the different types of technological systems designed and built by Bombelli. The study of and the accessibility project for the Bombelli archive is aimed at optimally integrating the data and information held there with the most innovative methods of digitalization for the study and cataloging of cultural heritage through platforms of interoperable 3D semantic models developed in the H-BIM environment. The in-depth analysis of the case study of Palazzo Montecatini and the archival documents concerning its balcony window frames demonstrates the role of companies in the design process and the importance of making and keeping the archives accessible, which is also useful to support refurbishment interventions.