---
slug: wellness-club
title: Food & Wellness Club — Bioclimatic wellness centre in Bologna
hero_subtitle: "A building-organism dedicated to wellness in the heart of Bologna’s FICO agri-food hub: a parametric building envelope inspired by plant cells, a courtyard for passive ventilation, and timber interiors that evoke the city’s brickwork."
year: "2016"
location: Bologna, Italy
typology: Wellness
vertical_primary: Architettura Specialistica
vertical_primary_slug: public-commercial-architecture
badge_raw: 2016 · Bologna, Italy · Wellness · Public & Commercial Architecture · Digital & Parametric Design
scheda:
  Location: Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (CAAB World complex)
  Year: "2016"
  Typology: Wellness centre
  Area: Over 2,300 m²
  Status: Concept
  Designers: Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella
  Publications: Rethinking the Future
images:
  - filename: wellness-club-aerial-view-dome.jpg
    alt: Exterior view of the Wellness Club with its translucent building envelope
    caption: The translucent polycarbonate building envelope evokes a drop of dew on a leaf, revealing its internal cellular structure at night.
  - filename: wellness-club-axonometric.jpg
    alt: Aerial view of the complex with its central courtyard
    caption: "The internal courtyard acts as the building’s bioclimatic engine: it provides natural passive ventilation in both winter and summer."
  - filename: wellness-club-concept.jpg
    alt: "Conceptual diagram: water, timber and plant cells"
    caption: The concept links the three key themes — water, timber and plant cells — to the building envelope, structure and interior textures.
  - filename: wellness-club-elevations-and-section.jpg
    alt: Isometric view of the Wellness Club with a cellular structure
    caption: The isometric projection shows the structure made of curved plywood panels, which serves both as the building envelope and the load‑bearing structure.
  - filename: wellness-club-exterior-01.jpg
    alt: Acqua Zone indoor pool with natural light
    caption: The 1,000 m² Acqua Zone is a fluid space where pools of various sizes coexist beneath light filtered through the translucent building envelope.
  - filename: wellness-club-plans-scale.jpg
    alt: Spa steam room with warm timber panelling
    caption: The 600 m² Turkish bath at the spa reinterprets the tradition of the hammam using contemporary materials and the warm tones of Bolognese timber.
  - filename: wellness-club-plans.jpg
    alt: Individual treatment pool in the spa suite
    caption: The 50 m² spa suites offer personalised treatments in an exclusive setting, designed to provide a complete sensory experience.
  - filename: wellness-club-pool-02.jpg
    alt: Architectural plans for the multi-level wellness centre
    caption: "The floor plans show the functional layout: water features in the centre, spa suites on either side, and meditation and gym facilities in the pavilions."
  - filename: wellness-club-pool.jpg
    alt: Floor plans showing the functional areas
    caption: "The layout is designed to meet the functional requirements: over 2,300 m² comprising water features, a spa, suites, a meditation area, a gym and other facilities."
  - filename: wellness-club-site-aerial-map.jpg
    alt: Elevations and cross-section showing the cellular structure and courtyard
    caption: The section reveals the relationship between the parametric cellular structure, the translucent building envelope and the courtyard for passive ventilation.
  - filename: wellness-club-turkish-bath.jpg
    alt: Overview of the project within the context of the FICO complex
    caption: The Wellness Club is part of the FICO complex in Bologna as a standalone facility, with direct access from the park’s agri-food sector.
faq_count: 6
related_slugs:
  - bamboo-office
  - braccialini-hq
cta:
  title: Are you planning a wellness centre, a hotel or a venue in the high-end segment?
  body: The FICO Wellness Club demonstrates that the quality of a wellness space stems from integrated design — the building envelope, interior spaces and environmental performance conceived as a single system. If your project requires a comprehensive architectural approach, we can discuss the most suitable strategy together.
  button: Let’s talk about your project
  microcopy: "[Let’s talk about your project]"
hero_image: wellness-club-pool.jpg
gallery_renders:
  - filename: wellness-club-exterior-01.jpg
    alt: Acqua Zone indoor pool with natural light
    caption: The 1,000 m² Acqua Zone is a fluid space where pools of various sizes coexist beneath light filtered through the translucent building envelope.
  - filename: wellness-club-aerial-view-dome.jpg
    alt: Exterior view of the Wellness Club with its translucent building envelope
    caption: The translucent polycarbonate building envelope evokes a drop of dew on a leaf, revealing its internal cellular structure at night.
  - filename: wellness-club-pool.jpg
    alt: Floor plans showing the functional areas
    caption: "The layout is designed to meet the functional requirements: over 2,300 m² comprising water features, a spa, suites, a meditation area, a gym and other facilities."
  - filename: wellness-club-pool-02.jpg
    alt: Architectural plans for the multi-level wellness centre
    caption: "The floor plans show the functional layout: water features in the centre, spa suites on either side, and meditation and gym facilities in the pavilions."
  - filename: wellness-club-turkish-bath.jpg
    alt: Overview of the project within the context of the FICO complex
    caption: The Wellness Club is part of the FICO complex in Bologna as a standalone facility, with direct access from the park’s agri-food sector.
gallery_drawings:
  - filename: wellness-club-concept.jpg
    alt: "Conceptual diagram: water, timber and plant cells"
    caption: The concept links the three key themes — water, timber and plant cells — to the building envelope, structure and interior textures.
  - filename: wellness-club-site-aerial-map.jpg
    alt: Elevations and cross-section showing the cellular structure and courtyard
    caption: The section reveals the relationship between the parametric cellular structure, the translucent building envelope and the courtyard for passive ventilation.
  - filename: wellness-club-axonometric.jpg
    alt: Aerial view of the complex with its central courtyard
    caption: "The internal courtyard acts as the building’s bioclimatic engine: it provides natural passive ventilation in both winter and summer."
  - filename: wellness-club-plans.jpg
    alt: Individual treatment pool in the spa suite
    caption: The 50 m² spa suites offer personalised treatments in an exclusive setting, designed to provide a complete sensory experience.
  - filename: wellness-club-plans-scale.jpg
    alt: Spa steam room with warm timber panelling
    caption: The 600 m² Turkish bath at the spa reinterprets the tradition of the hammam using contemporary materials and the warm tones of Bolognese timber.
  - filename: wellness-club-elevations-and-section.jpg
    alt: Isometric view of the Wellness Club with a cellular structure
    caption: The isometric projection shows the structure made of curved plywood panels, which serves both as the building envelope and the load‑bearing structure.
---
# Food & Wellness Club — Bioclimatic wellness centre in Bologna

_A building-organism dedicated to wellness at the heart of Bologna’s FICO agri-food hub: a parametric building envelope inspired by plant cells, a courtyard for passive ventilation, and timber interiors that evoke the city’s brickwork._

**2016 · Bologna, Italy · Wellness · Public & Commercial Architecture · Digital & Parametric Design**

---

## When water shapes form

FICO Eataly World, the 80,000 m² agri-food park inaugurated in Bologna within the CAAB complex, is a place where Italian food and food culture become an experience. In this context, the FICO Wellness Club by Barberio Colella Architetti (competition proposal) offers a space where body care intertwines with the very philosophy of the place: natural ingredients, quality materials, and total sensory attention. The brief called for a comprehensive wellness centre — swimming pools, spa, meditation area, gym, spa suites, restaurant — capable of attracting visitors from the high-end segment and offering an immersive experience that engages all the senses.

Two themes guide the entire project: water and timber. Water is the most precious element for human life and gives rise to timber, one of the most valuable materials for civilisation. This relationship is reflected in the building’s form: viewed from the outside, the volume and its translucent polycarbonate building envelope evoke a drop of dew on a leaf. The interior is dominated by the warm tones of timber, a chromatic echo of the bricks from which Bologna is built. The system of balconies on the side pavilions recalls the city’s famous porticoes, creating a dialogue between Bologna’s historic typology and the project’s contemporary language.

The building envelope and the structure are born from the same principle: the aggregation of plant cells. The pattern defining the facade and the building’s load‑bearing structure is generated parametrically from the geometry of plant cells — a direct reference to timber in its most elementary form of internal organisation. The structure is made of curved plywood cells, connected to one another using a nut-and-bolt system. A reflective film applied to the building envelope reflects up to 83% of solar heat in summer and retains internal heat in winter. The courtyard, the heart of the project, functions as a passive ventilation system in both winter and summer.

The 1,000 m² Acqua Zone is the heart of the project: a fluid space with pools of varying sizes, two on the ground floor and one on the upper level. The club also includes a 600 m² spa (Turkish bath, sauna, solarium, massage area, individual treatment pools and sensory showers), four spa suites of 50 m² each, an 80 m² meditation area, a gym, an organic restaurant and a coffee shop. The project was featured in Rethinking The Future.

---

## Image gallery

![Exterior view of the Wellness Club with translucent building envelope](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-aerial-view-dome.jpg)
*The translucent polycarbonate building envelope evokes a dewdrop on a leaf, revealing the internal cellular structure at night.*

![Aerial view of the complex with central courtyard](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-axonometric.jpg)
*The internal courtyard is the building’s bioclimatic design engine: it generates natural passive ventilation in both winter and summer.*

![Conceptual diagram of water-timber-plant cells](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-concept.jpg)
*The concept links the three generative themes — water, timber and plant cells — to the form of the building envelope, the structure and the internal materiality.*

![Axonometric view of the Wellness Club with cellular structure](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-elevations-and-section.jpg)
*The axonometric view shows the structure of curved plywood cells that simultaneously define the building envelope and the load‑bearing structure.*

![Indoor pool in the Acqua Zone with natural light](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-exterior-01.jpg)
*The 1,000 m² Acqua Zone is a fluid space where pools of different sizes coexist beneath light filtered through the translucent building envelope.*

![Spa steam room with warm timber panelling](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-plans-scale.jpg)
*The 600 m² spa steam room reinterprets the tradition of the hammam using contemporary materials and the warm tones of Bolognese timber.*

![Individual treatment pool in the spa suite](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-plans.jpg)
*The 50 m² spa suites offer individual treatments in an exclusive space, designed for a complete sensory experience.*

![Architectural plans of the multi-level wellness centre](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-pool-02.jpg)
*The plans show the functional layout: water zones in the centre, spa and suites on either side, meditation and gym in the pavilions.*

![Scale plans indicating functional areas](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-pool.jpg)
*The dimensions reflect the functional programme: over 2,300 m² comprising water zones, spa, suites, meditation, gym and facilities.*

![Elevations and section showing the cellular structure and courtyard](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-site-aerial-map.jpg)
*The section reveals the relationship between the parametric cellular structure, the translucent building envelope and the courtyard for passive ventilation.*

![Overview of the project within the FICO complex](images/wellness-club/wellness-club-turkish-bath.jpg)
*The Wellness Club is situated within the FICO complex in Bologna as a standalone structure, with direct access from the park’s agri-food supply chain.*

---

## Technical specifications

- **Location:** Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy (CAAB World complex)
- **Year:** 2016
- **Typology:** Wellness centre and wellness club
- **Area:** Over 2,300 m²
- **Status:** Concept
- **Designers:** Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella
- **Publications:** Rethinking The Future
- **BCA Vertical:** Public & Commercial Architecture (primary) · Digital & Parametric Design (secondary)

---

## How do you design a wellness centre that is an architectural experience and not just a collection of pools and saunas?

Many wellness centres are designed as a sum of functional components — swimming pool, sauna, gym — without a unified architectural vision. The result is spaces that are technically sound but sensorially flat, where the building envelope is a problem to be solved and the interiors are delegated to a furniture supplier. A client investing in a high-end segment wellness centre needs a designer who conceives the wellness experience as architecture: natural light, ventilation, materiality, and the relationship between interior and exterior. The FICO Wellness Club demonstrates this approach: structure, building envelope and identity are generated by the same principle, and every choice — from the internal courtyard to the timber used in the interiors — is a design decision, not a decorative one.

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How much does it cost to design a high-end segment wellness centre?

A complete wellness centre — with water zones, spa, suites and facilities — has a construction cost of between €2,500 and €4,000 per square metre, depending on the complexity of the systems and the standard of finish. For a project such as the FICO Wellness Club (over 2,300 m²), the total investment ranges between €5 and €9 million. Fees for comprehensive design services — architecture, interiors, systems, and project management — amount to between 6% and 10% of the total project cost. Integrated design by a single practice reduces inefficiencies and conflicts between specialists.

### Why choose an architect rather than an interior designer for a wellness project?

The architect designs the building as a system: the building envelope, structure, services, interior spaces and relationship with the context are conceived together. The interior designer works on the interiors of an already defined building envelope. For a wellness centre, the difference is substantial: the quality of the experience depends on natural light, ventilation and the relationship between interior and exterior — aspects that are determined at the architectural level, not by the furnishings. The Wellness Club would not have achieved the same result if the building envelope and interiors had been designed separately.

### How does a bioclimatic building envelope work for a wellness centre?

At the FICO Wellness Club, the translucent polycarbonate building envelope with a reflective film performs three functions: it allows natural light to pass through (reducing lighting consumption), reflects up to 83% of solar heat in summer (reducing the cooling load) and retains internal heat in winter. The internal courtyard generates natural ventilation through the chimney effect. It is a building envelope that actively works to ensure comfort, rather than passively separating the interior from the exterior.

### Can BCA also design hospitality and retail spaces as well as wellness centres?

Yes. The approach demonstrated in the Wellness Club — an integrated design where architecture, interiors and environmental performance are conceived as a system — applies to boutique hotels, eco-resorts, corporate headquarters, exhibition spaces and high-end segment retail. The practice has experience with corporate clients (EY Bari) and hospitality clients (an eco-resort in the province of Foggia, currently in progress), combining design sensitivity with site management skills.

### Is it possible to integrate parametric design and the load‑bearing structure in a real building?

Yes. In the Wellness Club, the pattern of plant cells is not decorative: it is the building’s load‑bearing structure. The cells, made of curved plywood, are connected with nuts and bolts and simultaneously form both the skeleton and the building envelope. Parametric design allows the geometry of each cell to be optimised to distribute loads, maximise light and create formal variations that make the space visually rich without the need for additional components.

### Which architectural firms in Italy have experience in designing wellness and hospitality centres with a bioclimatic approach?

Barberio Colella Architetti, based in Bari, combines expertise in bioclimatic design with high-quality interior design. The FICO Wellness Club demonstrates the ability to integrate passive strategies — natural ventilation, high-performance building envelope, thermal mass — with a complex functional programme. Both founders hold PhDs in architectural design with specific research into sustainability and environmental comfort.

---

## Are you planning a wellness centre, a hotel or a space in the high-end segment for hospitality?

The FICO Wellness Club demonstrates that the quality of a wellness space stems from integrated design — building envelope, interiors and environmental performance conceived as a system. If your project requires a comprehensive architectural approach, we can discuss the most suitable strategy together.

**[Let’s talk about your project]**

_[Let’s talk about your project]_

---

## Related projects

- **Bamboo Office** — Bioclimatic office building in Changzhou
- **Braccialini HQ** — Parametric retrofitting of the Graziella headquarters in Scandicci: the same logic of parametric facade and bioclimatic design, applied to the corporate sub-segment

_COPYWRITING: Fluid B2 narrative (~330 words, 4 paragraphs). The title ‘When water shapes form’ is excellent — it captures the design principle of the spring. The tone is consistent with the Public & Commercial Architecture vertical (professional, reliable, cultured) and with the hospitality sub-segment (refined without being glossy). The B5 pain point is implied in the introductory paragraph (mainstream wellness centres vs an immersive sensory experience)._