Simeon was founded in the northern Italian city of Udine in 1969 and it has grown to offer a range of building services based largely on glass and steel. Today, it has three operational sites in Italy and offices in Paris and, as of recently, New York. As the company has expanded, so too has the product range and its manufacturing output. Simeon’s strengths now lie in building envelopes, metal structures, façades and architectural elements with a high level of design and engineering complexity. It has developed a special integrated production method that exploits synergies to produce ad hoc solutions for every project. Each creation starts with an architectural idea, which is often initially developed by the façade consultants. In such cases, Simeon’s experience provides the architects and consultants with the support needed to turn a concept into a technical, engineered solution that efficiently meets the specific performance, production and installation requirements of the project and that lasts as long as the building.
The process of guaranteeing the idea in the mind of the designer actually becomes reality is facilitated by Simeon’s use of visual mockups that allow the architects to check the architectural and technical details of each component. These mockups are digital or physical full-scale prototypes for a project. Such mockups also provide room for designers to view different options for an envelope, making it far easier to pinpoint the ideal, definitive solution. Such prototypes also reproduce the colors and technology accurately, which further greases the decision-making process. In 2019, Simeon invested heavily in digital visual mockup technology to make this project stage quicker and more financially viable, allowing customers to see how the building will look from the outside or inside. A special viewing device - called an oculus - provides a
real-time virtual view of the interior or exterior of a building, creating a powerful tool for assessing how the design works and how it fits into the environment. Such technology marks a move beyond physical models, both because of the contextualization and the speed of creation. This approach has already been successfully adopted in two major projects: 50 Avenue Montagne by Fresh Achitecture and Metal 57 by Dominique Perrault Architecture. The feedback was very positive and so the company has decided to extend the approach also to new acquisitions and to strive forward with its technical research and development.
SIMEON
Façade Systems
Via Pacinotti, 5 - I - 30020 - Noventa di Piave (VE)
Tel. +39 0421 570611
www.grupposimeon.it