Modena's Stefano Ferrari Regenerative Medicine Centre is a worldwide excellence centre for stem cell culture bound to human tissue transplant, promoted by the UniversityofModenaand Reggio Emilia together with Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena.

In the design process for the building, ZPZ Partners chose to represent the innovation and research contents in the shape of an outer enveloping structure capable of setting itself free from the traditional mechanicistic vision of technology, so precious in the iconography of the last century, declining a contemporary language laden with a friendlier and more intuitive interface, yet no less sophisticated, inspired by the mathematical formula of tissue morphogenesis.

Basically, it represents the arrangement of cells in space which, through number of variations, defines the very look of human beings. The container gives shape to the content and vice versa, in pursuit of non- random relation between programme and architectural language, among extremely articulate interior spatial arrangement which link laboratories, systems, research and didactic facilities and an outer shell which is capable of meeting such flexibility requirements in time and makes it possible to include in its framework matt panels, fixtures, grids and what not. The three floors, a total surface of approximately three thousand square meters, have in common the almost obsessive principle of asepticity. It suffices to think that the arrangement layout of the biochemistry laboratories, the cell cultures of the many research and technology devices, was devised specifically to meet the sterility requirements.

The gangways have been equipped with filter gates between sterile areas, controlled contamination area and relational areas. The needs related to the research activities forced the creation of area that cannot be in contact with neither natural light nor air coming from the outside and that require state-of-the-art treatment systems.

The complex is fitted with as many as 418 high-efficiency filters and 17 Atu (Air treatment unit). In this light it is evident how the very choice of building and finishing materials had to meet with very strict approval, functional and response criteria due to the very specific nature of the building. It is not by chance that the undisputed anti-bacterial properties of Casalgrande Padana fully vitrified porcelain stoneware Bios treated tiles were selected for the ceramic coating of the interiors on the ground floor and in the bathrooms, thanks to 99.9% removal of the four most commonly found strains (as documented by the Microbiology Department of the UniversityofModena).

Bios was chosen not only for its anti-bacterial properties, but also for the ability to combine them with the most diverse project needs, as it does not have any limit in terms of size, colour and surface finish, thanks to the particular characteristic of containing anti-bacterial principles engrained in the body and not only on the surface.

More specifically, the Stefano Ferrari Regenerative Medicine Centre is fitted with Granitogres-line Bios tiles, Unicolore series, matt finish, sizes 30x60 cm and 15x60 cm.The project is unique, sophisticated, difficult yet outstanding. The above was a test and an absolutely prestigious reference, which qualify Bios as suitable for the broadest application range in civil, healthcare and industrial construction.