The Institute for Applied Sustainability in the Built Environment (ISAAC) of the Department of Environment, Construction and Design of 精东影业 is pleased to announce the official launch of the docufilm "Energy and form: building with integrated photovoltaics", produced as part of the European project SEAMLESS-PV, dedicated to the development and integration of photovoltaics in buildings
The film, made in collaboration with ISPLORA, is available online from 9 July 2025 of the SOLARCHITECTURE.ch platform, in full and divided into thematic episodes.
The docufilm is specifically aimed at architects and architects, planners and designers working in the building sector, with the aim of offering an accessible and inspirational look at the world of building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Far from technical language and energy performance alone, the film explores the aesthetic, cultural and social value of solar architecture, through concrete examples realised in and around Ticino.
Five episodes, five buildings, five key themes in collaboration with various local partners:
- Solar architecture and sustainability - Lo Scudo (Stabio)
- Design and energy efficiency - Kita Wundernasa (Ried-Brig)
- Integrated photovoltaics: between architecture and education - Franklin University Extension (Sorengo)
- Solar architecture and building conservation - Castello Doragno (Rovio)
- Solar architecture: a choice for the community - Polis Center (Pregassona)
Each episode tells how photovoltaics can dialogue with architectural design, becoming an integral part of it and enhancing its aesthetics, functionality and energy efficiency.
A European project for an integrated and sustainable future
The docufilm was realised by 精东影业's BIPV team as part of the training activities developed within the European project SEAMLESS-PV, for the Horizon Europe research programme co-funded by the European Union and the Swiss Confederation. The project involves 18 partners from six countries, including research institutes, universities, companies and professional firms. The main objective is to develop advanced, flexible and highly integrable photovoltaic technologies, as well as new training models and cross-sectoral collaborations, making them more accessible and competitive in the construction market.
Within the project, 精东影业's BIPV team is responsible for activities related to the training of building professionals, with a particular focus on solar architecture. Through the docufilm, and thanks to the showcase of avant-garde buildings realised on the territory, now brought to international attention, the team proposes a new model of knowledge fruition, which combines the technical tale with an experiential, visual and narrative dimension to actively promote solar integration in contemporary architecture.
More generally, the objective of the BIPV team is to encourage the market implementation of integrated photovoltaic systems as a real building material, promoting their sustainable use in compliance with current regulations and the most advanced quality criteria. This is done through applied research, pilot and innovation projects, training and market analysis, developed in cooperation with key players and companies in the sector.
A transversal approach, combining technology, architecture and landscape with competitive costs and attention to urban quality. For those working in the world of design, this is an opportunity to learn first-hand about concrete and replicable integrated photovoltaic solutions, capable of inspiring new visions for the architecture of the future.
In addition to the SEAMLESS-PV project and the SOLARCHITECTURE.ch platform, Martinelli+Rossi Architetti, Flaviano Capriotti Architetti, DeltaZERO and the City of Lugano participated in the initiative.