For over 70 years, Secco Sistemi has been contributing to the evolution of window and door engineering: it invents systems that become reference models for the industry and continues to perfect them, to interpret projects and trends in contemporary architecture.
Secco Sistemi was founded in 1947 in Treviso by Aldo Secco, who wanted to revolutionise, from an industrial point of view, the world of metal windows and doors, at that time relegated to a few carpentry jobs. He himself designed a new machine for the production of window profiles, called “Alda”, which profoundly marked the company and the world of window frames.
The first successes came with the Seccolor product, a window frame that won the ‘Compasso d’Oro’ award in 1981, exporting not only the product but also the technology to produce it with new factories even in Iran and faraway China. The company had more than 500 employees and became a joint-stock company with the name “Industrie Secco S.p.a.”
Testifying to the industrial fervour of that period are many buildings in Italy, mostly public buildings, made with Seccolor windows and doors, characterised by the pastel colour that made post-World War II buildings dignified and elegant.
The Secco industry closed down for financial reasons in 1995, but in the same year, entrepreneur Luciano Gusmeroli and engineer Alberto Agostini (former technical director of Industrie Secco) decided to salvage what was left, downsizing the structure and planning new products, no longer dedicated to construction but to architecture, through the accurate design of the profiles and the use of precious metals.
Today, Secco Sistemi has about 110 employees and its market is divided between 47% Italy and 53% abroad. It develops 280 profiles in 4 precious metals and 8 finishes; brass, corten steel, stainless steel and galvanised steel. It produces 2.5 million linear metres of profile bars per year for 200,000 doors and windows. The company works with masters of contemporary architecture and collaborates with professionals from all over the world. Its products contribute to the prestige and uniqueness of historical palaces, famous buildings and archaeological sites, including the Grandi Gallerie dell’Accademia by architect Tobia Scarpa, the Fondaco dei Tedeschi by Rem Koolhaas, as well as the James Simon Galerie in Berlin by architect Chipperfield, The Whiteley in London by Norman Foster and many others.
Secco Sistemi is constantly searching for beauty and expresses it through its products, promoting design as a foundation. To certify this commitment, in 2017 it received the design Oscar, the “Compasso d’Oro” award with the OS2 system, a product dedicated to the world of architecture and restoration. In 2022, it again won the coveted award with the øG® product, the magnetically levitated lift-and-slide, which combines beauty and high technology. This was followed by the Architektur+bauwesen award with the new XT system, Archiproducts for øG® and major awards such as ‘The Prize of Prizes’ and participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale with the Vatican Chapel.
We believe that an ethically sustainable development in which environment, safety, workers’ health and quality are the company’s core values is fundamental. In order to achieve these goals, we have adopted the “Integrated Quality, Environment and Safety Management System”, compliant with ISO 900113 and ISO 1400114 ISO 4500115 standards. This is a tool that will allow us to better pursue the well-being of workers, respect for the environment, research, innovation and product quality.
We have launched a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by applying the principles of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). Our commitment will lead us over the ten-year period from 2019 to 2028 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% in terms of economic intensity and in absolute terms by 70% for ‘scope’ 1 and 2 emissions and 22.5% for ‘scope’ 3 emissions.
within the company premises, a fundamental department has developed, Secco-Lab, which deals with assistance, customer training, construction and testing of new prototypes, and system certification in collaboration with the IFT institute of Rosenheim. An important place to research, experiment and develop the identity made of product and creativity.
Beauty is in the eye of those who recognise culture in a creation, be it material or intangible. We try to interpret it through experience and study; even a work process can generate beauty if we recognise in it the values it underlies, namely care. Some of our stories try to express this quest in stills.