Barreca & La Varra has won the “C40 Reinventing Cities” competition with their proposal for a zero carbon “Housing Sociale” scheme in Milan titled INNESTO, working in collaboration with Arup Italia.
Under the INNESTO scheme, the Milanese suburbs are enriched by a new settlement principle, characterized by a multiplicity of open spaces around residential buildings, marked by important services such as a circular economy district, community food hub, and zero waste food store. Between houses and public space, the relationship is mediated by a series of green “diaphragms” such as private or educational gardens, mulberry trees, or woodland spots.
Drawing inspiration from forest landscapes, where maximum biodiversity allows for greater richness, the scheme’s wide variety of open spaces intends to allow diversity in the interaction between people. This variety also characterizes the shape of the buildings, built with a mixed technology combining timber and concrete, rich in loggias, balconies, porches, and terraces.
The scheme boasts an impressive array of sustainable features. An innovative heating system is powered by renewable sources, including urban wastewater heat-recovery. The near-Zero Energy buildings couple with a pre-assembled construction technology with bio-based materials allow the structure to be disassembled and 100% recycled. Soil excavation is minimized, with disturbed soil treated on site and reused for landscaping, preservation, and enhancement of the agricultural heart of the area.
The design team was represented by Fondo Immobiliare Lombardia, managed by Investire SGR with Fondazione Housing Sociale as a strategic partner.
