flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

This will become the first carbon-neutral social housing project in Italy

Sustainability

This will become the first carbon-neutral social housing project in Italy

Barreca & La Varra designed the project.


By David Malone, Associate Editor | August 2, 2019

Renderings courtesy Barreca & La Varra, Wolf Visualizing Architecture

C40 Reinventing Cities, a competition that is part of Milan’s strategic plan to transform underused railway areas on the site of a former freight terminal, recently selected L’INNESTO as its winning project.

The L’INNESTO project area spans 62,000 sm and comprises three parts: the former railway station next to the Greco-Pirelli station, a green area on Via Breda Street, and an abandoned track overlooking the west of theBicocca district.

Upon completion, L’INNESTO will be Italy’s first carbon-neutral social housing project. The project will use a fourth generation district heating system connected to the neighborhood and powered by on-site renewable sources. With a target of 60% green space, L’INNESTO will limit space for cars and prioritize bike parking, electric car charging terminals, and a shared neighborhood car fleet. The design also includes a Human Adaptive Zone, a collaborative neighborhood with an agricultural heart. Rainwater will be 100% reused, which will save 30% on drinking water consumption. 15% of wastewater is treated directly on site.

 

 

The project’s CO2 balance sheet takes into account the construction and the following 30 years of management. L’INNESTO has been designed to achieve a zero balance throughout its life cycle.

The project was proposed by a team including: Fondo Immobiliare Lombardia, InvestiRE SGR (manager), Barreca & La Varra (architect and landscape design), Arup Italia (urban and environmental design), and Stantec (site remediation, wastewater and rainwater management).

Related Stories

| Aug 16, 2022

DOE funds 18 projects developing tech to enable buildings to store carbon

The Department of Energy announced $39 million in awards for 18 projects that are developing technologies to transform buildings into net carbon storage structures.

| Aug 15, 2022

Boston high-rise will be largest Passive House office building in the world

Winthrop Center, a new 691-foot tall, mixed-use tower in Boston was recently honored with the Passive House Trailblazer award.

Hotel Facilities | Aug 12, 2022

Denver builds the nation’s first carbon-positive hotel

Touted as the nation’s first carbon-positive hotel, Populus recently broke ground in downtown Denver.

Energy Efficiency | Aug 11, 2022

Commercial Energy Efficiency: Finally “In-the-Money!”

By now, many business leaders are out in front of policymakers on prioritizing the energy transition.

| Aug 8, 2022

Mass timber and net zero design for higher education and lab buildings

When sourced from sustainably managed forests, the use of wood as a replacement for concrete and steel on larger scale construction projects has myriad economic and environmental benefits that have been thoroughly outlined in everything from academic journals to the pages of Newsweek.

Sponsored | | Aug 4, 2022

Brighter vistas: Next-gen tools drive sustainability toward net zero line

New technologies, innovations, and tools are opening doors for building teams interested in better and more socially responsible design. 

| Aug 4, 2022

Newer materials for green, resilient building complicate insurance underwriting

Insurers can’t look to years of testing on emerging technology to assess risk.

| Aug 4, 2022

Newer materials for green, resilient building complicate insurance underwriting

Insurers can’t look to years of testing on emerging technology to assess risk.

Sustainability | Aug 4, 2022

To reduce disease and fight climate change, design buildings that breathe

Healthy air quality in buildings improves cognitive function and combats the spread of disease, but its implications for carbon reduction are perhaps the most important benefit.

K-12 Schools | Aug 1, 2022

Achieving a net-zero K-12 facility is a team effort

Designing a net-zero energy building is always a challenge, but renovating an existing school and applying for grants to make the project happen is another challenge entirely.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category

Mass Timber

Mass timber a big part of Western Washington University’s net-zero ambitions

Western Washington University, in Bellingham, Wash., 90 miles from Seattle, is in the process of expanding its ABET-accredited programs for electrical engineering, computer engineering and science, and energy science. As part of that process, the university is building Kaiser Borsari Hall, the 54,000-sf new home for those academic disciplines that will include teaching labs, research labs, classrooms, collaborative spaces, and administrative offices.




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021