Milano Housing
Milano, Italy
The spontaneous wildlife that had already invaded the abandoned industrial buildings on the site is the inspiration behind the green strategy that was adopted. The building has an urban front and a core block organized around the central courtyard. The wild plants penetrate vertically from the urban area towards the socialization and distribution spaces. The collective part of the central garden is organized with a spontaneous nature overlooked by the private gardens of the houses. A collective steel structure crisscrossed by climbing greens allows to create a filtered microcosm cut off from the urban spaces.
The distribution alternates between two systems: the use of autonomous balconies located away from the facade offers circulation without invading the private spaces and the central distribution corridors contributes to the lighting of the accommodation while allowing a diversity of access. The distribution’s mix permits the concentration of the vertical connections transforming them into collective, social spaces and vertical green elements.
At the garden level, the access to the two-storey houses is located right in the flowery courtyard. These apartments / houses benefit from the green oasis, the collective life of the central garden and also have a private outdoor garden which overlooks the entrance.
On the urban front, the building’s envelope communicates with the public spaces of the new neighborhood. A ventilated wall cladding with recycled aluminum panels offers efficiency and compositional simplicity that characterizes the entire building. The openings cut vertically are equipped with sliding panels which function as both complete insulation and shielding for light.
