Energy landscape

20 Jan Energy landscape

Posted at 17:02h in by patriziapozzi 0 Comments

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“Headquarter Vodafone Italia”, the new Vodafone Italia headquarters, when we started the architectural project, was located in a mainly tertiary urban fabric, very fixed and surrounded by high and dense buildings.

The masterplan: before and after

The architectural project was developed through organic and dynamic forms determining small and fragmented external areas, but above all, in many areas, it had not considered the soil substrates necessary to insert the green surfaces. In addition, numerous pedestrian paths and a dense road network were distributed around the buildings.

We turned the constraint into an opportunity: the whole tree planting had to be chosen using low maintenance and low water consumption species. The materials used for the flooring also had to be certified. It was essential not to lose the overview to restore a unified and elegant landscape.

Concept

eliminate the turf because it is one of the most used but less sustainable plant elements
focus on a single botanical species with performance that would give the possibility to work on more heights and for this reason we chose bamboo

Current status

The 9000sqm intervention presented two challenges:
- creating gardens on the roofs of buildings or underground car parks
- comply with the standards of quality and energy sustainability set by the international L.E.E.D. certification.

For the landscape project we tried to resume the dynamic forms and organicity of the architectural design.

The varieties of Bamboo

The landscape project at this point is developed on 4 main themes. The first of these is the insertion of “Bamboo Waves” both to create vegetal scenes with a particular chromatism and posture and to hide some views towards the neighbouring buildings of little value.
The bamboo needs a shrewdness: each species must be separated from the other by the insertion of a polypropylene sheet at least 80cm high and, being on the slab, it was appropriate to use lightened soil.

The forest in the central square

The second theme is a real “Woods in the central square” on a slab, then in elevation, which houses tall Prunus and Liriodendro tulipifera trees immersed in an undergrowth of ferns and flower bulbaceae. The central passage cuts the wood in two hemispheres, and inside it surprises with water games.

To make the square in elevation we had to work with volcanic lapillus to avoid overloading the slab and to be able to use Liriodendri already 16 meters high.

The third theme is the rose garden wanted by the client: a cosy place accessible from the central square to welcome visitors and allow employees to have a relaxing area.

The rose garden

The rose garden is divided into organic green wings with giant bamboo, falling roses and Prunus. The various treatment zones are delimited by steel-coloured curved sheets which also act as a compartment for the bamboo.

The essences used are few: a Carex green carpet of Carex laid on only 15 cm of ground by the slab and strawberry tree waves that mitigate the external units of the air conditioning systems, skylights and support structures of the photovoltaic panels.

The photovoltaic garden

The fourth theme is the photovoltaic garden that was born from the need to have a place to receive guests and hold small events. The project always develops on slab and with organic forms like the rest of the landscape.

Final result

The LEED certification was obtained and we were the first in Italy, the center is open to the public and continues to maintain the initial vision of lightness and hospitality.