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Listen to OPEN 336 podcast and discover how a sustainable and redesigned space blends with a new way of living the neighbourhood!
OPEN 336 [ENG]
OPEN 336 [ENG]
14 SEP 2022 · OPEN 336 I THE BUILDING AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Speaker: History, community and sustainability. The inception of the building at Viale Sarca 336 was fuelled by those three words. We are in the Bicocca district of Milan, which, since the early twentieth century, has been the heart of Lombard industry — the so-called "engine of Italy" —, home to the factories of Pirelli, Ansaldo, Breda and others. In the 80s, after the big industrial factories were abandoned, an innovative new project began to take shape, thanks to the vision of the Gregotti architectural studio. Here to talk about it is architect Valeria Falcone, Head of Value Add Investing Europe at Barings.
VF: At Barings, we have believed strongly in the idea of investing in a property in this area. So, we couldn’t ignore such a characteristic urban fabric. Bicocca is one of the most successful examples of urban regeneration. A neighbourhood with a strong personality where one finds an absolutely unique mix of offices — mostly active in the technology sector — residential and green zones, areas for shopping and aggregation, as well as places of culture — like the Hangar Bicocca, the Arcimboldi Theatre and the university of Milan — all perfectly connected, thanks to the infrastructure, with the city centre and beyond.
Speaker: But in the urban composition of this neighbourhood, there was a wound — a parcel of vacant land that had not yet been assigned a purpose. And it was there that the Open 336 building was built, which continues and integrates Gregotti's larger project.
VF: That is true. We wanted the building to be in dialogue at all levels with the identity of the context, with the intention of it being a bridge between history and contemporaneity. We pushed hard for technology and innovation in the service of sustainability and usability.
Speaker: At the heart of the project is man, both as an individual and as a community. In addition to fostering the wellbeing of those working inside, the building is also concerned with the impact that the architectural project will have on the external environment.
VF: That's why the conception of the building started from a holistic approach to sustainability issues. The precondition was to compensate the community for the occupation of the land by erecting a building with the least possible impact, at all stages — from its construction to its future maintenance. And the implementation of innovative technology was a cornerstone in this respect. We also wanted the building to be one of the tools through which the companies that occupy it can pursue their "carbon zero" and "carbon neutrality" goals.
Speaker: All of this is synonymous with responsible investment. To experience the Open 336 spaces is to look at a much broader horizon that embraces history and innovation but also attention to the environment and to the community. It means working for a future that is already here.
14 SEP 2022 · OPEN 336 THE ARCHITECTURE
Speaker: The design of Open 336 started with a respectful site analysis of the unique Bicocca neighbourhood, where the future building would rise. Here’s architect Michele Rossi to talk about it. He’s a partner and co-founder of the Park Associati studio.
MR: Yes, first and foremost we were inspired by the chromatic and material features of the surrounding buildings: in the Bicocca area there is a strong presence of brick red and of the dark colour of iron. For Open 336 we choose Glassfibre Reinforced Concrete (GRC) as main façade material because we believe is perfectly in line with the idea of a contemporary version of the industrial history of the area.
The recycled cements of which it is composed give this material an artisan feel and look. Quite like terracotta tiles, each element has slight differences and nuances compared to the others, such as to give rough and vibrant surfaces to the facades.
Another typical feature makes the industrial buildings of the district stand out: the large and free interior volumes thanks to the supporting structures along the perimeter. The design of Open 336 reflects this configuration in spaces that are perfectly adaptable to the needs of the companies that will occupy them, because they lack structural elements in the middle.
However, unlike factories — which are almost sealed off from the outside — the building is meant to be an open structure. Here we worked conversely to suggest a new concept of office work, so that the property could live not as an industrial space but as a workshop of experiences and ideas!
Speaker: The dialogue with the neighbourhood, described in podcast 1, is also expressed in the completely glazed facades and the large, transparent and luminous hall, with a projecting roof that creates a covered outdoor space for collective use. A good preview of the indoor environment quality.
MR: It was essential to offer a variety of very different spaces according to the different needs of a contemporary office, but also to serve the well-being of the workers. Among these spaces the terraces with trees are very important. If in the past terraces were reserved exclusively for the offices of top managers, or even labelled as a waste of space, today instead, every floor should have one — just as Open 336 has! It is not only an opening to the outside to allow relaxation and aggregation but also a proper workplace for everyone.
This new use of architectural elements suggests a paradigm shift in the world of work— a new and modern approach to management and a new and modern way of "doing business".
21 SEP 2022 · Open 336 I THE TREE OF THE FUTURE
Speaker: Would you believe it if we told you that Open 336, breathes? And not only the building: thanks to its "lungs" it guarantees excellent air quality for everyone in the building, with positive outcomes also for the community!
The eco-friendly building was designed rigorously following values of respect for the environment and sustainability.
The integrated technological apparatus in particular contributes to these objectives. But let's hear about it from engineer Alessandro Belloni, CEO of the Fervo Group.
AB: One of the most innovative devices adopted is the Eco2Air® filter, developed by the Fervo Group in recent years.
How does it work? It is an air-handling system capable of capturing and storing much of the carbon dioxide present in the external atmosphere and then injecting cleaner, oxygen-rich air into the building.
The filter functions as a sponge, made of organic and biodegradable material, including coffee grounds, able to operate for at least 600 hours. That means about one change of filter a month. Once saturated, the filter can be emptied of the accumulated carbon dioxide, recycled and used again safely for up to seven years. However, the collected CO2 is not released back into the environment, polluting once again. It is instead recovered and used for different purposes, thus becoming a new resource.
Speaker: Buildings have been constructed on sustainability principles for years, and yet something was still missing. Let's imagine the building as a tree: if the foundations represent the roots and the structure the bark, the Eco2Air® filter finally constitutes the leaves.
AB: That’s an excellent visual comparison!
Consider that 10 kilo of filter material in a continuous cycle has the capacity to absorb 10 to 15 times more CO2 than, say, a magnolia or a pine.
But there's more: all the elements of the air treatment plant are connected remotely to a platform called FEAMS which, through sensors, continuously checks the health of the building including energy consumption and environmental sustainability.
FEAMS reads all the parameters of the system and the environment in real time, reporting not only any anomalies, but even predicting service interventions thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms.
Speaker: On the other hand, prevention is better than cure! Acting at the right time can help maintain or even increase the value of the asset. The use of such technology has a positive influence on many aspects: it reduces the total cost of running the building, and also shows a tangible result on the decarbonization curve by offsetting the CO2 debt that the construction of the building and its lifetime inevitably accumulate over time. That’s why Open 336 is resilient and prepared for the future — a truly “smart” building!
21 SEP 2022 · OPEN 336 I SUSTAINABILITY AND WELL-BEING
Speaker: If Open 336 were an athlete, it would have medals to show! The building was in fact designed to be a true champion of sustainability all round, following the standards of the international reference protocol — the most widely used in the world — called LEED, at the platinum level, the highest possible.
Here to talk about it, engineer and architect Francesca Galati Bolognesi, founder and CEO of FGB Studio.
FGB: To achieve this goal, rigorous planning and construction strategies were adopted, with an eye also on the future phase of management. To obtain the LEED certification, it is important to ensure that the work of the construction site is managed in such a way that everything taking place inside the site has no impact on the neighboring areas. Therefore, dust leakage, waste management and attention to air quality during the construction works, had to be controlled. To realize a sustainable building, the choice was made to use materials from controlled renewable resources, such as wood, or with a high recycled content, such as concrete, ceramics, some rock wool and GRC.
GRC, used for outdoor applications, is a composite material containing a high percentage of recycled cement from demolitions, supporting the circularity. The advantages of this material are numerous even from a technical point of view: high resistance and durability, such that it also extends the life of the buildings, as well as ease and speed in prefabrication and assembly.
A multiplicity of materials has been used in the building to contribute to reducing the carbon footprint, and more low emitting chemical products, for example — such as paints, sealants, insulators and plasters — as well as floors and plasterboards et cetera.
None of these materials releases pollutants and toxicants into the indoor environment, that is, VOC volatile organic compounds, thereby helping to ensure that the air is healthy.
Speaker: These are all initiatives that bring back human well-being to the forefront. Well-being itself can be measured with the WELL international certification. In this respect too, Open 336 is exemplary, and gold-level certificate assured.
FGB: Monitoring sensors located in the building and connected to an App, measure the air quality parameters of temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, VOCs and particulate pollutants. Should any value deviate from the reference scale, an alarm will be sent to the facility’s team to make appropriate adjustments quickly. Furthermore, the WELL certification also evaluates the implementation of strategies with a positive impact on the daily lives of the employees, from the use of different types of desks to the quality of lighting, from provisions for alternative transportation — such as electric cars and car pooling — to the incentive for positive behavior for complete good health and well-being — such as preferring the stairs instead of always using the lift, drinking a lot of water, choosing the right nutrients for meals and learning stress management techniques.
Speaker: Care for the environment and for humanity: this is Open 336!
21 SEP 2022 · OPEN 336 I AN IDEAL DAY
Milan, Viale Sarca 336, 7.30 in the morning.
"I'm going to the office today, but I'll be picking up two of my colleagues first. I must admit that car-pooling is really practical.
Working from home is fine, but when I come here, I'm more focused. In September it's still hot in Milan, but fortunately both the air quality and the temperature are optimal everywhere in the building. Aaaah, bliss! Ever since I first crossed it, I've been impressed by the openness and lightness of the hall: it is one of the liveliest places in the whole building. There are always so many people here. Come on, today I’ll take the stairs, a few steps can only do me good and with this spectacle of flowering plants one is even more encouraged to walk up! The office is still empty. I like the tranquillity of these early hours of the day. The light that comes in through the windows always charges me.
But look down there in the street — there's already a lot of life around here: students, neighborhood residents, workers.
In the meantime, everyone has arrived, and some colleagues have joined us online: first meeting of the morning, let’s do it!
I'd say I deserve a coffee break on the terrace with my colleagues. And a bit of greenery...ah, so relaxing! It's nice to chat about something other than work: fortunately, we have lots of spaces where we can meet. You know what? I'm going to stay a little longer here on the terrace replying to emails.
The open space is so convenient right? It allows me to discuss things with all my colleagues quickly. I don't have my own desk, but really, I don't need one, and it's super practical to put your laptop anywhere in the office and get up and running straight away. I can even choose whether to work sitting or standing. If I'm in a hurry, I'll lean for a moment at one of the higher standing desks.
I love doing everything with this agility. My company has fully embraced the values of those who imagined and built this building, both for the attention to environmental sustainability and for adapting to a new conception of work: “...and also because we want to attract the new talent of today!” they told me when I was hired. So, here I am! Flexibility is the key word, so I work to meet targets, but I don't sacrifice my private life.
Speaking of which, after lunch, my sister is stopping by for a coffee: I can't wait to show her where I work! I have to go to the city centre to meet a client, so I’ll take the subway to get there quickly. I’ll come back just to have a word with my boss since he's in the office today and then I'm out of there.
Maybe it sounds silly, but I get the impression that the building has worked with me, that it's given me a hand in dealing with the day-to-day challenges of the day. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a living organism.
At 4 o’clock I arranged with a friend who teaches at the university faculty next door, to go to the new exhibition at Hangar Bicocca, then we’ll have dinner at a small restaurant that has opened nearby. What if I surprise him? Ye, why not. I'll get tickets to the show at the ArcimboIdi Theatre. Maybe we can go together. Back at it tomorrow… and no two days are alike here!"
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