Fo.Ro Living – Piazza dei Navigatori Rome

It is located in an area that has been densely urbanised but is rich in strongly characterising natural elements. From these we drew inspiration to develop a new concept of residential architecture that is firmly integrated with the particular features offered by the natural surroundings in this location, and that aims to identify, in its style, a trace of thematic continuity that makes it a coherent reworking of some salient elements of twentieth-century architecture in Rome.

The arrival from Via Cristoforo Colombo, passing under the canopies of the wonderful avenue of maritime pines (a tree species with strong roots in the collective imagination of Rome and a constant presence in the landscape) was an opportunity for us to develop a building that offers itself as the point of arrival of this “promenade”.

Breaking away from the heavy blockiness and monolithic nature of the neighbouring buildings, the project takes the suggestions it derives from the surrounding landsc[...]ape, and incorporates them into the architecture.

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It is located in an area that has been densely urbanised but is rich in strongly characterising natural elements. From these we drew inspiration to develop a new concept of residential architecture that is firmly integrated with the particular features offered by the natural surroundings in this location, and that aims to identify, in its style, a trace of thematic continuity that makes it a coherent reworking of some salient elements of twentieth-century architecture in Rome.

The arrival from Via Cristoforo Colombo, passing under the canopies of the wonderful avenue of maritime pines (a tree species with strong roots in the collective imagination of Rome and a constant presence in the landscape) was an opportunity for us to develop a building that offers itself as the point of arrival of this “promenade”.

Breaking away from the heavy blockiness and monolithic nature of the neighbouring buildings, the project takes the suggestions it derives from the surrounding landsc[...]ape, and incorporates them into the architecture.

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The building rises to 12 floors above ground and is conceived as an inhabited forest with tree-trunks and branches of different heights that combine to break down the architectural volume into fragments; the chromatic tensions of the extruded terracotta façade elements generate an artefact reminiscent of a bark.

From the earliest stages, the project was oriented towards the use – as far as possible – of dry construction systems, aligning itself with the vision according to which contemporary buildings, in order not to further burden the building heritage, must be partially or completely demountable or readaptable to different uses and functions, all with the least impact on the environment.

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The building rises to 12 floors above ground and is conceived as an inhabited forest with tree-trunks and branches of different heights that combine to break down the architectural volume into fragments; the chromatic tensions of the extruded terracotta façade elements generate an artefact reminiscent of a bark.

From the earliest stages, the project was oriented towards the use – as far as possible – of dry construction systems, aligning itself with the vision according to which contemporary buildings, in order not to further burden the building heritage, must be partially or completely demountable or readaptable to different uses and functions, all with the least impact on the environment.

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Rather than constructing the complex as a group of separate towers whose coexistence would have weakened the unity and strength of the project as a unified whole, and would also have introduced a further problem of different frontages overlooking one another, it was decided to organise the development as a single volume so as to maximize the southern exposure and the views to the north that look towards the centre of Rome.

This continuous block was then further subdivided into smaller parts, so that as many rooms as possible would be on corners with views towards the east and west.

The result is a multifaceted volume that breaks down as it rises, encased within a system of curved terraces that gradually project further and further outwards.

Rather than constructing the complex as a group of separate towers whose coexistence would have weakened the unity and strength of the project as a unified whole, and would also have introduced a further problem of different frontages overlooking one another, it was decided to organise the development as a single volume so as to maximize the southern exposure and the views to the north that look towards the centre of Rome.

This continuous block was then further subdivided into smaller parts, so that as many rooms as possible would be on corners with views towards the east and west.

The result is a multifaceted volume that breaks down as it rises, encased within a system of curved terraces that gradually project further and further outwards.

This allegory of the inhabited forest is made stronger by the way in which the base is configured: whilst the residential accommodation above makes allusions to the bark of a tree, the two bottom floors (containing commercial spaces at the ground floor and a single floor of offices at the first floor) have been designed as a man-made topographical platform, like layers of ground that have stratified at different levels; their rounded corners and straight edges mediate between the alignments of the urban context and the organic nature of the balconies overhead. The whole top floor of the complex consists of large terraces with swimming pools, planted ponds, and 360° views over the surrounding landscape.

This allegory of the inhabited forest is made stronger by the way in which the base is configured: whilst the residential accommodation above makes allusions to the bark of a tree, the two bottom floors (containing commercial spaces at the ground floor and a single floor of offices at the first floor) have been designed as a man-made topographical platform, like layers of ground that have stratified at different levels; their rounded corners and straight edges mediate between the alignments of the urban context and the organic nature of the balconies overhead. The whole top floor of the complex consists of large terraces with swimming pools, planted ponds, and 360° views over the surrounding landscape.

The objective pursued from the initial design phases was to focus on environmental conditions that would guarantee functional and quality living spaces, maximising the contribution of the natural resources present in the context. The proposed strategies also aim to strengthen the relationship between the external and internal environment and contribute to ensuring a high level of comfort for all types of users.

The climate analysis and the study of the context have provided preliminary indications to outline environmental strategies since the development of the concept. In fact, the project aims to achieve a high standard of quality, minimise the impact on the environment and limit the use of active systems, through the definition of a series of passive strategies such as wind permeability, natural lighting, rainwater harvesting and the production of energy from renewable sources on site.

In summer, transparent surfaces are well screened to reduce the penetration of direct sunlight, thus minimising the use of active cooling systems in favour of natural room ventilation. During the winter, solar inputs are maximised to ensure adequate levels of lighting and reduce heating from systems. To achieve the highest possible efficiency, a high-performance envelope has been designed to limit heat loss. In addition, part of the energy needed to power the active systems is directly produced on site through the installation of a photovoltaic system on the roof.

The project achieves an energy class A3 for the residences, with an annual energy consumption of between 0.40 and 0.60 kWh/m2.

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The locations of the entrances, and the way in which the residential block is positioned, are strongly influenced by the configuration of the ground floor as a commercial space.

The main entrance hall on the south side is given emphasis by its double-height architectural volume directly overlooking the plaza. Residents and office workers share this entrance; the lifts and stairs, passing through this iconic space, lead up to the first floor where the circulation routes separate. At this point the common hall, which contains the atrium to the north and the three distribution cores serving the apartments, distributes the office users towards their workplaces and the residents towards the private parts of the building. Roof terraces on top of the two lowest floors have made it possible to create spacious roof gardens where both the residents and the office workers can spend time outdoors.

At levels +8 and +9, where the verticality of the building is interrupted, are covered terraces. In almost every case, except for a shared portion for condominium use, these are for private use and are reserved for the larger apartments at the floors below. The gradual widening of the volume as the building rises also makes it possible to give each floor a different layout, and allows for variety in the sizes and types of the apartments, which can become larger at the upper floors.

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The planting is an integral part of the building and contributes to the definition of its architecture; it is the planted balconies that give quality to the project and the apartments themselves. In continuity with the cladding of the façades, the large planting containers are integrated with openings at the edges of the building and support the ‘railings’ of the balconies; on the one hand these provide a ‘domestic’ element, and on the other they allow for a wide view of the surroundings. The conical/circular shape of the balconies gives them a cosy, introspective atmosphere whilst the panels on the parapets, which are more closely spaced to the sides and more widely spaced at the centre, serve to mitigate the introspectiveness and give unobstructed views of the panorama.