Innovation and sustainability for the new Fastweb Headquarters in Milan

Inaugurated on September 2018 in Milan’s Ripamonti neighbourhood, the Symbiosis business district stands out for its relaxed, hyper-technological and eco-sustainable atmosphere with LED-lit walkways, shared electric transport vehicles, trees and water pools. The Symbiosis project is part of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme involving the cities of Lisbon, London and Milan.
The centrepiece of the project is the large square built by Beni Stabili and equipped with a range of technological features, including constant Wi-Fi connections, smartphone and tablet charging stations, benches with multimedia connections and self-driving public transport. The space will also include trees, water pools, an urban wood and a ruderal garden with herbaceous plants and spontaneous vegetation.
Presenting the project, Beni Stabili explained that “the district aims to lay the foundations for sustainable building and urban planning and to reunite the area’s urban territory by creating an innovative business district model”.
Perfectly integrated into the Symbiosis project, the new Fastweb Headquarters is equally focused on cutting-edge technologies and the concept of exchange, facilitated by the presence of numerous open spaces. Like other buildings in the business district, the complex strengthens the links between work and the city, between the role of a large company and the energy that its community can inject into the surrounding environment. Designed by the architecture firm ACPV, Antonio Citterio and Patricia Viel, the 19,000 square metre building aims to obtain Gold LEED Core & Shell certification, Brave AAA certification and energy class A (CENED) and develops the Smart Working concept combining cutting-edge design with innovative construction. The interior spaces have been completely reorganised to cut operating costs while optimising the use of surfaces. Modular, informal and open to the outside world, they are designed to facilitate collaboration, teamwork and the exchange of ideas.
Externally, the complex is characterised by the irregular design of the fully mirror-glazed main façade, echoed by the lateral and courtyard interior elevations which stand out for the geometric rigour of the doors and windows and the ceramic cladding.
The architects chose ceramic surfaces from Cotto d’Este to clad the exterior facades of the building, particularly the colour Argerot from the Cluny Kerlite 3Plus collection in a thickness of 3.5 mm.
The Cluny collection recreates the intense mineral surface of Borgogna stone, its matt finish, textured feel and delicate satin effect generating a sensation of softness and warmth. It is a highly sustainable material thanks to the reduced use of raw materials and a lower environmental footprint in the production cycle and transport. Light, flat, flexible and simple to use, install and clean, the large Kerlite panels have a reinforced fibreglass backing that combines extremely low weight, large size and very small thickness with exceptional strength, making them ideal for ambitious architectural projects.