Vitae – Italy
Under development, delivery expected 2022
Vitae is the innovative mixed-use project winner of Reinventing cities competition, an international call for urban projects driving carbon-neutral and resilient urban regeneration across the world promoted by C40. It’s located in Milan, close to the Prada Foundation and the Covivio Business District Symbiosis in the Porta Romana area, one of the most promising districts under development in the city.
Location
Milan - Italy
Activity
Offices, molecular and oncological research laboratory, retail, guestroom
Certification
LEED Platinum, WELL Gold, BiodiverCity label
Surface area
4,100 m² of offices, 4,000 m² of laboratories and guest rooms (IFOM), 1,100 m² innovative retail format (HORTO), more than 5,000 m² of public space
Innovation
The highest floors of the building in the NZEB category (Near Zero Energy Building) will be made of wood with the aim of reducing energy consumption
Services
Business center and meeting rooms, farm to table restaurant, fitness and wellness space, urban farming, 5G outdoor Wi-Fi
Testimonial
Saverio Panata, partner at Carlo Ratti Associati, innovation and design firm
“Vitae tries to address humankind’s innate ‘biophilia,’ as formulated by the great American biologist Edward O. Wilson. We are talking about the natural tendency of our species to seek our happiness through immersion in nature. Thanks to new technologies, it is now possible to achieve this goal even in the heart of the city – this is particularly relevant in a building that is devoted to scientific research.”
Sustainable approach
Inspired by the principles of biophilic design, the project takes its name from Vitae, a word whose meaning is “life” in Latin and “vine” in Italian. A green path with a vine-covered pergola gently rises along the walls of the building, creating a long promenade for pedestrians. The people who stroll through this green spiral can pass close to a series of terraces and greenhouses for urban farming and hydroponic cultivation.
Collective intelligence
Covivio's Vitae project has CRA, Carlo Ratti Associati - innovation and design firm-, and Habitech, environmental expert, as team leads. The project involves partnerships with a number of top organizations based in Milan and is characterized by an innovative process in the commitment of local players within the architectural development.