Figino / Milan / Italy

We collaborated with GPA Architects and Engineers in this architectural competition. At Figino our challenge was to integrate the existing settlement with a new development without damaging the special character of the place. Arranged in a familiar and intelligible grid pattern, new homes were found across the site in terraces either side of ‘green streets’, set between two higher density areas at the eastern and western end which provided a hub for other services, such as the post office, restaurant, laundry and food stores. This arrangement located the principal public spaces in locations easily accessible by both the new and existing settlement and provided a quieter, central section for the new family homes.

The house type proposed was based on a courtyard concept, which helped to create privacy in a high density development. The internal layout of each home, combined with the design of the terraces, created houses that feel like homes – that are human in scale, each with an easily identifiable front door and terrace or garden for relaxation. We envisaged the development as a ‘lifetime’ home. Internally, open plan layouts provided flexibility for possible future change of use, allowing for a variety of furniture configurations, to respond the evolving needs of families over time.

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