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Innovation District
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Published
April 26, 2023
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4 min
Un nuovo modo di progettare e vivere la città.
A new way of planning and living the city by MCA - R&D Unit
Gli Innovation District rappresentano nuovi modelli urbani che si stanno affermando a livello mondiale. Si tratta di aree geografiche in cui si concentrano e si collegano aziende e organizzazioni all’avanguardia, start-up, incubatori d’impresa e acceleratori che operano e fanno ricerca in diversi settori. Sono luoghi, brani di tessuto urbano fisicamente compatti, accessibili e ben infrastrutturati attraverso un’efficiente rete di trasporti. Offrono una nuova centralità grazie alle loro caratteristiche intrinseche date da una molteplicità di funzioni e spazi, che favoriscono l’interazione e lo scambio.
Tali nuovi modelli di quartiere divengono incubatori di risorse economiche, fisiche e di networking. Quando questi tre pilastri si combinano creano un ecosistema d’innovazione, che si traduce in una relazione sinergica tra persone, aziende e luogo, inteso come la geografia fisica del distretto in grado di facilitare la generazione di idee e accelerare il business dello stesso.
Questi ultimi definiscono tutte quelle caratteristiche che saranno in grado di migliorare la qualità della vita degli utenti, da un punto di vista ambientale, sociale ed economico. Inoltre, vanno a delineare un nuovo modello urbano, secondo principi di efficienza energetica, azione climatica, benessere, comunità e design innovativi, alla luce dei cambiamenti che le nostre città affronteranno.
Per ridurre a zero lo spreco di risorse legato alla progettazione e alla costruzione del masterplan, lo sviluppo di MIND si fonda sui principi di circolarità, secondo un approccio LCA, che tiene in considerazione l’intero ciclo di vita dell’intervento. L’efficienza energetica si estende a scala di edificio e a quella di masterplan, favorendo l’utilizzo di strategie passive atte a ridurre al minimo l’uso di sistemi attivi.
Peculiarità del progetto sono infatti i suoi altissimi standard di sostenibilità: a scala di distretto riceverà la certificazione LEED for Cities and Communities; a scala di edifici, sono stati applicati principi basati sul DFMA – Design For Manufacturing and Assembly -, metodo che consente di controllare e garantire le emissioni di carbonio e di CO2 per l’intero ciclo di vita degli edifici stessi. Inoltre, questi ultimi saranno certificati LEED BD+C e WELL.
Tutti i nuovi spazi sono progettati e concepiti come sistemi resilienti in grado di rispondere ai cambiamenti che nei prossimi anni sconvolgeranno gli attuali scenari. Viene creata quindi una strategia basata sulla mitigazione dei rischi e sulla prevenzione, tramite simulazioni e verifiche ambientali svolte, in linea con gli obiettivi di Lendlease e MCA, seguendo uno scenario di proiezione futura (IPCC RCP 8.5 – 2090).
Nell’ottica dei continui cambiamenti e nuove prospettive di sviluppo delle città, gli Innovation Districts hanno bisogno di caratteristiche identitarie, del giusto equilibrio tra spazi di lavoro e abitativi, spazi pubblici di qualità, servizi e trasporti, elementi che favoriscano l’inclusione e la relazione. Caratteristiche fisiche, i physical assets, che supportino e alimentino la crescita di questo “ecosistema innovativo”.
Nello sviluppo di MIND è stata data particolare importanza alla sinergia di alcuni dei più comuni physical assets con i sustainability pillars, che hanno rappresentato la concretizzazione delle scelte progettuali predisposte in fase iniziale all’interno dello spazio. Essi riguardano sostanzialmente: implementazione del trasporto pubblico, spazi condivisi, aree verdi ed infrastrutture naturali per la lotta ai cambiamenti climatici, creazione di spazi accessibili e del common ground, ovvero il grande spazio urbano, fulcro e comune denominatore di tutto lo sviluppo.
In linea con tale approccio, la componente naturale rappresenta uno dei principi generatori di questo Innovation District, divenendo elemento sia di connessione sia di difesa e mitigazione degli effetti del cambiamento climatico e dell’inquinamento.
Anche la mobilità diventa in tal senso un elemento chiave. Viene ripensato un sistema di spostamento intelligente e sostenibile che consentirà di riconnettersi al contesto e di ottimizzare i flussi all’interno del nuovo sviluppo. Una pianificazione strategica e strutturata che permetterà, massimizzando la pedonalità e l’accessibilità a tutti i servizi nella breve distanza, di minimizzare l’utilizzo di mezzi di spostamento individuale.
La rete di spazi pubblici collega le comunità circostanti al nuovo distretto, garantendone una reale integrazione con lo sviluppo urbano limitrofo. Anche tale accorgimento progettuale segue la volontà di assicurare agli utenti benessere e qualità della vita, elementi che sono risultato di strategie riguardanti non solo gli aspetti ambientali o climatici, ma anche quelli legati al placemaking, cioè a quanto messo in atto – in modo innovativo, chiaro e tangibile – in relazione alla qualità degli spazi creati e alle attività proposte.
È qui che l’architettura, insieme alla ricerca, forniscono una nuova chiave di lettura per concretizzare questo principio e sviluppare un nuovo modello di vivere e progettare la città.
Innovation Districts are new urban models that are establishing themselves across the world: geographical areas where cutting-edge companies and organisations are concentrating and connecting where startups, business incubators, and accelerators are operating and doing research in different sectors. These are actual places: physically compact pieces of urban fabric that are accessible and are well provided with infrastructure thanks to an efficient transport network. They offer a new centrality, thanks to the intrinsic characteristics that are offered by a multiplicity of functions and spaces that favour interaction and exchange.
These new neighbourhood models become incubators of economic, physical, and networking resources: three pillars which when they combine, create an innovation ecosystem that translates into a synergistic relationship between people, companies and place, understood as the physical geography of a district that facilitates the generation of ideas and accelerates its business activity.
From a strategic viewpoint, the aim of the project for the Milan Innovation District is to create a new urban space based on solid principles of sustainability.
Constant research in this field, carried out by MCA’s R&D Unit in synergy with Lendlease, has made it possible to bring to light the sustainability pillars that represent the drivers of change for this new concept of city and which are manifested concretely in the urban space, as the physical assets.
The physical assets define all the characteristics that will have the ability to improve the quality of life of users from an environmental, social, and economic point of view. Furthermore, they delineate a new urban model based on principles of energy efficiency, climate action, wellbeing, community, and innovative design, in light of the changes that our cities will face.
To reduce to zero the waste of resources in the design and construction of the masterplan, the development of MIND is founded on principles of circularity, in accordance with an LCA approach that takes into account the whole lifecycle of the development. Its energy efficiency extends from the scale of the individual building to that of the masterplan, favouring the use of passive energy strategies that minimise the need for active systems.
The particularities of the project are in fact its very high sustainability standards: at the district level it will receive LEED certification for Cities and Communities whilst at the level of the individual buildings, DFMA principles (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) have been applied; this method makes it possible to control and guarantee the carbon and CO2 emissions for the whole life-cycle of the buildings. The buildings will also receive LEED BD+C and WELL certification.
All the new spaces are designed and conceived as resilient systems that will be capable of responding to changes which, in the years to come, will disrupt our current scenarios. A strategy based on risk mitigation and prevention is therefore being created by making simulations and carrying out environmental audits in line with the objectives of Lendlease and MCA, and following a future projection scenario (IPCC RCP 8.5 – 2090).
In view of the continuous changes and new perspectives for the development of cities, Innovation Districts need identifying characteristics, the correct balance between workspaces and housing, high-quality public spaces, services, and transport – elements that promote inclusion and relationship: physical characteristics, physical assets, that support and fuel the growth of this “innovative ecosystem”.
In developing the MIND project, particular importance is given to the synergy between some of the most common physical assets and the sustainability pillars, as a concretisation of the design decisions adopted within the space at the initial stage. In essence, these concern the implementation of public transport; shared spaces; green areas and natural infrastructure for the fight against climate change; and creating accessible spaces and the common ground, a large urban space that is the fulcrum and common denominator for the whole development.
In line with that approach, one of the pillars and principles of this Innovation District is the natural component, which becomes an element both of connection and defence that mitigates against the effects of climate change and pollution.
In that sense, mobility too becomes a key element. A smart and sustainable displacement system has been rethought that will enable people to reconnect to the context and will optimise flows within the new development. This strategic and structured approach to planning maximises pedestrian movement and access to all services within a short distance, minimising the use of personal vehicles.
The network of public spaces connects the surrounding communities to the new district, ensuring real integration with the neighbouring urban development. This design approach also follows the intention to ensure the well-being and quality of life of the users, elements that result from strategies concerning not only the environmental or climate aspects, but that also relate to placemaking, i.e. implemented in an innovative, clear and tangible way in relation to the quality of the spaces created and the activities proposed.
This is where the architecture, along with the research, provides a new interpretative key to concretise this principle and develop a new model for living and designing the city
Innovation Districts are new urban models that are establishing themselves across the world: geographical areas where cutting-edge companies and organisations are concentrating and connecting where startups, business incubators, and accelerators are operating and doing research in different sectors. These are actual places: physically compact pieces of urban fabric that are accessible and are well provided with infrastructure thanks to an efficient transport network. They offer a new centrality, thanks to the intrinsic characteristics that are offered by a multiplicity of functions and spaces that favour interaction and exchange.
These new neighbourhood models become incubators of economic, physical, and networking resources: three pillars which when they combine, create an innovation ecosystem that translates into a synergistic relationship between people, companies and place, understood as the physical geography of a district that facilitates the generation of ideas and accelerates its business activity.
From a strategic viewpoint, the aim of the project for the Milan Innovation District is to create a new urban space based on solid principles of sustainability.
Constant research in this field, carried out by MCA’s R&D Unit in synergy with Lendlease, has made it possible to bring to light the sustainability pillars that represent the drivers of change for this new concept of city and which are manifested concretely in the urban space, as the physical assets.
The physical assets define all the characteristics that will have the ability to improve the quality of life of users from an environmental, social, and economic point of view. Furthermore, they delineate a new urban model based on principles of energy efficiency, climate action, wellbeing, community, and innovative design, in light of the changes that our cities will face.
To reduce to zero the waste of resources in the design and construction of the masterplan, the development of MIND is founded on principles of circularity, in accordance with an LCA approach that takes into account the whole lifecycle of the development. Its energy efficiency extends from the scale of the individual building to that of the masterplan, favouring the use of passive energy strategies that minimise the need for active systems.
The particularities of the project are in fact its very high sustainability standards: at the district level it will receive LEED certification for Cities and Communities whilst at the level of the individual buildings, DFMA principles (Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) have been applied; this method makes it possible to control and guarantee the carbon and CO2 emissions for the whole life-cycle of the buildings. The buildings will also receive LEED BD+C and WELL certification.
All the new spaces are designed and conceived as resilient systems that will be capable of responding to changes which, in the years to come, will disrupt our current scenarios. A strategy based on risk mitigation and prevention is therefore being created by making simulations and carrying out environmental audits in line with the objectives of Lendlease and MCA, and following a future projection scenario (IPCC RCP 8.5 – 2090).
In view of the continuous changes and new perspectives for the development of cities, Innovation Districts need identifying characteristics, the correct balance between workspaces and housing, high-quality public spaces, services, and transport – elements that promote inclusion and relationship: physical characteristics, physical assets, that support and fuel the growth of this “innovative ecosystem”.
In developing the MIND project, particular importance is given to the synergy between some of the most common physical assets and the sustainability pillars, as a concretisation of the design decisions adopted within the space at the initial stage. In essence, these concern the implementation of public transport; shared spaces; green areas and natural infrastructure for the fight against climate change; and creating accessible spaces and the common ground, a large urban space that is the fulcrum and common denominator for the whole development.
In line with that approach, one of the pillars and principles of this Innovation District is the natural component, which becomes an element both of connection and defence that mitigates against the effects of climate change and pollution.
In that sense, mobility too becomes a key element. A smart and sustainable displacement system has been rethought that will enable people to reconnect to the context and will optimise flows within the new development. This strategic and structured approach to planning maximises pedestrian movement and access to all services within a short distance, minimising the use of personal vehicles.
The network of public spaces connects the surrounding communities to the new district, ensuring real integration with the neighbouring urban development. This design approach also follows the intention to ensure the well-being and quality of life of the users, elements that result from strategies concerning not only the environmental or climate aspects, but that also relate to placemaking, i.e. implemented in an innovative, clear and tangible way in relation to the quality of the spaces created and the activities proposed.
This is where the architecture, along with the research, provides a new interpretative key to concretise this principle and develop a new model for living and designing the city
