Ecology and design: a residential complex in the Bergamo hills

Set in a hilly area between the city of Bergamo and the Albano Valley, the Parco dei Gelsi residential complex consists of nine residential units that rest on and support the land, grouped together in a single compact building, but distinguished by different morphologically recognizable volumes. The thought behind the project is based on the search for harmony and balance between man and the environment and is expressed through the settlement-morphological principle of architecture, the typological variation of the dwellings and the choice of construction techniques and building materials.

Each body of the building is divided vertically so as to house two dwellings facing uphill and downhill respectively, each oriented and open according to bioclimatic principles and passive systems. The foliage of the deciduous trees provides shade and natural cooling during the hottest months and protects the inhabitants' privacy. The different types of accommodation - some larger and brighter, others more intimate and sheltered, but all with their own gardens - have the advantage of combining homes suitable for the elderly, young couples and families, encouraging in this way a social and relational dimension to the housing project.

While the construction of the basement floor for garages and technical rooms is based on traditional technologies favouring the use of reinforced concrete, the above-ground floors are characterized by the use of wood both in the assemled dry, load-bearing structure and in the external cladding. Facades with plastered cladding alternate with others covered with ventilated walls in larch staves or zinc-titanium sheet metal. In addition to this there is a skilful compositional play of overhangs and recesses, screens and openings, textures and material textures which enrich their architecture. 

Aware that a construction project is not sustainable if it involves subtracting more resources and consuming more energy than it can produce, the architects use technological systems with high quality standards to maintain thermal-hygrometric comfort and save energy in the residential complex.