A few steps from Parco Sempione, the green heart of the city of Milan, LPzR architects have designed a new “nearly zero energy” (nZEB) residential building, with innovative technological solutions and a swimming pool on the roof.

“Urban stitching” is the concept. The architects wanted to design a new link between two extremely heterogeneous buildings: a three-storey school complex from the 1800s, and an eight-story residential building from the 1960s. The new volumes align carefully with the adjacent buildings, to fit morphologically into the pre-existing architectures. The compositional language, on the other hand, is admittedly contemporary, even if there are references to traditional architectural elements.

LND11 façades are distinguished by the abstract composition of geometric white frames, which are inspired by historic buildings. The use of metal frames in relief, around the white panels, generates a play of chiaroscuro: the facades take on depth and are changeable at different times of the day.

A jutting volume is placed on the top; it is distinguished by sharp geometries, covered with a composite aluminum casing. A diagonal cut reveals the wooden core: here the warm, natural material, is in contrast with the reflections of the glass and metal that surround it.

On the roof terrace there is a linear pool, overlooking the rooftops of the historic center of Milan.

After the award-winning K19, selected by Expocomfort among the best 11 nZEBs in the world, LND11 is the new “Nearly Zero Energy Building” by LPzR, thanks to the adoption of the most advanced technologies to preserve non-renewable energies. The obsessive study of all the construction details to avoid thermal dispersion and to maintain insulation continuity in every construction node, coupled with the latest plant generation, has led to a building in which architecture and technology perfectly combine. The adopted solutions include a highly efficient controlled mechanical ventilation system, which guarantees healthiness without heat loss, and the photovoltaic panels combined with minimum consumption LED lights, managed by a sophisticated home automation system.