--- slug: rogoredo title: ROGO/RE-DO! — Sustainable urban regeneration in Rogoredo, Milan hero_subtitle: A masterplan to transform a derelict site in south Milan into a people-friendly neighbourhood, where soft mobility is prevalent, green spaces permeate every corner, and timber-built residential towers define a new model of urban living. year: "2021" location: Milan, Rogoredo typology: Urban regeneration vertical_primary: Sustainable Design vertical_primary_slug: sustainable-design badge_raw: 2021 · Milan, Rogoredo · Urban regeneration · Sustainable design · Public & Commercial Architecture scheda: Location: Rogoredo, Milan, Italy Year: "2021" Client: Competition – project proposal Typology: Urban regeneration masterplan — housing, amenities, public spaces Status: Concept Designers: Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella Awards: Golden Trezzini Awards — Special Mention (2021) Main materials: Glued laminated timber (glulam) (structure), XLAM panels (floors), natural materials for insulation, Yakisugi charred timber (cladding) images: - filename: rogoredo-birds-eye-view-masterplan.jpg alt: "ROGO/RE-DO Project Manifesto: Regeneration of Rogoredo" caption: "The project’s manifesto: urban regeneration starts with lifestyle, not buildings — soft mobility, green spaces, and functional mixité." - filename: rogoredo-boulevard-alto.jpg alt: Rogoredo masterplan with green boulevard caption: The masterplan layout, with the green boulevard serving as the backbone of soft mobility and amenities distributed along the pedestrian and cycling network. - filename: rogoredo-urbanity.jpg alt: "Rogoredo Urbanity Diagram: Functional Mixité" caption: The functional diagram shows the layout of residential buildings, amenities, equipped green spaces and car parks, with vehicular mobility located at the edge of the site. - filename: rogoredo-via-toffetti.jpg alt: New section of Via Toffetti with cycle lanes caption: The new section of Via Toffetti, featuring a narrower carriageway and two-way cycle lanes leading towards Rogoredo station, is known as Parco di Porto di Mare. - filename: rogoredo-library-corner.jpg alt: An urban high street featuring craft workshops and a café caption: "The urban hub on Via Toffetti, featuring craft workshops, exhibition spaces and a café: local production as a driving force for urban regeneration." - filename: rogoredo-co-housing.jpg alt: "Rogoredo Co-housing: Shared Living" caption: "The co-housing model: shared living spaces and communal facilities for new forms of urban living." - filename: rogoredo-living-01.jpg alt: Rogoredo Neighbourhood Library – Reading Area caption: "The neighbourhood library and media centre on the ground floor: a facility open to residents and university students, overlooking the boulevard." - filename: rogoredo-living-02.jpg alt: Co-housing interiors with shared spaces in Rogoredo caption: "The shared spaces in the co-housing complex: a study area, communal kitchen, gym and laundry room, spread across two floors of communal facilities." - filename: rogoredo-living-03.jpg alt: Interior of a timber residential tower flat caption: "Interior of a typical flat in the timber residential towers: a south-facing living area with plenty of natural light." - filename: rogoredo-living-04.jpg alt: Living room with a timber loggia and sunshades caption: "The living room with a wooden loggia and sunshades: the structure of the towers, made of glued laminated timber (glulam) and XLAM, is visible as a feature of architectural quality." - filename: rogoredo-public-private-01.jpg alt: Balcony with a view of Freccia Park caption: "View from the balcony towards Parco Freccia: the new nature reserve to the north is intended to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the neighbouring brownfield sites." - filename: rogoredo-public-private-02.jpg alt: Detail of the Yakisugi burnt timber facade of the tower caption: "Detail of the facade clad in timber charred using the Yakisugi technique: the surface charring extends the cladding’s lifespan without the need for maintenance." faq_count: 7 related_slugs: - polymnia-futura - scuola-papa-giovanni-xxiii cta: title: Are you considering an urban regeneration project or a neighbourhood-scale residential development? body: If your project requires an integrated approach — urban planning, sustainable architecture, and functional and social mixité — we can offer expertise in bioclimatic design, knowledge of natural materials, and an urban vision focused on the quality of daily life. button: Let’s talk about your project microcopy: "[Let’s talk about your project]" hero_image: rogoredo-via-toffetti.jpg gallery_renders: - filename: rogoredo-birds-eye-view-masterplan.jpg alt: "ROGO/RE-DO Project Manifesto: Regeneration of Rogoredo" caption: "The project’s manifesto: urban regeneration starts with lifestyle, not buildings — soft mobility, green spaces, and functional mixité." - filename: rogoredo-boulevard-alto.jpg alt: Rogoredo masterplan with green boulevard caption: The masterplan layout, with the green boulevard serving as the backbone of soft mobility and amenities distributed along the pedestrian and cycling network. - filename: rogoredo-via-toffetti.jpg alt: New section of Via Toffetti with cycle lanes caption: The new section of Via Toffetti, featuring a narrower carriageway and two-way cycle lanes leading towards Rogoredo station, is known as Parco di Porto di Mare. - filename: rogoredo-library-corner.jpg alt: An urban high street featuring craft workshops and a café caption: "The urban hub on Via Toffetti, featuring craft workshops, exhibition spaces and a café: local production as a driving force for urban regeneration." - filename: rogoredo-co-housing.jpg alt: "Rogoredo Co-housing: Shared Living" caption: "The co-housing model: shared living spaces and communal facilities for new forms of urban living." gallery_drawings: - filename: rogoredo-urbanity.jpg alt: "Rogoredo Urbanity Diagram: Functional Mixité" caption: The functional diagram shows the layout of residential buildings, amenities, equipped green spaces and car parks, with vehicular mobility located at the edge of the site. - filename: rogoredo-public-private-01.jpg alt: Balcony with a view of Freccia Park caption: "View from the balcony towards Parco Freccia: the new nature reserve to the north is intended to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the neighbouring brownfield sites." - filename: rogoredo-urban-strategy-diagram-part-01.jpg alt: Rogoredo urban strategy diagram – frontage and articulation caption: "The development of the urban strategy: from the linear urban front with green barrier (top) to the volumetric articulation with towers oriented to optimise solar exposure and public spaces (bottom), with cardinal orientations indicated." - filename: rogoredo-urban-strategy-diagram-part-02.jpg alt: Rogoredo solar optimisation and mixité diagram caption: "The completion of the strategy: optimisation of solar exposure with oriented volumes and varied heights (top), and functional and social mixité with 6 housing typologies — open-market, controlled-rent, student, co-living, co-housing and subsidised housing (bottom)." - filename: rogoredo-living-04.jpg alt: Living room with a timber loggia and sunshades caption: "The living room with a wooden loggia and sunshades: the structure of the towers, made of glued laminated timber (glulam) and XLAM, is visible as a feature of architectural quality." - filename: rogoredo-living-01.jpg alt: Rogoredo Neighbourhood Library – Reading Area caption: "The neighbourhood library and media centre on the ground floor: a facility open to residents and university students, overlooking the boulevard." - filename: rogoredo-living-02.jpg alt: Co-housing interiors with shared spaces in Rogoredo caption: "The shared spaces in the co-housing complex: a study area, communal kitchen, gym and laundry room, spread across two floors of communal facilities." - filename: rogoredo-living-03.jpg alt: Interior of a timber residential tower flat caption: "Interior of a typical flat in the timber residential towers: a south-facing living area with plenty of natural light." --- # ROGO/RE-DO! — Sustainable urban regeneration in Rogoredo, Milan _A masterplan to transform a derelict area in south Milan into a people-friendly neighbourhood, where soft mobility is prevalent, greenery permeates every space and wooden residential towers define a new model of urban living._ **2021 · Milan, Rogoredo · Urban Regeneration · Sustainable Design · Public & Commercial Architecture** --- ## Rebuilding Rogoredo starting with lifestyle Rogoredo, on the south-eastern outskirts of Milan, is a neighbourhood marked by its proximity to the railway tracks, the traffic on Via Toffetti and a perception of urban marginalisation that has shaped its development. The ROGO/RE-DO! project stems from a firm conviction: urban regeneration is not achieved through buildings but through the lifestyle of its inhabitants. Even before designing the residential buildings, Barberio Colella Architetti planned how people would move about, meet and experience the open space. The result is a masterplan in which greenery, soft mobility and functional mixité are the load‑bearing structures, and the architecture is the consequence. The heart of the project is the green boulevard: a large tree-lined pedestrian and cycling network, running parallel to Via Toffetti, which becomes the backbone of the neighbourhood’s soft mobility network. Surrounding the boulevard are a new public square — a meeting place for residents of all ages — equipped green spaces with fitness, play and rest areas, cycle paths leading towards Rogoredo station and the future Porto di Mare Park, and Parco Freccia, a new natural space to the north. A green barrier of tall trees mitigates the visual and acoustic impact of the railway tracks. Vehicular mobility is pushed to the edges of the area: car parks are located on Via Toffetti or underground beneath the park, and internal roads have speed limits. The aim is for residents to walk through the neighbourhood every day. Six wooden residential towers rise above continuous urban facades dedicated to amenities. The load‑bearing structure is made of glued laminated timber (glulam) with XLAM panel floors, a building envelope with external insulation using natural materials, and an external cladding of burnt wood using the Japanese Yakisugi technique, which extends its lifespan through the carbonisation of the surface layer. The homes are designed according to bioclimatic principles: south-facing living areas, north-facing façades with few openings and greater opacity to reduce heat loss. The ground floor houses neighbourhood amenities — a library, medical centre, café, post office and nursery school — which bring the pedestrian and cycling network to life and encourage community life. Typologies include co-housing with shared facilities across two floors, 36-square-metre student residences with a canteen and laundry, and ground-floor flats with private gardens for the elderly or people with reduced mobility. The ROGO/RE-DO! project received a Special Mention at the 2021 Golden Trezzini Awards, an international award promoted by the State Museum of St Petersburg. The masterplan also includes four two-storey craft workshops with exhibition spaces on Via Toffetti, to integrate craft production into the urban fabric. The project demonstrates that the regeneration of a suburb does not require dramatic architectural gestures, but rather a thoughtful urban design that prioritises the quality of life: clean air, quiet, green spaces, services within walking distance, and a sense of community born from shared spaces. --- ## Image gallery ![ROGO/RE-DO Rogoredo regeneration project manifesto](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-birds-eye-view-masterplan.jpg) *The project manifesto: urban regeneration starts with lifestyle, not buildings — soft mobility, green spaces, functional mixité.* ![Rogoredo masterplan outline with green boulevard](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-boulevard-alto.jpg) *The masterplan outline with the green boulevard as the backbone of soft mobility and services distributed along the pedestrian and cycling network.* *The masterplan diagram with the Green Boulevard as the backbone of soft mobility and services distributed along the pedestrian and cycling network.* *The bioclimatic strategies for the residential towers: optimised solar exposure, opaque north-facing façades, building envelope in natural materials.* ![Rogoredo urbanity diagram: functional mixité](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-urbanity.jpg) *The functional diagram shows the distribution of housing, amenities, equipped green spaces and car parks, with vehicular mobility confined to the edges of the area.* ![New section of Via Toffetti with cycle lanes](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-via-toffetti.jpg) *The new section of Via Toffetti, featuring a reduced carriageway and two-way cycle lanes towards Rogoredo station, is the Porto di Mare Park.* *The new public square at the heart of the neighbourhood: amenities on the ground floor, residential units above, a space for intergenerational interaction.* ![Urban frontage with craft workshops and a café](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-library-corner.jpg) *The urban frontage on Via Toffetti with craft workshops, exhibition spaces and a café: local production as a driver of urban regeneration.* ![Rogoredo co-housing: shared living](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-co-housing.jpg) *The co-housing model: shared domestic spaces and shared spaces for new forms of urban living.* ![Rogoredo neighbourhood library: reading space](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-living-01.jpg) *The neighbourhood library and media centre on the ground floor: a service open to residents and university students, overlooking the boulevard.* ![Rogoredo co-housing interiors with shared spaces](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-living-02.jpg) *The co-housing shared spaces: study area, communal kitchen, gym and laundry room spread across two floors of communal facilities.* ![Interior of a typical flat in a timber residential tower](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-living-03.jpg) *Interior of a typical flat in the timber residential towers: south-facing living area with maximum natural light.* *The bedroom overlooking equipped green spaces: the quality of living stems from the direct relationship between interior spaces and the urban landscape.* ![Living room with wooden loggia and sunshades](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-living-04.jpg) *The living room with wooden loggia and sunshades: the structure of the towers in glued laminated timber (glulam) and XLAM is visible as an element of architectural quality.* ![Residential balcony overlooking Parco Freccia](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-public-private-01.jpg) *View from the balcony towards Parco Freccia: the new natural space to the north is designed to act as a catalyst for the conversion of the neighbouring brownfield sites.* ![Detail of the Yakisugi burnt timber facade of the tower](images/rogoredo/rogoredo-public-private-02.jpg) *Detail of the Yakisugi burnt timber facade: the surface carbonisation extends the useful life of the cladding without the need for maintenance.* *Overall view of the masterplan: six timber towers on urban service fronts, the green boulevard and the green barrier towards the railway tracks.* --- ## Technical details - **Location:** Rogoredo, Milan, Italy - **Year:** 2021 - **Client:** Competition – design proposal - **Typology:** Urban regeneration masterplan — housing, amenities, public spaces - **Status:** Concept - **Designers:** Maurizio Barberio, Micaela Colella - **Awards:** Golden Trezzini Awards — Special Mention (2021) - **BCA Vertical:** Sustainable Design (primary) · Public & Commercial Architecture (secondary) - **Main materials:** Glued laminated timber (glulam) (structure), XLAM panels (floors), natural materials for insulation, Yakisugi charred timber (cladding) --- ## How can a suburb be regenerated without erasing its identity and without creating a dormitory town? The urban regeneration of Italian suburbs oscillates between two extremes: purely property-driven development, which builds homes without amenities or public spaces, and the ‘manifesto project’, which designs iconic architecture but does not change the daily life of residents. In Rogoredo, the problem was clear: an area marked by its proximity to the railway tracks, traffic on Via Toffetti and a fragmented social fabric. ROGO/RE-DO! does not propose ‘spectacular’ buildings but an urban design that focuses on the quality of life: soft mobility, services within walking distance, functional social mixité, and green spaces as primary infrastructure. Regeneration starts with how people move and interact, not with how buildings look. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Why build residential towers in timber rather than concrete? Glued laminated timber (glulam) and XLAM panels offer measurable advantages over reinforced concrete (RC) in a project of this scale. Timber is a renewable material that stores carbon throughout the building’s lifetime: every cubic metre of structural timber removes around one tonne of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Factory prefabrication reduces on-site construction time by 30–50% compared to in-situ concrete, with less noise, dust and waste in an urban context that is densely populated. The seismic performance of timber is excellent thanks to its lightness and the ductility of the joints. The burnt timber cladding using the Yakisugi technique protects the timber from the elements without the need for chemical treatments, reducing maintenance costs. ### What is the Yakisugi technique for facade cladding? Yakisugi (or Shou Sugi Ban) is a traditional Japanese technique that involves charring the surface of timber planks before installation. The charring of the outer layer creates a natural protective film that makes the timber resistant to rain, pests, mould and UV rays, extending its lifespan to 80–100 years without the need for chemical treatments or periodic painting. The aesthetic result is a deep black surface with a varied texture, which in the ROGO/RE-DO! project distinguishes the residential floors from the ground-floor cladding in aluminium or stoneware. ### How does co-housing work in the ROGO/RE-DO! project? The project’s co-housing scheme comprises private apartments (with their own kitchen and bathroom) complemented by communal facilities spread across two dedicated floors: a study and relaxation area, laundry room, DIY workshop, gym, spa, children’s play area, and a communal kitchen and dining room. Residents live independently in their own flats and are free to choose when to use the shared spaces. The model reduces the individual floor space required (and therefore the cost of rent or purchase), increases opportunities for socialising and enables services that a single flat could not afford. ### What neighbourhood services are planned for the ground floors of the towers? The ground floors house: a library and media centre open to residents and university students; a local medical centre; a café serving as a meeting place for residents and visitors; a small post office; a nursery and crèche. In addition, there are four craft workshops spread over two floors with exhibition and retail space on Via Toffetti. The distribution of services along the pedestrian and cycling network is intentional: it makes the boulevard a lively place throughout the day and encourages walking. ### How is the noise impact of the railway tracks on a residential neighborhood managed? The project includes a continuous green barrier along the boundary of the area towards Rogoredo railway yard, consisting of tall trees. A dense, deep tree belt attenuates noise through the absorption and diffraction of sound waves, with reductions of up to 6–10 dB(A) depending on the depth of the belt and the species used. Added to this is the layout of the buildings: the façades facing the tracks are more opaque and have fewer openings, whilst the living areas and balconies face the green boulevard and the equipped green spaces, on the opposite side to the noise source. ### What bioclimatic strategies are applied to the project’s residences? All living areas face south to maximise passive solar gain in winter; the north-facing façades have few openings and are more opaque to reduce thermal loss; the building envelope features external insulation made from natural materials with a wall thickness of at least 40 cm; timber loggias and sunshades protect against summer overheating; XLAM panels ensure a highly airtight building envelope. The building’s passive performance is complemented by high-performance double-glazed windows. Together, these strategies aim to achieve an energy demand close to the NZEB standard. ### Has the ROGO/RE-DO! project received any awards? Yes, the project received a Special Mention at the 2021 Golden Trezzini Awards, an international award dedicated to architecture as art, promoted by the State Museum of St Petersburg. The award was presented in the category dedicated to urban regeneration and social housing projects, recognising the quality of the integrated approach to environmental, social and urban sustainability proposed by the masterplan. --- ## Are you considering an urban regeneration project or a neighbourhood-scale residential development? If your project requires an integrated approach — urban planning, sustainable architecture, functional and social mixité — we can offer expertise in bioclimatic design, knowledge of natural materials and an urban vision focused on the quality of daily life. **[Let’s discuss your project]** _[Let’s discuss your project]_ --- ## Related projects - **Polymnia Futura** — Sustainable urban regeneration in Polignano a Mare - **Papa Giovanni XXIII School** — Innovative school architecture in Trani _Discover our approach to Sustainable Design →_