ERP Bertalia Lazzaretto

The project for the Bertalia-Lazzaretto district stems from the idea of transforming an originally rigid urban layout into a truly sustainable neighborhood, capable of addressing today’s environmental, social, and energy challenges. The proposed approach goes beyond mere energy efficiency, integrating themes such as biophilic design, widespread and accessible green spaces, soft mobility, urban water management, and the promotion of community life. The masterplan redefines the relationship between built form and nature, focusing on openness, connectivity, and quality of living. The buildings adopt dynamic shapes, designed to maximize solar gain and create permeable, vibrant urban spaces. The architectural language engages in dialogue with Bologna’s tradition – from the geometries of its wooden porticoes to the material vocabulary of brick, and the delicate tones of Morandi’s palette – reinterpreted in a contemporary key through oblique volumes, clinker cladding, and vertical façades animated by the interplay of solids and voids. Open spaces form the heart of the project and unfold across five complementary elements: the neighborhood square, conceived as a place for gathering and exchange; the sports grove, connecting nature and well-being; the linear park, a contemporary reinterpretation of the urban boulevard with tree-lined areas and recreational facilities; the courtyard gardens, intimate and community-oriented; and finally, the north-south network of pedestrian and cycling paths, ensuring safe connections and fostering widespread social interaction. These are complemented by urban drainage solutions – such as bioswales and rain gardens – for sustainable stormwater management, enhancing the district’s climate resilience. The layout of the buildings further emphasizes courtyards and porticoes, threshold spaces between public and private, enriched by shared greenhouses and inner gardens, where nature becomes an integral part of daily life and a catalyst for social interaction. The result is a district that unites architecture, landscape, and community, with the ambition of creating a harmonious, inclusive, and enduring urban environment, offering its residents both a high quality of life and a strong sense of belonging.