Riel – Il Fienile

The combination of historical memory and smart future

To the South of Bolzano, the Riel district offers a new, smart and sustainable housing model. The new residential complex "Riel-Il fienile" has a total of 38 residential units ranging from one- to four-room apartments and was built to host young workers and couples in a strategically located area close to the industrial zone and the city centre.
The project creates a green and smart environment with a communal park at its centre. This open area with relaxation, fitness and sports areas for residents is the true heart of the project. This green space is enriched by smart technologies such as Wi-Fi connection for smart working, charging stations for electric cars as well as bike sheds and a parcel repository with smart lock technology. Vertical plants such as oaks, maple trees, crape myrtles and tulip trees characterise the green space. Horizontal flower beds made of metal that can be used as urban gardens with spices, fruit trees and vines offer a contrast to the verticality of the trees.
The project consists of the construction of two new buildings and the revitalisation of an old barn, whereby the double pitch roof and the supporting columns of the latter are preserved and integrated into the new structure. The "old" thereby communicates and interacts with the "new" and accommodates the latter on its inside, maintaining a certain respectful distance that creates space for new and interesting spaces. Light enters the interior of the barn through deliberate geometric cuts in the roof and walls of the existing structure.
The two new buildings embody the stylistic evolution, characterised by large terraces and a façade whose rhythm is broken by vertical bronze-coloured slats that rise to the roof and alternate with the supporting structure of cross-laminated timber. In addition to the respectful approach between old and new, the architectural intervention aims to leave the supporting structure of the buildings visible. The fusion with the surrounding landscape creates a new residential model with an urban feel in connection with the surrounding orchards and the Dolomites. The upgrading of this area reinterprets the interplay between historical memory and smart future in a contemporary way.