BabyLife is the eco-sustainable public nursery in the CityLife complex in Milan. The building, entirely in wood, is designed for the cognitive explorations of the very young.
The new public nursery called BabyLife by 02Arch, the architecture studio that won the tender, consists of a building whose space is multifunctional and flexible according to need, and which fits into the CityLife park in Milan in a thoughtful and sensitive way. The project is the result of a competition conceived and promoted in 2014 by CityLife in collaboration with Federabitazione Lombardia – Confcooperative and AAA architetti cercasi, aimed at young architects under 35, with the goal of stimulating positive synergies between architecture and the pedagogical process. The nursery will be the first built entirely in wood in Milan, set within the new large urban park which, once completed, will extend over 173,000 square metres and will house more than 1,900 plants. The facility will be able to accommodate up to 72 children aged 0 to 3.
The architecture of the nursery blends in complete harmony with its surroundings thanks to a fragmentation of the building into many small houses that enter into a synergistic relationship with the greenery. The volumes are arranged irregularly around the trees while maintaining a central connection through the atrium that wraps around the structures and gives the project its distinctive form. It is precisely this centripetal development that makes the modularity of the spaces and a great degree of flexibility possible, to the benefit of future functional and educational design requirements. The total surface area will be one thousand square metres, complemented by approximately 3,000 square metres of garden. The nursery will also be surrounded by CityLife's large urban park, a new section of which was recently inaugurated.
The project is founded on two elements: child-friendly architecture and particular attention to sustainability and the environment. The structure presents itself as simple and intuitive: lights, colours, materials and finishes enhance the multisensory quality of the environment to create a rich and articulated space, suited to the cognitive explorations of the very young. Six shared workshops are planned for children's activities linked to the five senses, along with ten outdoor spaces for play, the development of movement, knowledge and emotions: teaching gardens, a play area, an "Indian trail", a "secret hideout" and all around a protected garden with different shapes and colours through the changing of the seasons.
The design research was oriented towards an ecological and sustainable approach, particularly with regard to construction materials, giving prominence to architectural solutions that are easy to manage and maintain in the building fabric. Wood is the absolute protagonist of BabyLife: both for the external cladding and for the principal interior finishes — floors, walls, ceilings — eco wood will be used, a composite wood for outdoor use that is easy to maintain and long-lasting, while ceramic materials were specifically chosen for the bathrooms.
One of the most important objectives in realising this project was to meet safety standards for children while at the same time responding to the needs associated with sensory stimulation. For this reason, companies that produce materials suitable for early childhood — fireproof and non-polluting — were engaged; the children's play furnishings will be made of soft, pliable and deformable material, capable of protecting against accidental knocks and falls.
In agreement with the Municipality of Milan, BabyLife was designed in compliance with the city's most up-to-date school policies, aimed at creating increasingly sustainable structures with a low environmental impact. Particular attention was paid to bioclimatic design — that is, to achieving the best relationship with the local position and climate — to the orientation of the building, to energy saving, to reducing energy consumption through the use of solar technologies, to reducing water consumption through rainwater harvesting, and to the selection of certified, locally sourced and recyclable construction materials (prefabricated eco-sustainable wooden panels, low-maintenance external cladding, wooden walls and ceilings, and other recyclable and sustainable materials).
Construction work on the CityLife nursery will be carried out by Iti impresa generale spa and Damiani-Holz&Ko spa and will be completed in April 2018 with an investment of €3.5 million. All design choices were made with the aim of achieving Leed Platinum certification, the highest level of certification provided for by the Leed Italia Protocol, which makes it possible to assess the sustainability of a building with particular attention to its relationship with the climatic context, environmental health and renewable energies.