21035M30
Via Meli, Milano, Italy


Construction time often doesn’t keep up with market need and demand. We believe in an architecture capable to be shaped in itself according to the specific time in which it is injected on the market so that its being current can be guaranteed.

The projects departs from the will of not exploiting the site through the defense of the void by adding a green lung to the neighborhood, a park which connects the plot to the specificities of the site.


Densifying in a specific point within the park by building in height, working on limits given from regulations and on internal partitions flexibility, so to guarantee contemporaneity, were our starting points.

A prefabricated exoskeleton allows maximum internal flexibility and the creation of a building with a strong urban character. A new Landmark is created.
The partition walls are made up of prefabricated panels and are totally free from any structural requirement allowing deep flexibility.
The first two levels of the building relate to the surrounding garden park while going up the relation turns to be with the city. The outer skin follows the structure inclination, retracting, where necessary, for the creation of loggias and terraces.
The skin, also made up of prefabricated modular panels, alternates aluminium, wood and glass according to program, need and exposure. A building with a contemporary and HighTech character that does not renounce to the dialogue with the tradition of Milanese residential building which have marked the history of the city.
(Credits ©DIMA)
The vertical layer of infill and façade tie the slabs together and include new diversity. Each floor can be configured differently where program is not contained the same in every level and has multiple ways of framing the garden landscape and connecting with other interior spaces. Each apartment can be different without creating extra cost.
The Building is able to follow the equation “Building follows Market” by adapting to market demand.
FACTS

Design team FONDAMENTA
Team: Nicholas Compagnoni, Alberto Smaldone, Luca Redaelli

Consultants
B&C Associati, Prof. Ing. Antonio Capsoni (Structural Engineering)
EMS S.r.l (HVAC-MEP Engineering)
ARTEC S.r.l (Administrative Process)

Client
Private, Invited Competition, 2nd Prize

Building data
Gross Floor Area 2031 sqm
Number of Levels: Ground floor + 8 Levels
Height: 30m

Chronology
Design June 2021 – September 2021

Location
Via Meli, Milano, Italy
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2025
Architectural Record.
Issue 06. Design Vanguard 2025
Publication
2025
GA Houses Magazine.
Issue 199. 24047_IB
Publication
2024
GA Houses Magazine
Issue 196. Experimental Hill and two Houses in Sicily
Publication
2024
Costruzioni Metalliche
Magazine. Set Ott 2024_METAMORFOSI
Publication
2023
ARKETIPO
Magazine. Issue 168.
Publication
2023
Identità dell’Architettura Italiana 2023
Curated by Università degli studi di Firenze
Publication
2023
CASABELLA
Magazine. Issue 947-948
Publication
2022
Area
Magazine. Issue 185. Eighteen Italian stories
Publication
2022
Pro Bauhaus
Magazine. Issue 6
Publication
2022
ELECTA
Nuove cantine italiane Casabella
Publication
2021
CASABELLA
Magazine. Issue 921. Cantina dei 5 sogni, Monforte d’Alba.
Publication
2020
Platform
Magazine. Issue 28. Best Italian Architects under 40.
Publication
2020
SuperPosition
Magazine. Issue 01. A Journey through Fondamenta Homes.
Publication
2023
ETH, IEA Lectures Series FS23, Zurigo, CH.
Fondamenta, The Economy of the Project
Lecture
2023
SEU, Nanjing, China.
The Economy of the Project
Lecture
2022
PROSPECTIVES, Bartlet Journal. Issue 02
The Algorithmic Form. Office Fondamenta.
Lecture
2021
CASABELLA FORMAZIONE
Giovani architetti italiani. Fondamenta + Supervoid,
Lecture
2021
TEDEA, IUAV, Venice, IT
Architetture. Affresco Italiano. Seminary FORM.
Lecture
2021
BARTLET B-pro, London, UK
The Algorithimc form
Lecture
Publications + lectures list
 
 
 
Press
FONDAMENTA was born in 2016

FONDAMENTA founded and run by Francesca Betarice Gagliardi and Federico Rossi was born in 2016 and is based in Milan, Italy. Strong is the belief in research and experimentation applied to construction where building is the end to which architecture must strive to become itself and technology the tool used to reach this result. FONDAMENTA questions conventions and supports contradictions. The fascination for structure and freedom from dogma represent the premises for the research; Structure traces space, organizes the program, and generates the building. Governance of architecture through technology is believed to be the key to the creation of an organism. Technology drives efficiency, precision, and control through the entire process. FONDAMENTA tries to give shape to Economy and Energy, transforming them into space and proposing a holistic concept. FONDAMENTA has created buildings of different scales and functions which include the Cantina Vinicola dei 5 Sogni completed in 2020 in Monforte d’Alba, the first SO-LE studio flagship store in Milan in 2022, a Hospitality Masterplan of landscape infrastructures in Val di Noto, the metamorphosis of an unfinished transformed into a Villa also in Val di Noto in 2023 and since 2023 is working on a series of Residential, Hospitality and Mix use buildings in Albania, all soon entering in construction. FONDAMENTA in 2025 won the Prestigious Architectural Record Design Vanguard 2025 Award. FONDAMENTA believes in synergies between the professional and academic worlds. Invited to lecture in several institutions and to publish on international platforms, between 2022 and 2023 FONDAMENTA taught as an Academic Guest at the Zurich Polytechnic ETH with the course “The Economy of the Project”
Francesca Gagliardi was born in 1987 Milan, Italy. She studied Architecture at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Switzerland gaining her diploma in 2012. She worked for Aires Mateus in Lisbon - Portugal, Ensamble Studio - Anton Garcia Abril in Madrid - Spain, and Christian Kerez, Zurich - Switzerland. In 2016, together with Federico Rossi, she co-founded FONDAMENTA.
In 2022 she was appointed as Academic Guest for 2 semesters at the ETH Zurich teaching the course The Economy of the Project. In 2023 and in 2024 she was Workshop leader at the International Workshop Porto Academy visiting Mendrisio and Barcelona.


Federico Rossi was born in 1987 Como, Italy.
He studiedHe studied Architecture at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Switzerland and at KTH Stockholm, Sweden gaining his diploma in 2012.
In 2012 co-founded OSA, Associazione Studenti Accademia Mendrisio and in 2013 he co-published the research ATLAS How we Learn to stop Worrying and Love the Tradition. From 2013 to 2015 worked at Christian Kerez office, Zurich, being Project leader for international Projects. From 2015 to 2019 he has been Assistant at the ETH Zurich at Christian Kerez Chair. In 2016, together with Francesca Gagliardi, he co-founded FONDAMENTA.
In 2018, together with H. Killer, he was responsible for the International Workshop Project Berlin: 200.000 Housing Units organized by ETH Zurich + TU Berlin, based in Berlin, Germany. In 2019, together with J. Kacani, H. Killer, G. Ledermann, he has been responsible at the ETH Zurich of the design studio STUDIO PANORAMA: 14 Views on Contemporary Architecture. In 2022 he was appointed as Academic Guest for 2 semesters at the ETH Zurich teaching the design studio The Economy of the Project. In 2023 and in 2024 he was Workshop leader at the International Workshop Porto Academy visiting Mendrisio and Barcelona.
Collaborators
Nicholas Compagnoni, Luca Redaelli, Yuki Emond, Emanuel Sanchez, Francesco Toso, Beniamin Cassetta, Nasko Stefanov, Giuliano Coppola, Matteo Vitali, Ludovica Bertini, Lorenzo Arduini, Diana Spagnulo, Francesco Pusterla (BIM Manager), Francesco Telesa (Construction Manager), Mattia Peretti (Legal).
FONDAMENTA was born in 2016

FONDAMENTA founded and run by Francesca Betarice Gagliardi and Federico Rossi was born in 2016 and is based in Milan, Italy. Strong is the belief in research and experimentation applied to construction where building is the end to which architecture must strive to become itself and technology the tool used to reach this result. FONDAMENTA questions conventions and supports contradictions. The fascination for structure and freedom from dogma represent the premises for the research; Structure traces space, organizes the program, and generates the building. Governance of architecture through technology is believed to be the key to the creation of an organism. Technology drives efficiency, precision, and control through the entire process. FONDAMENTA tries to give shape to Economy and Energy, transforming them into space and proposing a holistic concept. FONDAMENTA has created buildings of different scales and functions which include the Cantina Vinicola dei 5 Sogni completed in 2020 in Monforte d’Alba, the first SO-LE studio flagship store in Milan in 2022, a Hospitality Masterplan of landscape infrastructures in Val di Noto, the metamorphosis of an unfinished transformed into a Villa also in Val di Noto in 2023 and since 2023 is working on a series of Residential, Hospitality and Mix use buildings in Albania, all soon entering in construction. FONDAMENTA in 2025 won the Prestigious Architectural Record Design Vanguard 2025 Award. FONDAMENTA believes in synergies between the professional and academic worlds. Invited to lecture in several institutions and to publish on international platforms, between 2022 and 2023 FONDAMENTA taught as an Academic Guest at the Zurich Polytechnic ETH with the course "The Economy of the Project"

Francesca Gagliardi was born in 1987 Milan, Italy. She studied Architecture at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Switzerland gaining her diploma in 2012. She worked for Aires Mateus in Lisbon - Portugal, Ensamble Studio - Anton Garcia Abril in Madrid - Spain, and Christian Kerez, Zurich - Switzerland.
In 2016, together with Federico Rossi, she co-founded FONDAMENTA.
In 2022 she was appointed as Academic Guest for 2 semesters at the ETH Zurich teaching the course The Economy of the Project. In 2023 and in 2024 she was Workshop leader at the International Workshop Porto Academy visiting Mendrisio and Barcelona.

Federico Rossi was born in 1987 Como, Italy.
He studied Architecture at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Switzerland and at KTH Stockholm, Sweden gaining his diploma in 2012.
In 2012 co-founded OSA, Associazione Studenti Accademia Mendrisio and in 2013 he co-published the research ATLAS How we Learn to stop Worrying and Love the Tradition.
From 2013 to 2015 worked at Christian Kerez office, Zurich, being Project leader for international Projects. From 2015 to 2019 he has been Assistant at the ETH Zurich at Christian Kerez Chair.
In 2016, together with Francesca Gagliardi, he co-founded FONDAMENTA.
In 2018, together with H. Killer, he was responsible for the International Workshop Project Berlin: 200.000 Housing Units organized by ETH Zurich + TU Berlin, based in Berlin, Germany.
In 2019, together with J. Kacani, H. Killer, G. Ledermann, he has been responsible at the ETH Zurich of the design studio STUDIO PANORAMA: 14 Views on Contemporary Architecture.
In 2022 he was appointed as Academic Guest for 2 semesters at the ETH Zurich teaching the design studio The Economy of the Project.
In 2023 and in 2024 he was Workshop leader at the International Workshop Porto Academy visiting Mendrisio and Barcelona.

Collaborators
Nicholas Compagnoni, Luca Redaelli, Yuki Emond, Emanuel Sanchez, Francesco Toso, Beniamin Cassetta, Nasko Stefanov, Giuliano Coppola, Matteo Vitali, Ludovica Bertini, Lorenzo Arduini, Diana Spagnulo, Francesco Pusterla (BIM Manager), Francesco Telesa (Construction Manager), Mattia Peretti (Legal).
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