Renewable architecture in the spotlight

Digitally designed and fabricated, this site-specific work reflects a new generation of architecture, showcasing advances in material innovation, technology and creativity. It is formed in modules that shift from a wood and bioplastic composite in the courtyard through to translucent bioplastic in the palazzo’s garden. 
Each bio-brick is made from fully compostable resources printed in the form of interlocking structural lattices, optimising material use and allowing light to permeate the structure as visitors travel through the installation. The result is a journey from the manmade through to the natural world, and from the old to the new.

The piece vertically integrates design and construction, forming a direct connection from design to build through a dialogue with robotics: the architect is at once designer and maker. Inspired by patterns within the palazzo’s architecture, the geometry of Conifera comes from the square motif, which is very present at Palazzo Isimbardi, through the courtyard to the tiles. 
“Conifera offers a glimpse of the future, the potential of design and the possibilities which open up through collaboration,” said Karin Gustafsson, creative director of Cos. 
“The installation has grown from the seed of an idea and has been shaped by Mamou-Mani’s creativity, the expanding horizons of technology and our shared focus on material innovation and craftsmanship. The final piece brings together so many influences reflective of our values and our focus on pushing the boundaries of design while maintaining a careful balance of the man-made and the natural. We can’t wait to share Conifera in Milan.”