Smart Village Biella

Location:

Pollone, Italy

Project area:

7000 m2

Architects:

Angus Fiori Arhcitects

Design team:

Angus Fiori, Daniele Magliacano, Stefano Canziani, Tanya Pletneva, Francesca Maccadanza

Photo credits:

Davide Curci

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The Village of Tomorrow

The site lies in the industrial zone of the Filatura di Pollone, close to the Burcina Park, an area of high environmental value. The project was conceived as a link between the natural and the urbanized landscape, integrating both and improving the overall condition of the area.

Unlike many restoration projects that focus on reviving abandoned villages, this intervention proposes a different approach: transforming a partially abandoned industrial zone into a modern mixed-use “digital village”, also referred to as a smart village. The aim is to combine environmental sustainability with digital infrastructure, creating a new type of residential community where social interaction and a strong sense of belonging are central. The project responds to contemporary needs revealed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when prolonged isolation highlighted the importance of shared spaces and community life.

Public studies also suggest that the future of urban development will not be limited to large cities, but will take the form of digitally interconnected hubs of varying scales. In this context, the digital village aspires not only to improve the local environment, but also to contribute positively on a wider territorial scale.

The architectural concept is organized as a hamlet of moderately sized houses, connected by a central pigmented-concrete road, with cycle paths and beaten-earth sidewalks. These paths are mainly pedestrian but accessible by cars for loading and unloading, while parking is restricted to designated areas.

The residential buildings are designed to blend seamlessly with their surroundings. Facades feature warm-colored plaster combined with three-dimensional larch panels, while the ground floors are clad in milled local stone. Roofs are finished in pre-painted sheet metal, and windows combine wood and aluminum. Each house incorporates planted earth tanks, further reinforcing the project’s environmental integration.

From an energy perspective, the development relies on a wide range of active and passive systems designed to minimize consumption and maximize the use of renewable energy sources.