In the rapidly expanding business district of northwest Milan, the global real estate investment management firm CB Richard Ellis Investors purchased three industrial office buildings dating back to the 1970s with the goal of transforming them into a modern, efficient, and flexible speculative office complex. The new 130,000-square-foot Affori Centre consists of three five-story Grade A office buildings connected by a new central glazed atrium that serves as an entry hall.

The main challenges were planning the complex for maximum commercial flexibility so that it could accommodate multiple tenants of varying sizes, reorganizing vertical circulation to make the complex operate as a single building rather than three separate ones, and increasing the number of parking spaces.

The existing buildings were part of a larger development for which the previous owners had received a zoning variance allowing an additional 16,150 square feet of office space to be built on the corner of the site. The design team convinced the municipality that it would be to everyone's advantage to place that extra square footage  on top of the existing three buildings instead, adding a floor to each. The municipality also allowed the design team to add an atrium that would connect the buildings and provide vertical and horizontal circulation, greatly improving the property’s commercial flexibility. Because the atrium is ventilated and heated but not fully air-conditioned, adding it did not require reducing the amount of square footage dedicated to office space. The resulting 22,530-square-foot floor plates can accommodate one or several tenants, with options to lease vertical or horizontal portions in increments of roughly 7,965 square feet.

The existing buildings were steel construction on piloti over a two-story underground concrete structure with parking on the first level and archive space on the second. The design stripped the existing office buildings down to their structure and shear walls. The new complex is a composition of travertine, glass, and steel, contrasting with the many industrial shed buildings in the surrounding area and complementing the new, substantial residential complex nearby. The Affori Centre’s outdoor areas include generous green space, waterways, and a series of terraces.

In the original buildings, the areas between the piloti were exposed, insecure and prone to the accumulation of litter. The redesign involved building up the earth around the complex so that it appears to be constructed on a hill. The spaces between the buildings became private gardens. One of the piloti areas is designed to house a cafeteria that provides garden views. The angled rooftops of the parking ramps support fountains from which shallow streams of water flow into the atrium, helping to cool its naturally ventilated space. The tunnels that provide entry into the atrium are white on the interior, illuminated by a spiral of light leading inward.

Targeted to achieve Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the complex includes a number of sustainable design elements. The glazed façade provides the interiors with plenty of natural light and views. Polycarbonate brise-soleil panels give the façade a distinctive profile in the city’s skyline while controlling heat gain. Energy-efficient lighting; high insulation values; and high efficiency heat-pump air conditioning, heating, and natural ventilation of the atrium conserve electricity. Overall, the building’s energy performance is designed to be 14 percent better than the ASHRAE standard. Reusing the existing building structure conserved material resources, saving the equivalent of 5 to 10 years of energy consumption and carbon emissions. Regional materials and materials that emit low levels of volatile organic compounds were specified throughout. Operable windows and balconies allow occupants to get fresh air. The site is close to a new Metro line in a high-density area. The complex’s bicycle facilities encourage use of alternative transportation.