How smart building retrofit gives Milan’s Porta Nuova business district a sustainable edge

Siemens’ open digital business platform strategy, aimed at accelerating digital transformation in different contexts, is called the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. Siemens’ integrated building management system, Desigo CC, is an important part of this Xcelerator platform strategy. 

Desigo CC’s open design and API capabilities enable a community of third party developers and partners to contribute to its building systems management ecosystem. It works comfortably with cloud-based building data aggregation platforms, such as Building X, which is also developed by Siemens.

This approach gives a high level of cybersecurity protection, while orchestrating all building operations into a single, centrally monitored system. Being able to oversee all solutions and systems in a building – such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, room automation, fire safety, as well as electrical distribution – improves operational efficiency, reliability and system longevity.

COIMA’s latest project with Siemens is the “Pirelli 35”. A 45,000m2, 11-storey architect-designed building, which they aim to turn into a smart and energy efficient property. Once complete, the 65-year-old building will give strong environmental performance to its 40 commercial tenants, by reducing their energy consumption by approximately 60 per cent, and CO2 emissions by 2,000 tons, annually. 

As in most smart buildings, thousands of sensors are deployed, wired and wirelessly. They monitor different environmental factors including air quality, energy consumption and CO2 levels, and blend that with local open data, such as weather data. The result is both optimised energy efficiency for tenants – good for profit and planet, and increased occupant well-being, which in turn is good for productivity and safety. Rents are more expensive than other local properties, and that’s because of the energy savings, the inherent building intelligence, and the quality environment. 

“In major cities, many buildings could benefit from digitalisation, transforming into smarter and more energy efficient assets”, said Susanne Seitz, CEO Buildings at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. “Pirelli 35 is a prime example of this, serving as a blueprint for sustainable urban regeneration. It showcases how buildings can be modernised with building and electrification technology to meet Europe’s 2030 net zero goals while maintaining their architectural heritage.” 

"Thanks to our partnership with Siemens and the implementation of cutting-edge tech, we are able to transform Pirelli 35 into a truly smart building. Its LEED Platinum and WELL Gold certifications, as well as its nZEB labelling, stand as testament to a broader commitment – not just to smart infrastructure, but to sustainability, health, and the evolving standards of urban living," said Stefano Corbella, Sustainability Officer at COIMA (pictured right with Paul Wilson).

On the day of the Siemens Smart Infrastructure press tour, the weather was well into the 30Cs. It was easy to appreciate the calming and cooling effects of the outdoor green spaces created by COIMA around its buildings, along with the indoor climate, created by Siemens intelligent building management system’s control of the air conditioning, using its open API connection with open weather data.