Italian Ministry for Environment and Energy Security

Designed as the new headquarters for Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, Nexus Terrae rethinks institutional architecture as a more open, sustainable and publicly engaged civic building. Set within Rome’s EUR district, the project responds to its monumental urban context while introducing a contemporary expression of environmental leadership rooted in transparency, wellbeing and long term performance.

Organised within two cross laminated timber volumes, the 30,000m² building brings together workplace, landscape and community within a single interconnected whole. A biophilic ground floor extends greenery and public life into the building, creating a civic terrain of light, planting and social space that encourages interaction and exchange. At its centre, a full height atrium filled with vegetation and daylight connects all levels, fostering openness, visibility and collaboration throughout the workplace.

Conceived as an energy positive building, Nexus Terrae is designed to produce more energy than it consumes. A rooftop timber canopy embedded with photovoltaics generates renewable energy while shading a panoramic terrace overlooking the city, reinforcing the integration of architecture, climate performance and civic experience. Expressed through travertine and glass, the building balances permanence and openness, establishing a new civic landmark that reflects the Ministry’s environmental ambitions through both its performance and its public presence.

Rather than a closed government institution, Nexus Terrae is designed as a place of exchange between state, city and citizen, demonstrating how civic architecture can be more transparent, more connected to nature and more responsive to future environmental challenges.