Le Forme dell’Acqua on L’Industria delle Costruzione

As cities across Europe face increasing challenges from climate change, landscape architecture is evolving beyond aesthetics toward environmental resilience. Among the firms leading this transformation is LAND, whose projects demonstrate how water can become a catalyst for ecological regeneration and public life.

In a recent article published in the biannual journal L’Industria delle Costruzioni, Pietro Petrucco, Vice President of ANCE, examines how LAND’s work is guided by a simple yet powerful principle: water should not be regarded solely as a technical issue to be managed through engineering infrastructure. Instead, it can become a driver of landscape quality, biodiversity, and social value.

Among the projects highlighted by Petrucco is the Parco dell’Acqua di Arcore, developed in collaboration with BrianzAcque. Here, LAND designed a multifunctional landscape capable of collecting stormwater while remaining accessible and attractive to the public. During heavy rainfall, the basin stores and gradually infiltrates water into the ground, reducing flood risk. In dry periods, the same space functions as a park featuring pedestrian and cycling paths, educational areas, recreational facilities, and urban gardens.

This approach was further developed in the Parco dell’Acqua di Sulbiate–Aicurzio. Extending across more than five hectares, the park combines retention basins and phytoremediation zones. By increasing stormwater storage capacity while creating new opportunities for social interaction, the project demonstrates how climate adaptation can generate broader environmental and cultural benefits.

The Parco del Lura represents another significant example of our design philosophy. Located within the Milan metropolitan area, the project addresses flood risks along the Lura River through nature-based solutions.

As highlighted by Piero Petrucco, these projects demonstrate that investments in water management can simultaneously address environmental challenges, strengthen biodiversity, and improve quality of life, positioning landscape architecture as a key tool for climate adaptation.