Residential

l'Innesto will be Italy's first zero carbon housing

We design residential developments that improve lives and strengthen communities, while delivering real value for property developers. Partnering with leading architects and developers, we plan and engineer everything from custom single-family homes to affordable modular housing and high-rise towers. Whether the goal is better access to public transit, vibrant urban amenities, or high-quality housing, our approach is rooted in innovation and long-term impact.

How we can help

Developing the next generation of sustainable residential buildings

Sustainable residential property design

We relish the opportunity to take on projects at the forefront of sustainability. Our expertise in building physics and services enables us to design with exceptional energy efficiency in mind, and our work has been noted by many of the world’s most prestigious sustainability benchmarks.

Bosco Verticale - today, as residents go about their daily lives inside, the flourishing trees help improve air quality, provide shade and reduce noise pollution.

This work is exemplified by initiatives such as the LEED Platinum zero-energy house we constructed for Samsung's Green Tomorrow in Korea. At Bosco Verticale, our engineers established a new benchmark for sustainable housing, countering Milan's escalating pollution concerns. Serving as a model for urban renewal, the design encompasses a verdant habitat spanning 40,000m², housing a total of 900 trees.

'Elements' in Amsterdam, demonstrates the potential of hybrid timber residential high-rises, setting a new standard for sustainable and innovative home design. Incorporating a range of innovative sustainable features, the building is designed to be energy neutral. The tower’s hybrid timber-steel-concrete construction helps reduce CO₂ emissions from the materials used by over 50%.

Learn more in the video, below.

Learn more about the development of Elements

Case study

HAUT, Amsterdam

With HAUT, Arup contributed to the design and engineering of the tallest timber-hybrid residential building in the Netherlands. Standing 21 stories tall, HAUT stands as one of the world's tallest timber-hybrid structures. Moreover, it earned the prestigious BREEAM Outstanding certification, a distinction awarded to only a select few high-rise residential buildings globally.

Bio-based building is gaining global momentum as more and more people embrace the natural qualities of timber. While atmosphere and acoustics are a factor, the most important driver for the increase of timber in residential buildings is the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions. In HAUT, more than 2000m3 of timber was used, giving a total reduction of 50% of sequestered carbon compared to conventional buildings, storing some 1,800 tonnes of CO₂. HAUT is a powerful example of how innovative sustainability can contribute to the future of buildings, where zero carbon and nature-inclusive design will be the norm.

Urban property development

As available sites for new homes become scarce and demand increases for mixed-use developments, innovative technical design and engineering skills are needed to make more brownfield and infill sites viable for residential needs.

Former BBC Television Centre in London has been turned into a residential complex

We helped breathe life into an iconic BBC Television Centre in London. A truly mixed-use development, each building is distinctive. New buildings have been designed for office space, whilst others such as the famous ‘doughnut building’ are being redeveloped to create residential accommodation.

Our designers are particularly skilled in developing solutions that allow residential units to fit within mixed-use projects. Our projects such as Central St Giles in London or Bolands Quay in Dublin are designed for cost-effective construction and operation, while maintaining comfort and ease-of-use for residents.

From tall residential high rise such as Opus Hong Kong to modular units or 3D-printed houses, Arup teams have proven capacity to provide the innovative planning solutions necessary to conceive and realise complex residential projects. Key services range from pre-feasibility economic and environmental studies to masterplanning; from geotechnical investigation, site remediation, structural and building services design, to specialised acoustics, building physics and wind engineering.

In crowded cities, Arup adapts existing building stock to meet changing needs. Our research specialists have helped policymakers to understand the technical options for retrofitting existing homes to cope with climate change. We are also skilled in retrofit and refurbishments of a variety of scale and typologies, such as transforming the BBC’s former HQ into modern homes, turning diplomatic offices into residences at 1 Grosvenor Square in London.

Case study

No. 1 Grosvenor Square

For 300 years, No. 1 Grosvenor Square has been one of London’s most prestigious addresses. Formerly home to the British aristocracy, it has also hosted the US Embassy and Canadian High Commission. Now converted back into luxury residential properties, it offers 44 apartments behind a neo-Georgian façade that has been restored brick by brick, quite literally, using almost all the original brickwork.

To meet the planners’ requirement that there should be no substantial change to the appearance and presence on one of London’s finest garden squares, the project team carefully removed and reinstated the original façade. The existing building was carefully dismantled, and with a careful and methodical design approach, Arup and the rest of the design team were successful in enhancing the façade charm and appeal of No.1 Grosvenor Square.

With additional insulation required to improve the thermal performance of the building, we identified opportunities to minimise the thickness of the insulation, creating leaner walls and increasing usable floor space. Importantly, we achieved this at the same time as delivering the desired energy performance standards.