Energy positive, timber framed and open to the public – Nexus Terrae is the winning proposal for the new headquarters of Italy’s Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, set in the historic EUR district of Rome. Designed as a symbol of environmental leadership, the project is a new model of government building for Italy that showcases the country’s sustainability ambitions.

PLP was part of an international team, including GPA, Perillo Srl, OBLYK, Architetto Valentini and Enser, which won the public competition to design Nexus Terrae. The energy-positive and circular building is envisioned as a manifesto for sustainable design.

Integrating seamlessly into EUR’s orthogonal plan and monumental scale, the design organises approximately 30,000 m² of workspace and public functions across two timber-framed volumes in cross-laminated larch (X-LAM), reinterpreting the district’s rational grid through the lens of sustainable architecture and contemporary environmental design.

The ground floor, fully open to the public, extends the landscape inward – bringing greenery deep into the building to create an immersive biophilic environment for visitors and daily users. Spaces for exhibitions, dialogue, and collaboration unfold within this vibrant setting.

At the heart of the project, a vertical atrium rises through the building, filled with daylight and vegetation. Within it, a series of floating boxes create suspended terraces and concentrated workspaces, offering moments of retreat and reflection while maintaining visual continuity across all levels.

Above, a panoramic rooftop terrace, shaded by a timber canopy embedded with high-efficiency photovoltaic panels, provides amenity and renewable energy generation. These strategies enable the building to produce more energy than it consumes annually.

The façade is a refined composition of glass and travertine, expressing the dialogue between tradition and innovation. In daylight, it conveys solidity and permanence; at night, it becomes a softly glowing beacon.

Lee Polisano, President of PLP Architecture, says, “The Ministry’s new headquarters will stand as a symbol of Italy’s environmental ambitions – not only in its performance but in its role in educating the public. It is a new model for civic architecture that we hope pushes the country’s environmental agenda forwards by setting an example of what is possible.”