Relife Torino, the 200+ room student residence with a social soul

A student residence with a strong social value. Inaugurated this morning in the former Lavazza premises in Corso Novara 59, Turin, 'Relife Torino', the first Italian student housing reality of the company Relife Srl. Behind the project, Real Asset Capital - a Swiss company active in all segments of real estate management and development - and Relife, an Italian company specialising in services related to the student housing sector, propose a new format to students: in addition to offering a high-level hospitality service, it aims to create an active community committed to the third sector. Relife's short-term goal is to open two additional campuses in Padua and Pisa by 2026, which, with an investment of approximately EUR 80 million, will allow the company to reach m,ille beds. In the long term, on the other hand, the target is to manage 5,000 beds in Europe in the next 10 years.

The building redevelopment project - costing around 50 million euro - consists of two buildings and was developed by the Turin architect Stefano Seita and the design company Lombardini22 to accommodate 202 rooms in the building in Corso Novara 59 and 98 in Via Tollegno 22. The two facilities can accommodate up to 330 students and to date there are already 25 nationalities present: from Iran to Morocco, from Holland to Spain and even South America. Relife estimates to host more than 50 nationalities by the end of this first academic year.

On the -1 floor are service areas, such as a play room, laundry room, multimedia wall, bike parking and a storage area.
On the ground floor there are other common areas, usable by the students of the two buildings, such as: reception, study and relaxation areas, a gym, a foundation area, a social bar overlooking the inner courtyard, largely occupied by a roof garden created by "Natura Su Misura" and "Agriverde". The garden has over 2,000 plants - ornamental grasses, perennials and ground cover species - selected to meet environmental sustainability criteria such as reduced maintenance and irrigation and, thanks to small, widespread flowering, support for urban pollinators.
On the 5th floor terrace is a communal area with a basketball court, chairs, deckchairs, sunshades and barbecue stations. On the top floor, the 6th, there is a communal kitchen -complete and fully equipped- and areas for eating together and dedicated to students and private events of the Relife community, to encourage moments of sociability and sharing.
The building is in the process of being Leed certified with the objective of reaching Gold level. For the graphic design and some of the building's internal services, Relife has chosen to rely on local social realities. The bar will be managed by a social cooperative specialising in catering that employs young people with disabilities and situations of fragility.

Turin is the third largest city in Italy in terms of the number of students enrolled at university, 12% of whom are out-of-towners - there is a huge need for short, medium and long-term accommodation for out-of-towners.
Relife Torino aims to be a place that is open and usable by the entire community. The Food&Beverage space, which will be ready in the coming months, will not only be reserved for Relife students but will be accessible to citizens, becoming a meeting point. Courses, meetings, cooking classes and other events will also be organised in the common areas of the facility. To this end, the Relife Foundation has been set up to help students find their way around the city's many possibilities and opportunities in the third sector. Among the initiatives promoted by Relife is the Relife Good Time project that allows students to transform their free time into hours dedicated to supporting social initiatives in the area. By participating in one of the third sector projects proposed by Relife, students will accumulate a virtual score that will give them the opportunity to access exclusive services and courses and special benefits on campus.

"Lombardini22," emphasised Marco Zanibelli, director of L22 Edu, "with the design of the communication and interior design activities, has developed the 4.0 student residence for Relife, promoting a new idea of the future that reflects responsibility towards the place and the community".