OrtiAlti is a non-profit organization of architects, landscapers, researchers, agronomists and educators that deals with the dissemination and experimentation of urban horticulture practices and regeneration of under-used areas of the city (such as flat roofs), through the involvement of citizens in the care of places.
OrtiAlti was founded in 2015 by PhD architects Elena Carmagnani and Emanuela Saporito.
The project born from a first experimentation of a condominium roof garden, carried out by the architectural office Studio999 on the roof of its headquarters, in via Goito, Turin, awarded to the Innovazione Amica dell’Ambiente award by Legambiente Italia. This experience allows to define and consolidate the idea of the “ortoalto” as a device for environmental and social regeneration of cities, capable of combining the environmental benefits of green roofs (reduction of urban heat islands, management of rainwater, reduction of CO2 emissions , restoration of biodiversity) with the social benefits of the garden as a meeting place and exchange of practices.
OrtiAlti has developed a service that is based on a methodological approach that crosses the co-design and construction of community gardens, the definition of management models with the inhabitants and users and the design and coordination of environmental education and communication actions.
In 2013 the OrtiAlti project was selected by the Eropean Investment Bank for the Social Innovation Tournament and entered in one of the most important European social entreprenership networks.
In 2014 OrtiAlti won the competition “A New Social Wave II: Rigenerare Innovazione sociale”, launched by IRIS Network and Accenture Foundation and in 2015 won the first prize of the “WE – Women for Expo” competition, organized by Expo Milano 2015 Foundation, Giuseppina Mai Foundation and Accenture Foundation.
In 2016 OrtiAlti realised its pilot project in Turin, the Ortoalto Le Fonderie Ozanam , the first community roof garden on the top of the restaurant held by Meeting Service social cooperative, inside a former industrial complex in via Foligno. The ortoalto represents the trigger of the urban regeneration process which today has allowed the birth of the community hub beeozanam, in the behalf the Cocity project.
OrtiAlti cworks with various companies, such as Eataly, Leroy Merlin and Carrefour, in the realisation, management and animation of urban gardens, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility. Collaborates with the Housing Program of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation in the experimentation of green solutions for public residences and won Civica 2019 to experiment cultural innovation projects in beeozanam.
It is a partner with the City of Turin of the EU H2020 ProGiReg project, aimed at experimenting and implementing “nature based” solutions in the Living Lab of Mirafiori.