Monica Moscatelli
Prince Sultan University, Architecture, Faculty Member
- Monica Moscatelli is an Assistant Professor in the Architecture Department at Prince Sultan University in Riyadh, Sau... moreMonica Moscatelli is an Assistant Professor in the Architecture Department at Prince Sultan University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
From 2018 to 2020, she was Adjunct Professor in Architectural Composition for the Master of Science in Building Engineering / Architecture at Politecnico di Milano. At the same time, she has worked as an Architect in several engineering companies in Milan.
In 2018 she obtained a Ph.D. degree with Honour in Architecture Built Environment and Construction Engineering at Politecnico di Milano.
In 2016 she was awarded a scholarship for Doctorate mobility of 6 months financed by the European Commission at Universidade Federal da Bahia in Salvador, Brazil.
From 2013 to 2020, she was a Teaching Assistant for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees courses at Politecnico di Milano. Before graduation, she took part in the “Ex-area Falck” workshop in close collaboration with Renzo Piano Building Workshop.
In 2022 and 2024 she won twice in a row the Best Paper Award on the topic “Sustainability and Built Environment” (ICSDI2022 & ICSDI2024), International Conference on Sustainability: Developments and Innovations, and in 2023 the Outstanding Teaching Award for the College of Architecture and Design.
She has published several scientific papers in international journals on architectural and urban design, cultural heritage, and socio-cultural studies.edit
Purpose – This study aims to demonstrate how women’s involvement in urban planning and design in Gulf cities improves urban space’s inclusivity and strengthens identity through cultural heritage revitalisation. It also promotes the... more
Purpose – This study aims to demonstrate how women’s involvement in urban planning and design in Gulf cities improves urban space’s inclusivity and strengthens identity through cultural heritage revitalisation. It also promotes the participation of women in architecture and city-making by showcasing how shaping urban spaces offers local communities opportunities for social interaction and a more inclusive environment.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper critically compares two case studies in the Gulf region—one in the United Arab Emirates and the other in Bahrain—according to four inclusion criteria: context connection, cultural sensitivity, community engagement and choices of amenities. These inclusion criteria are also applied to an experimental project by women architects’ students in Saudi Arabia to inspire the future female architects of the Gulf region. From urban to architectural scales, the project offers a glance into the heritage design by women architects.
Findings – In light of this critical analysis, this study highlights the sensitivity to issues related to the revitalisation of urban areas by women architects. The case studies identified show the role of the female architect in making architecture and linking cultural heritage with contemporary themes. These projects stitch the past with the present and link cultural identity with aspects related to sustainable architecture. Therefore, valorising women’s architectural experience is necessary to contribute to sustainable urban development in the Gulf region and beyond.
Originality/value – The present study addresses the importance of the role of women architects in the Gulf region. The research promotes the full and equal participation of women in the architecture and construction of the city to recognise their achievements by increasing their involvement in the work in a more integrated and balanced way.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper critically compares two case studies in the Gulf region—one in the United Arab Emirates and the other in Bahrain—according to four inclusion criteria: context connection, cultural sensitivity, community engagement and choices of amenities. These inclusion criteria are also applied to an experimental project by women architects’ students in Saudi Arabia to inspire the future female architects of the Gulf region. From urban to architectural scales, the project offers a glance into the heritage design by women architects.
Findings – In light of this critical analysis, this study highlights the sensitivity to issues related to the revitalisation of urban areas by women architects. The case studies identified show the role of the female architect in making architecture and linking cultural heritage with contemporary themes. These projects stitch the past with the present and link cultural identity with aspects related to sustainable architecture. Therefore, valorising women’s architectural experience is necessary to contribute to sustainable urban development in the Gulf region and beyond.
Originality/value – The present study addresses the importance of the role of women architects in the Gulf region. The research promotes the full and equal participation of women in the architecture and construction of the city to recognise their achievements by increasing their involvement in the work in a more integrated and balanced way.
Research Interests:
Integrating the energy issue in the regeneration of neighbourhoods influences the entire metabolism of the urban settlement. It opens up a reflection, within the disciplines of the project, on approaches,... more
Integrating the energy issue in the regeneration of neighbourhoods influences the entire metabolism of the urban settlement. It opens up a reflection, within the disciplines of the project, on approaches, methods, and tools to make the energy transition operational in space. The complexity of the energy transition requires a holistic, multidisciplinary and integrated approach to design, capable of addressing energy transition processes at the neighbourhood scale. By adopting a method that interprets the landscape as a complex techno-natural infrastructure, the Al Safarat neighbourhood in Riyadh will be considered a possible experimental laboratory for the energy transition of the districts of the Gulf cities.
Research Interests:
Green infrastructures play a crucial role in urban transitions by integrating and coordinating the environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This contribution focuses on green infrastructures within urban contexts characterised by... more
Green infrastructures play a crucial role in urban transitions by integrating and coordinating the environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This contribution focuses on green infrastructures within urban contexts characterised by an arid climate, particularly in Riyadh as a hologram of the Saudi city. The goal is to outline the current role of green infrastructure between plans and projects, identifying future limits and possibilities through a 'landscapebased' approach to green infrastructure. Seven integrated and interacting strategic lines will therefore be identified, which aim to inform the process of implementation of the green infrastructure in a holistic and complex key, opening up to alternative scenarios of ecological transition for the Saudi city.
Research Interests:
The expressiveness of architectural language in terms of the formal and aesthetic approach is a feature that should not be secondary in contemporary buildings. The surface, texture, form, representation, and expression should prevail over... more
The expressiveness of architectural language in terms of the formal and aesthetic approach is a feature that should not be secondary in contemporary buildings. The surface, texture, form, representation, and expression should prevail over aesthetic purposes in architecture. This research aims to highlight how the plastic and expressive value of the traditional buildings in the Najd region of Saudi Arabia, rich in cultural heritage and building form, can be translated into contemporary ones, creating the continuity of the local cultural identity in a rapidly growing context. This research used a qualitative methodology based on selecting seven modern and contemporary case studies in Riyadh. The selected case studies were analyzed using four criteria: composition aspects, plastic figuration, expressive value, and context connection. The comparison of the case studies underlined the plasticity and malleability of the wall surfaces, the formal character, and the aesthetic approach, showing continuity with the cultural heritage of the Najd architecture. These examples demonstrate how architecture that is attentive to place and history, incorporating local materials and its cultural heritage, can represent an opportunity to rethink the constructive and aesthetic approach to provide guiding criteria for contemporary architects designing in the rapidly expanding city.
Research Interests:
Architecture in Saudi Arabia has undergone significant changes in recent decades due to rapid planning and massive expansion, especially in the major cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. In the strategic framework of the Saudi Vision... more
Architecture in Saudi Arabia has undergone significant changes in recent decades due to rapid planning and massive expansion, especially in the major cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. In the strategic framework of the Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia will become one of the major destinations for international visitors, thanks to its cultural heritage. It is, therefore, necessary to ensure a design of contemporary buildings that reinforce the identity of the place by reflecting the local culture through a sustainable approach by responding to the site and the climate, strengthening the quality of the indoor environment for the health and well-being of people. This paper seeks to identify relevant criteria for architectural design in which sustainability and cultural identity are strongly related. These criteria arise from a critical reflection on various factors fundamental in public buildings design, such as the historical knowledge of the place, recognition of significant pre-existing buildings, climatic aspects, and the health and comfort of building occupants. Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, one of the fastest-growing cities in the Middle East, is selected as a case study. This study takes the project of a cultural centre in Riyadh city as an experimental verification of these theoretical assumptions. The aim is to strengthen the cultural identity of the place through social and cultural spaces that reflect Saudi culture while at the same time preserving the environment and natural resources. A well-managed and actual design of cultural buildings in the selected case study in Riyadh is essential to promote culture and heritage to reinforce the sense of regional and national identity towards a sustainable design approach. In this investigation, the paper attempts to define guidelines through a cultural and sustainable strategy that can be generalized to other Gulf countries.
Research Interests:
This research focuses on the analysis of Primary Health Care facilities located in rural areas. The health facility for primary care is the minimum unit of a complex system since it can be extended and implemented with other services and... more
This research focuses on the analysis of Primary Health Care facilities located in rural areas. The health facility for primary care is the minimum unit of a complex system since it can be extended and implemented with other services and functions in the future. The most helpful method to develop the basic health unit in a small hospital will mainly depend on the nature of the expertise area, the living conditions of the community and its particular needs, and the prevalence of specific diseases and socio-cultural conditions. This study adopted a mixed-methods focused on analyzing the literature review of the principles of flexibility and evaluating the design of ten international primary care facilities. The factors that influence the design of the architectural space have been analyzed under three macro requirements: expansibility, versatility, reversibility. These macro aspects have been investigated in three criteria relating to form, space, and structure. The intersection of each case study with the three requirements of expansibility, versatility, and reversibility highlighted the flexibility requirements met. The expansibility requirement was not achieved, as the buildings analyzed were designed as finished units with no possibility of extension in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the architecture of the primary health care facilities during the planning and design phase to accommodate changing needs. Only an integrated approach can make steady progress on social and health care conditions improving community’s needs in marginal areas.
Purpose The research outlined in this paper highlights the importance of certain factors related to primary health care buildings’ physical environment, such as the facility size, the functional efficiency, and the health planning of... more
Purpose
The research outlined in this paper highlights the importance of certain factors related to primary health care buildings’ physical environment, such as the facility size, the functional efficiency, and the health planning of public areas in the health centers to improve the architectural space of health facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was performed using a mixed method. Data collection was carried out through observational research and descriptive analysis in six primary health care facilities in Salvador and Lauro de Freitas, Brazil.
Findings
Based on this study’s results, facility capacity, functional efficiency and space accessibility have been considered the facilities’ main problems in the investigated context. The impact of the users’ perspective on healthcare facilities was assessed for each of these three criteria to verify the results obtained. Furthermore, most of the parameters were not satisfied, as the buildings analyzed had defects in their physical environment. Therefore, it is necessary to review and pay more attention to the architecture of these cities’ primary health care units.
Originality/value
The present study addresses the architectural environment design in Brazil’s healthcare facilities, which still have gaps. Improving the physical space of a health center ensures that the approach used in this research also applies to other health centers in similar contexts. The awareness that space’s activities and configurations will change according to each territory examined will open up so many investigation worlds.
The research outlined in this paper highlights the importance of certain factors related to primary health care buildings’ physical environment, such as the facility size, the functional efficiency, and the health planning of public areas in the health centers to improve the architectural space of health facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was performed using a mixed method. Data collection was carried out through observational research and descriptive analysis in six primary health care facilities in Salvador and Lauro de Freitas, Brazil.
Findings
Based on this study’s results, facility capacity, functional efficiency and space accessibility have been considered the facilities’ main problems in the investigated context. The impact of the users’ perspective on healthcare facilities was assessed for each of these three criteria to verify the results obtained. Furthermore, most of the parameters were not satisfied, as the buildings analyzed had defects in their physical environment. Therefore, it is necessary to review and pay more attention to the architecture of these cities’ primary health care units.
Originality/value
The present study addresses the architectural environment design in Brazil’s healthcare facilities, which still have gaps. Improving the physical space of a health center ensures that the approach used in this research also applies to other health centers in similar contexts. The awareness that space’s activities and configurations will change according to each territory examined will open up so many investigation worlds.
Research Interests:
The paper tries to identify, through strategic design axes, some areas in emergency contexts to locate collective spaces serving the local population, such as schools, community centres and spaces for aggregation. These public places have... more
The paper tries to identify, through strategic design axes, some areas in emergency contexts to locate collective spaces serving the local population, such as schools, community centres and spaces for aggregation. These public places have the purpose of regenerating the surrounding context by improving the quality of life and above all by strengthening the identity of the place through social and cultural spaces that the community identifies as landmarks of the settlement fabric. Through the analysis of some case studies in East Africa, the research tries to highlight some infrastructural axes which to locate permanent public services by reducing the distances between inhabited areas and primary services. The aim is to link the scattered and fragmented settlements in the territory without identity, with an axis of public services that could accommodate more functions and at the same time increase their size according to the needs of the local community. A design approach allows thes...
Research Interests:
Society is evolving faster and faster and there are many changes in our everyday living environment, especially concerning buildings. Buildings have significant effects on the ecosystem, economy, health, and productivity of the people... more
Society is evolving faster and faster and there are many changes in our everyday living environment, especially concerning buildings. Buildings have significant effects on the ecosystem, economy, health, and productivity of the people occupying them; moreover, their environmental impact is not limited to the energy consumption for heating, cooling, moving, and lighting, but it affects many other factors, including above all the relationship with the territory. Considering these premises, this research focused on suggesting sustainable guidelines in Italy by trying to identify what has changed in the methods of residential construction, especially in order to meet new environmental and people's requests. The research purpose is to focus on the concept of property value, trying to identify some guidelines that increase the value of housing according to the mutated market requests observed by a representative sample of real estate agents. As a result, a new property concept aimed at high quality and sustainability standards, co-housing, and dynamic scenarios pushed up by the increasing demand from new generations, such as single, high-educated young workers and university students, lead us to explore the solution of short-term rents in the Italian territory. This solution appears in a real estate market heavily affected by the economic crisis, and is a good alternative for owners or landlords, which is able to guarantee a positive return on investment and to assure a major capability to keep value in the long term.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The essay puts forward experimental research carried out in emergency contexts and in developing countries with the study of temporary architecture of a health, cultural and social nature as a field of investigation. The proposed... more
The essay puts forward experimental research carried out in emergency contexts and in developing countries with the study of temporary architecture of a health, cultural and social nature as a field of investigation. The proposed guidelines are built around emergencies, natural disasters, and the widespread need, in specific unpredictable situations of temporary and permanent shelter, or rather critical issues that may concern, at the same time, different social categories. This paper tries to identify some principles that have inspired proposals for measures in several contexts, from Sub-Saharan Africa, to the Middle East and to the South-East Asia where the temporariness and emergency issue is declined in a different way in reference to the typical characteristics of the reference context.
Research Interests:
This paper tries to demonstrate how a plastic and expressive value can be achieved in the construction of Latin America social architecture despite the use of economic materials and, in some cases, the employment of unskilled local... more
This paper tries to demonstrate how a plastic and expressive value can be achieved in the construction of Latin America social architecture despite the use of economic materials and, in some cases, the employment of unskilled local labour.
Through the analysis of some South American architectural experiences of modern and contemporary architects, we tried to highlight those fragments of expression that have characterized the buildings: the materiality of the wall surfaces, the formal aspects and aesthetic approach.
The paper highlights the unique character of the building structure through the rough and irregular surfaces of the popular housing designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi, and also the formal and aesthetic approach of architects Richard Neutra and Affonso Eduardo Reidy is presented through collectives buildings, for instance, schools, health centres and theatres.
Then, the schools in Brazil and the memorial sites in Colombia represent some examples of contemporary experiences that demonstrate how, even today, a social formality in architecture can be achieved with the use of local materials and limited resources.
Comparison of local practices in selected developing countries could represent an opportunity of rethinking both the aesthetical and the constructive approach of conceiving the structure of space, in order to provide guidelines for experimental projects in those countries, particularly for the practitioners involved in these contexts, which would possibly benefit from the outcome of this study.
Through the analysis of some South American architectural experiences of modern and contemporary architects, we tried to highlight those fragments of expression that have characterized the buildings: the materiality of the wall surfaces, the formal aspects and aesthetic approach.
The paper highlights the unique character of the building structure through the rough and irregular surfaces of the popular housing designed by architect Lina Bo Bardi, and also the formal and aesthetic approach of architects Richard Neutra and Affonso Eduardo Reidy is presented through collectives buildings, for instance, schools, health centres and theatres.
Then, the schools in Brazil and the memorial sites in Colombia represent some examples of contemporary experiences that demonstrate how, even today, a social formality in architecture can be achieved with the use of local materials and limited resources.
Comparison of local practices in selected developing countries could represent an opportunity of rethinking both the aesthetical and the constructive approach of conceiving the structure of space, in order to provide guidelines for experimental projects in those countries, particularly for the practitioners involved in these contexts, which would possibly benefit from the outcome of this study.
Research Interests:
A primary healthcare facility in developing countries should be a multifunctional space able to respond to different requirements: Flexibility, modularity, aggregation and reversibility. These basic features could be better satisfied if... more
A primary healthcare facility in developing countries should be a multifunctional space able to respond to different requirements: Flexibility, modularity, aggregation and reversibility. These basic features could be better satisfied if applied to an architectural artifact that complies with the typological, figurative and constructive aspects of the context in which it is located. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify a procedure that can define the figurative aspects of the architectural structure of the health prototype for the marginal areas of developing countries through a critical approach. The application context is the rural areas of the Northeast of Bahia in Brazil. The prototype should be located in the rural district of Quingoma, in the municipality of Lauro de Freitas, a particular place where there is still a cultural fusion of black and indigenous populations. Based on the historical analysis of settlement strategies and architectural structures in space...
Research Interests:
A settlement strategy is to anticipate and respond the needs of existing and future communities through the provision of primary health care facilities in marginalized areas. Access to a health care network is important to improving... more
A settlement strategy is to anticipate and respond the needs of existing and future communities through the provision of primary health care facilities in marginalized areas. Access to a health care network is important to improving healthcare coverage, often lacking, in developing countries. The study explores that a good sanitary system strategy of rural contexts brings advantages to an existing settlement: improving transport, communication, water and social facilities. The objective of this paper is to define a possible methodology to implement primary health care facilities in disadvantaged areas of emerging countries. In this research, we analyze the case study of Lauro de Freitas, a municipality in the Brazilian state of Bahia, part of the Metropolitan Region of Salvador, with an area of 57,662 km² and 194.641 inhabitants. The health localization system in Lauro de Freitas is an integrated process that involves not only geographical aspects, but also a set of factors: population density, epidemiological data, allocation of services, road networks, and more. Data were collected also using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to the local population. Synthesized data suggest that moving away from the coast where there is the greatest concentration of population and services, a network of primary health care facilities is able to improve the living conditions of small-dispersed communities. Based on the health service needs of populations, we have developed a methodological approach that is particularly useful in rural and remote contexts in emerging countries.
Research Interests:
Our work concerns the study of the ancient Jewish Quarter Josefov, the urban center of Staré Mĕsto, in Prague. This Quarter represents a well-defined urban fact, recognizable within the fabric of the historic city. Over the centuries, it... more
Our work concerns the study of the ancient Jewish Quarter Josefov, the urban center of Staré Mĕsto, in Prague. This Quarter represents a well-defined urban fact, recognizable within the fabric of the historic city. Over the centuries, it has influenced the shape of the city and has become one of the most important and characteristic elements through its structure and spaces, its geography and its architecture (the Synagogue or the Jewish cemetery). However, this quarter also represents a fundamental social fact for the city of Prague as it is born from and organized around a very strong and historically rooted cultural identity. This cultural identity is characterized by uses, social customs, and traditions of a Jewish community that has been part of the history of the city over the centuries, helping to create myths and legends around it. The aim of this research is to preserve and recognize that cultural identity, using a strategic vision that starts from the reconstruction of pieces of this cultural testimony via the recovery of small parts of the urban fabric in the center or on the edge of this urban island.
Research Interests:
This paper tries to analyse one possible approach that has enabled us to experiment a strategy for a new settlement based on emergency structures applied in a particular context: the Gaza Strip. First of all, due to the difference... more
This paper tries to analyse one possible approach that has enabled us to experiment a strategy for a new settlement based on emergency structures applied in a particular context: the Gaza Strip.
First of all, due to the difference between all the paradigms of the strategies of primary health care and emergency medical assistance, the paper tries to demonstrate that there is one possible model that could be adopted as the requirement for the human condition of the Gaza Strip. In that area the most important problems are related to the lack of educational facilities, health care, relief and social services, microcredit and emergency assistance.
In addition, this paper analyses some different proposals planned by experts about the construction of artificial islands and linear systems of communication between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Our research, through a holist approach to the problem, identifies some priorities in a possible plan of intervention. By recognizing a long-term strategy, the proposal is defined within a main territorial axis into the Gaza Strip that can be considered as a basic element of a linear settlement for the realization of an emergency structure that connects Gaza City to Rafah. In the Gaza Strip this axis is immediately identifiable as a morphological feature, that is, at the same time, communication network and an element of local organization. It represents an essential element as a result of both its high degree of accessibility and its functional character.
Finally, the paper aims to survey urban problems in such a situation and considers this axis as a great opportunity in order to achieve a linear system of emergency facilities including the major cities of the Gaza Strip, passing through the greatest refugee camps and near the main crossings. Besides, this research is attending modular architecture as an adequate strategy for this case study, considering the property of flexibility, in order to increase/ decrease the settlement based on needs.
First of all, due to the difference between all the paradigms of the strategies of primary health care and emergency medical assistance, the paper tries to demonstrate that there is one possible model that could be adopted as the requirement for the human condition of the Gaza Strip. In that area the most important problems are related to the lack of educational facilities, health care, relief and social services, microcredit and emergency assistance.
In addition, this paper analyses some different proposals planned by experts about the construction of artificial islands and linear systems of communication between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Our research, through a holist approach to the problem, identifies some priorities in a possible plan of intervention. By recognizing a long-term strategy, the proposal is defined within a main territorial axis into the Gaza Strip that can be considered as a basic element of a linear settlement for the realization of an emergency structure that connects Gaza City to Rafah. In the Gaza Strip this axis is immediately identifiable as a morphological feature, that is, at the same time, communication network and an element of local organization. It represents an essential element as a result of both its high degree of accessibility and its functional character.
Finally, the paper aims to survey urban problems in such a situation and considers this axis as a great opportunity in order to achieve a linear system of emergency facilities including the major cities of the Gaza Strip, passing through the greatest refugee camps and near the main crossings. Besides, this research is attending modular architecture as an adequate strategy for this case study, considering the property of flexibility, in order to increase/ decrease the settlement based on needs.
Research Interests:
Gardens and historic parks represent an important cultural heritage resource in the urban structure. This paper analyses a case study in order to encourage the active "conservation" of open spaces. The physical setting of this research is... more
Gardens and historic parks represent an important cultural heritage resource in the urban structure. This paper analyses a case study in order to encourage the active "conservation" of open spaces. The physical setting of this research is an area in Milan included between the Guastalla Garden and the nearby Garden of the Sormani State Library. Our hypothesis explores different solutions in order to find new physical connections between these two historical gardens, through the design of temporary and reversible architectural structures dedicated to public functions such as exhibition, cultural enterprises and social facilities. The aim of this strategy is to enhance historical sites, not just to protect them from damaging development. The presence of public functions leads us to define a new approach to the concept of enhancement, and allows us to translate reversible structures into an item able to transform the site and develop the quality of life in the city.
Research Interests:
This paper tries to connect together the architectural interest in utopia and the ideal condition of the countryside. In the work of utopists as well as in some works of the visionary architects, the idea of accomplishing an ideal... more
This paper tries to connect together the architectural interest in utopia and the ideal condition of the countryside. In the work of utopists as well as in some works of the visionary architects, the idea of accomplishing
an ideal dimension in planning the society or in conceiving the structure of architectural space, the so-called rural utopia, is often exercised.
Firstly this paper testifies to the growing interest in the many aspects related to the concept of space in the architecture of utopia. So it intends to analyse, on architectural production, some models of spatial exploration in order to open the study of utopian literature to new lines of inquiry. Classical social utopias are among the main sources of the discipline of architecture.
Then it proposes to think of utopias not as fictional texts about future change, but as basic element in a cultural and productive process through which social, spatial and subjective identities are formed.
Finally utopias can thus be read as textual systems implying a distinct spatial and temporal dimension; as ‘spatial practices’ that tend to naturalize a cultural and social construction. By examining the French context, and the period of the Enlightenment, it was considered as a case-study the project of C.N.Ledoux for the Royal Saltworks, and its
evolution towards the utopian dimension of the city of Chaux.
an ideal dimension in planning the society or in conceiving the structure of architectural space, the so-called rural utopia, is often exercised.
Firstly this paper testifies to the growing interest in the many aspects related to the concept of space in the architecture of utopia. So it intends to analyse, on architectural production, some models of spatial exploration in order to open the study of utopian literature to new lines of inquiry. Classical social utopias are among the main sources of the discipline of architecture.
Then it proposes to think of utopias not as fictional texts about future change, but as basic element in a cultural and productive process through which social, spatial and subjective identities are formed.
Finally utopias can thus be read as textual systems implying a distinct spatial and temporal dimension; as ‘spatial practices’ that tend to naturalize a cultural and social construction. By examining the French context, and the period of the Enlightenment, it was considered as a case-study the project of C.N.Ledoux for the Royal Saltworks, and its
evolution towards the utopian dimension of the city of Chaux.
Research Interests:
The subject of this research is the identification of some singular characteristic of historical and monumental cities, able to disclose strategic interventions for the regeneration of urban structure. Starting from a macro-urban... more
The subject of this research is the identification of some singular characteristic of historical and monumental cities, able to disclose strategic interventions for the regeneration of urban structure.
Starting from a macro-urban planning, this structural approach allows us to study on the one hand the subject matter of the research by considering problems both from infrastructural and identity point of view, and, on the other hand, it is possible to recognise the role of great architectural as resources for the architectural design.
The presence of ancient axis, along which the historical urban structure sets up its identity, is one of the paradigms we can recognize the essence of urban framework, but that nowadays is weakened from a multiplicity uncontrolled connections and from the inception of indeterminate functions. This presence plays a key role to urban regeneration, studied as a restoration and consolidation of the city, and as an important aspect of urban identity.
Using precise interpretative approaches, this research tries to understand which architectural characters can control and define a new urban form without betray its original structure.
The case study analysed by this research, belonging to the path of the Via Francigena (historical route from Canterbury to Rome), is the historical axis of Via Emilia between two cities, Piacenza and Parma.
Along this local axis, some centres represent important examples for this study because recently they achieved the semblance of an indistinguishable metropolis, ever evolving. İn this case it is necessary to totally rethink the role of the axis that, during the past, had created a close relationship between city and country-side, and other architectural structures into the city itself, such as great religious buildings and civic structures: ancient town halls and cathedrals, convents and so on.
Firstly this research tries to study and interpret these historical architectures. Able to offer many opportunities since their natural correlation to infrastructural axis, they allow us to identify the special relationship between historical buildings and street, city and country-side.
Then, these structures are potentially considered reserve of resilience that can safeguard the meaning and the identity of places.
Finally, this research experiments a methodology that employs a strategy of revitalization by considering the whole urban structure and not only a single building. This approach works around a larger scale with an inclusive strategy, considering the economical and social aspects of the city.
In other words this study tries to realize procedures of integrated regeneration, that is the predisposition of a transformation system in different scales: building restoration, the enhancement of cultural and landscape heritage, the improvement of infrastructure system and the renovation of public and collective facilities.
Starting from a macro-urban planning, this structural approach allows us to study on the one hand the subject matter of the research by considering problems both from infrastructural and identity point of view, and, on the other hand, it is possible to recognise the role of great architectural as resources for the architectural design.
The presence of ancient axis, along which the historical urban structure sets up its identity, is one of the paradigms we can recognize the essence of urban framework, but that nowadays is weakened from a multiplicity uncontrolled connections and from the inception of indeterminate functions. This presence plays a key role to urban regeneration, studied as a restoration and consolidation of the city, and as an important aspect of urban identity.
Using precise interpretative approaches, this research tries to understand which architectural characters can control and define a new urban form without betray its original structure.
The case study analysed by this research, belonging to the path of the Via Francigena (historical route from Canterbury to Rome), is the historical axis of Via Emilia between two cities, Piacenza and Parma.
Along this local axis, some centres represent important examples for this study because recently they achieved the semblance of an indistinguishable metropolis, ever evolving. İn this case it is necessary to totally rethink the role of the axis that, during the past, had created a close relationship between city and country-side, and other architectural structures into the city itself, such as great religious buildings and civic structures: ancient town halls and cathedrals, convents and so on.
Firstly this research tries to study and interpret these historical architectures. Able to offer many opportunities since their natural correlation to infrastructural axis, they allow us to identify the special relationship between historical buildings and street, city and country-side.
Then, these structures are potentially considered reserve of resilience that can safeguard the meaning and the identity of places.
Finally, this research experiments a methodology that employs a strategy of revitalization by considering the whole urban structure and not only a single building. This approach works around a larger scale with an inclusive strategy, considering the economical and social aspects of the city.
In other words this study tries to realize procedures of integrated regeneration, that is the predisposition of a transformation system in different scales: building restoration, the enhancement of cultural and landscape heritage, the improvement of infrastructure system and the renovation of public and collective facilities.
Research Interests:
Gardens and historic parks represent an important cultural heritage resource in the urban structure. This paper analyses a case study in order to encourage the active "conservation" of open spaces. The physical setting of this research is... more
Gardens and historic parks represent an important cultural heritage resource in the urban structure. This paper analyses a case study in order to encourage the active "conservation" of open spaces. The physical setting of this research is an area in Milan included between the Guastalla Garden and the nearby Garden of the Sormani State Library. Our hypothesis explores different solutions in order to find new physical connections between these two historical gardens, through the design of temporary and reversible architectural structures dedicated to public functions such as exhibition, cultural enterprises and social facilities. The aim of this strategy is to enhance historical sites, not just to protect them from damaging development. The presence of public functions leads us to define a new approach to the concept of enhancement, and allows us to translate reversible structures into an item able to transform the site and develop the quality of life in the city.
Research Interests:
Focusing on recent researches addressed by some important critics, we can recognize how contemporary architects continue to embrace spatial creation as a fundamental focus of their work. The paper tries to reveals how, beyond formal... more
Focusing on recent researches addressed by some important critics, we can recognize how contemporary architects continue to embrace spatial creation as a fundamental focus of their work. The paper tries to reveals how, beyond formal traits
and functional needs, the conception and articulation of architectural space still defines architecture as an artistic endeavor, and a response to wider cultural issues. Although the concept of space was critical in defining the modern movement in
architecture, today the notion of architectural space is related not only to the his own value, but with the aesthetic conception of architects and artists: spatial conceptions from “assemblage” and “envelope” space, to “fictional” and “performative” space.
Measuring the coherence of architectural space would mean as well changing the current understandings of architecture as a progression of styles, that means the importance to clarify the idea of the space as a privileged quest of architectural practice.
As proposed by French philosopher Michel Foucault, ours is the epoch of space, an expanded field imbued with complex meanings. The social meaning of architectural space could be a field where to address again the survey with new coherent
approaches as new feature for the discipline of architecture design.
and functional needs, the conception and articulation of architectural space still defines architecture as an artistic endeavor, and a response to wider cultural issues. Although the concept of space was critical in defining the modern movement in
architecture, today the notion of architectural space is related not only to the his own value, but with the aesthetic conception of architects and artists: spatial conceptions from “assemblage” and “envelope” space, to “fictional” and “performative” space.
Measuring the coherence of architectural space would mean as well changing the current understandings of architecture as a progression of styles, that means the importance to clarify the idea of the space as a privileged quest of architectural practice.
As proposed by French philosopher Michel Foucault, ours is the epoch of space, an expanded field imbued with complex meanings. The social meaning of architectural space could be a field where to address again the survey with new coherent
approaches as new feature for the discipline of architecture design.
Research Interests:
This paper tries to analyze a planning for Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in developing countries through a flexible system construction in order to realize a multi-scale prototype adaptable in different contexts. While Emergency... more
This paper tries to analyze a planning for Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in developing countries through a flexible system construction in order to realize a multi-scale prototype adaptable in different contexts.
While Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA) is delivered in disasters or emergency situations, Primary Health Care is based on a support as part of overall development constructing as best multi-purpose facilities that can be adapted as a social for different tasks and activities. With this approach, we examine the process of building system structure for different functions by adapting the flexible system to the different countries, areas and settlements.
The aim is to define guidelines for planning health facilities with multi-criteria approach, identifying a score to the same factors relating to different contexts. This paper describes a new process to define a program for a flexible, modular and expandable system for health facilities.
While Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA) is delivered in disasters or emergency situations, Primary Health Care is based on a support as part of overall development constructing as best multi-purpose facilities that can be adapted as a social for different tasks and activities. With this approach, we examine the process of building system structure for different functions by adapting the flexible system to the different countries, areas and settlements.
The aim is to define guidelines for planning health facilities with multi-criteria approach, identifying a score to the same factors relating to different contexts. This paper describes a new process to define a program for a flexible, modular and expandable system for health facilities.
Research Interests:
The subject of this research, on the issue of urban regeneration, concerns the phenomenon of the decommissioned micro urban structures, a situation extended to many small European cities that requires the application of specific... more
The subject of this research, on the issue of urban regeneration, concerns the phenomenon of the decommissioned micro urban structures, a situation extended to many small European cities that requires the application of specific proceedings. In the current situation of economic contraction, the micro decommission of urban structure phenomenon is broad and extended to different city levels. However, thought economic cycles have shown the ability to allow the redistribution and the recovery of the de-industrialized large areas in a consolidated metropolis, in small European cities, referring to more restricted areas, the urban disposals progression goes on, as a result of the dispersion of urban functions in the suburban space, called sprawl. This research aims to address this issue through the development of unitary process for small cities belonging to metropolitan areas.
Research Interests:
This research concerns the study of an architectural prototype designed for some situations of great emergency. The main criteria underlying this proposal are thought for emergencies connected to natural disasters and, in particular, to... more
This research concerns the study of an architectural prototype designed for some situations of great emergency. The main criteria underlying this proposal are thought for emergencies connected to natural disasters and, in particular, to the needs of specific metropolitan areas that have to solve many problems relating to temporary or lasting hospitality. The main characteristics of this design can be clearly identified in five different points. The first one is the functional independence: each part of the prototype is built like an autonomous piece that can host people to do different functions. The second characteristic is flexibility and adaptability: the structure’s base module is realized by a sequence of elements that can compose different spaces for distinct functions. Wide set of solutions allows to modify yourself and satisfy many requirements such as the purpose, number and type of users and so on. Another important element is the easy transport: each part of the structure must be transportable by a container on sea, on railway and on the road. The fourth essential characteristic is disposition and aggregation: each module can be organized in a horizontal composition and, in some cases, also vertically, in order to create more complex systems and structures that can be used for many contexts, natural and artificial landscapes, in a urban or rural reality. The last important quality of this prototype is the economical manufacturing of the facility: every part of the structure must be realized with very light materials, endowed with a great corrosion endurance, an excellent thermal and electrical insulation, soundproof and needing no maintenance.
Research Interests:
This paper tries to analyze a procedure for a flexible system construction in order to realize a multi-scale prototype for Primary Health Care (PHC) adaptable in different context. While Emergency Medical Assistants (EMA) is delivered... more
This paper tries to analyze a procedure for a flexible system construction in order to realize a multi-scale prototype for Primary Health Care (PHC) adaptable in different context.
While Emergency Medical Assistants (EMA) is delivered in disasters or emergency situations, Primary Health Care is based on a support as part of overall development constructing as best multi-purpose facilities that can be adapted as a social structure for different tasks and activities, building new facilities. With this approach, we examine the process of building system structure for different functions by adapting the flexible system to the different settlements.
The aim is to define guidelines for a new constructive system through modular and reproducible elements using local resources. However this paper provides an example of evaluating the strategy, combining few different characteristics that can be generalized to build comfortable and flexible spaces for different activities.
A case study focussing on Mozambique will demonstrate how the “Primary health care” approach needs a flexible and adaptable method able to acquire the principle of self-sufficiency with “open” systems, avoiding fixed solutions. The search result is primarily to define a flexible, expandable and versatile facility through a construction system and a logical settlement that can be expanded according to the requirements of the site. It needs relate to the different application contexts also in finding construction materials, as well as typological and localization models of each local settlement.
While Emergency Medical Assistants (EMA) is delivered in disasters or emergency situations, Primary Health Care is based on a support as part of overall development constructing as best multi-purpose facilities that can be adapted as a social structure for different tasks and activities, building new facilities. With this approach, we examine the process of building system structure for different functions by adapting the flexible system to the different settlements.
The aim is to define guidelines for a new constructive system through modular and reproducible elements using local resources. However this paper provides an example of evaluating the strategy, combining few different characteristics that can be generalized to build comfortable and flexible spaces for different activities.
A case study focussing on Mozambique will demonstrate how the “Primary health care” approach needs a flexible and adaptable method able to acquire the principle of self-sufficiency with “open” systems, avoiding fixed solutions. The search result is primarily to define a flexible, expandable and versatile facility through a construction system and a logical settlement that can be expanded according to the requirements of the site. It needs relate to the different application contexts also in finding construction materials, as well as typological and localization models of each local settlement.
Research Interests:
This paper concerns the study of the relationship between art and technique in architecture. Lately, the architectural design seems to be paying particular attention to the environmental impact, considering the importance of the project... more
This paper concerns the study of the relationship between art and technique in architecture. Lately, the architectural design seems to be paying particular attention to the environmental impact, considering the importance of the project sustainability and the idea of efficiency on its energetic performance. These issues could affect some basic choices on typological and figurative aspects of the design process.
The extraordinary speed and dynamism of some new exotic tendencies shows how the architectural culture, previously interested in figurative and tectonic aspects, is now attracted by different hot topics like the energy efficiency or the climatic comfort of buildings, sometimes generating a downgrade of the physical characters of the form.
As a result, the morphological aspects, the principles of settlement, the architecture’s ability to generate space and to affect the patterns of using the space, are becoming secondary and unnecessary. Art and technique appear in the middle of a contest, in search of a presumed primacy one over the other, but both overwhelmed by a technological achievement that assumes an aesthetic feature.
The recently achieved breaking point with the tradition let think to other very important moments in the history of art and architecture, such as the years after the artistic avant-garde. During that period, art and technique were becoming
interpreters of new figurative orders subverting the conventions and the current academic rules.
With this paper we are trying to analyse a short period where there was a contrast in the architectural debate between criteria of analysis based on the artistic inspiration and others based on the development of technique. It is necessary to consider the aspects of modernity that in the short time from the mid-twenties to mid-thirties of the twentieth century, were able to combine art and architecture skills with the tradition of handicraft. For example, the figurative experimentalism which had already interested Konstantin Mel’nikov, who showed
a disillusioned attitude for the development of technique and, at the same time, for the architecture as a specific instance of figuration.
Another case of a figurative experiment, concerns the cubist avant-garde in Czechoslovakia that meant the transposition of Cubism painting into architecture.
Some of these cubist architects were Vlatislav Hoffmann, Josef Chochol, Pavel Janak and Josef Gočar.
Finally, this tension between art and architecture was able to influence the composition of space and its rules also in Italy, in Milan and in the Lombardy region.
Some very important examples of this current of “spatial ideation” are several Italian architects, such as Persico, Lingeri, Cattaneo and Terragni.
The extraordinary speed and dynamism of some new exotic tendencies shows how the architectural culture, previously interested in figurative and tectonic aspects, is now attracted by different hot topics like the energy efficiency or the climatic comfort of buildings, sometimes generating a downgrade of the physical characters of the form.
As a result, the morphological aspects, the principles of settlement, the architecture’s ability to generate space and to affect the patterns of using the space, are becoming secondary and unnecessary. Art and technique appear in the middle of a contest, in search of a presumed primacy one over the other, but both overwhelmed by a technological achievement that assumes an aesthetic feature.
The recently achieved breaking point with the tradition let think to other very important moments in the history of art and architecture, such as the years after the artistic avant-garde. During that period, art and technique were becoming
interpreters of new figurative orders subverting the conventions and the current academic rules.
With this paper we are trying to analyse a short period where there was a contrast in the architectural debate between criteria of analysis based on the artistic inspiration and others based on the development of technique. It is necessary to consider the aspects of modernity that in the short time from the mid-twenties to mid-thirties of the twentieth century, were able to combine art and architecture skills with the tradition of handicraft. For example, the figurative experimentalism which had already interested Konstantin Mel’nikov, who showed
a disillusioned attitude for the development of technique and, at the same time, for the architecture as a specific instance of figuration.
Another case of a figurative experiment, concerns the cubist avant-garde in Czechoslovakia that meant the transposition of Cubism painting into architecture.
Some of these cubist architects were Vlatislav Hoffmann, Josef Chochol, Pavel Janak and Josef Gočar.
Finally, this tension between art and architecture was able to influence the composition of space and its rules also in Italy, in Milan and in the Lombardy region.
Some very important examples of this current of “spatial ideation” are several Italian architects, such as Persico, Lingeri, Cattaneo and Terragni.
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is the investigation and analysis of the emerging phenomenon of the micro industrial reuse that is affecting the contemporary European city with unknown and different features from those of the major productive... more
The aim of this paper is the investigation and analysis of the emerging phenomenon of the micro industrial reuse that is affecting the contemporary European city with unknown and different features from those of the major productive sectors known. The issues related to this phenomenon are attributable to the popular opinion that micro industrial reuse can be managed locally and autonomously in the absence of an overview. However, a critical investigation of urban regeneration can develop a method of study based primarily on the development of these emerging phenomena, later on the recognition of the distinctive characteristics of this new urban condition and finally on the identification of operating ways that can be generalized in similar contexts. Essential is to verify the possibility of increase the level of habitability of this spaces and of the respective contexts to stopping the continuous waste of soil and improving the quality of life. So, the interventions of regeneration of urban areas must create relationships with its immediate surroundings, it can create hybridization functional between productive, collective and residential activities and between public and private activities. The physical setting of the research was an area included in the basin of the Po valley: an area along the Via Emilia, where small and medium industrial units have concentrated in the last decades. This area still shows problems of industrial reorganization, rendered more complex by the widespread crisis prevailing in traditional activities. In this context, a number of projects concerning rail and/or road accessibility were being carried out, arising much debate as to whether or not they will prove useful for the future transport network of the whole basin. In this broader context, our research has focused on in-depth analysis of a possible case study, represented by the city of Fidenza. The strategy adopted by the project moves by some general considerations, that see the urban plan of Fidenza fragmented into anonymous accidental conurbations, moving gradually away from the city center to the countryside. This anomaly, which is common in many centers for small and medium, in Fidenza is particularly emblematic near the entrances of the city on the Via Emilia. Then, is an urgent need to rethink, in this urban fabric, the role of the Via Emilia, which has historically helped to create direct relationships along the course, between town and country and between urban facts within the city itself, which are still dismissed. To exemplify our approach to the theme of the proposed project, it is necessary to look at the analysis of some projects. These projects have developed in different ways the issues proposed by the place, chosen as project area. These issues can be summarized as follows: proposals for the organization in the area facing the Fidenza Railway Station; proposals for the organization in the bounded area of the former Jesuit Convent in Fidenza. The innovative aspect of the project lies in posing the problem of urban regeneration at the micro-scale, looking at the potential role of small industrial units, which have closed down in small/medium towns. In the current situation a priority vision is mandatory. Sustainability, so often set as a priority by international research institutions, requires not only a generalized approach; rather does it require specific solutions, to be found considering the distinguishing features, and resources, of each single context. Our aim is to focus examples on how to reuse, modify, or replace (partially or entirely) existing small industrial units and activities. To do this, we shall experiment with new spatial arrangements and building types, while asking contribution from other disciplines to rediscover and revive the identity of townscapes under study.
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is to describe a specific approach to renovate old buildings in an historical and monumental area of town centre through some new buildings, reconstruction and rehabilitation. In this case, the most important thing... more
The aim of this paper is to describe a specific approach to renovate old buildings in an historical and monumental area of town centre through some new buildings, reconstruction and rehabilitation. In this case, the most important thing is to join the new architecture with the ancient one, sometimes through the integration, other times through the completion and the replacement. This study is based on theories by Ernesto Nathan Rogers about “environmental pre-existence”, resumed by Ignazio Gardella, Franco Albini and Carlo Scarpa in theirs projects. According to this idea it is important to analyse all the case studies to define the right hypotheses to find the best solution for this problem.
In this paper, the particular case described is a project made to redraw the main buildings and public spaces of the town centre of Moglia, a little city near Mantua, in Italy. On 20th May 2012 strong earthquake shocks hit places near Modena and Mantua, damaging and destroying many historical buildings; for instance the Church of Saint John the Baptist in the centre of Moglia was seriously damaged. This church was built at the beginning of the 1500 and finished in 1741-1755. During the earthquake shock, a portion of roof felt in ruins and the main walls were seriously damaged; also some others buildings were compromised in their stability, for instance the primary school’s building, the city hall and all historical buildings on XX September Street.
The project of renovation is divided into several stages: the analysis of the present condition; the study of the clefts; the estimation of the roofing system; the analysis of load-bearing walls and the study of arches, vaults and centrings. After completing all these analyses, the project goes on with the consolidation of the church and the preservation of the original shell using an internal structure of load-bearing pillars. The next step concerns the reconstruction of the main front; this part of the study consider some examples of renovation in Italy, like Castelvecchio in Verona by Carlo Scarpa, the St Lawrence's Treasure in Geneva by Franco Albini or the Castle Museum of Milan by BBPR. The main front is designed with its original geometry using a simple wood trellis. The last part of the project refers to the consolidation of the historical buildings on XX September Street; all current structures are kept in their original aspect and they are secured with metal arches and chains.
In this paper, the particular case described is a project made to redraw the main buildings and public spaces of the town centre of Moglia, a little city near Mantua, in Italy. On 20th May 2012 strong earthquake shocks hit places near Modena and Mantua, damaging and destroying many historical buildings; for instance the Church of Saint John the Baptist in the centre of Moglia was seriously damaged. This church was built at the beginning of the 1500 and finished in 1741-1755. During the earthquake shock, a portion of roof felt in ruins and the main walls were seriously damaged; also some others buildings were compromised in their stability, for instance the primary school’s building, the city hall and all historical buildings on XX September Street.
The project of renovation is divided into several stages: the analysis of the present condition; the study of the clefts; the estimation of the roofing system; the analysis of load-bearing walls and the study of arches, vaults and centrings. After completing all these analyses, the project goes on with the consolidation of the church and the preservation of the original shell using an internal structure of load-bearing pillars. The next step concerns the reconstruction of the main front; this part of the study consider some examples of renovation in Italy, like Castelvecchio in Verona by Carlo Scarpa, the St Lawrence's Treasure in Geneva by Franco Albini or the Castle Museum of Milan by BBPR. The main front is designed with its original geometry using a simple wood trellis. The last part of the project refers to the consolidation of the historical buildings on XX September Street; all current structures are kept in their original aspect and they are secured with metal arches and chains.
Research Interests:
The aim of this paper is to show the survey method used for the figurative and typological reconstruction of an architectural complex. This method is illustrated through three case studies of the traditional Chinese Hakka, chosen in... more
The aim of this paper is to show the survey method used for the figurative and typological reconstruction of an architectural complex. This method is illustrated through three case studies of the traditional Chinese Hakka, chosen in relation to the different state of conservation of the architectural structures. This work, divided into different phases, has allowed the reconstruction of the entire architectural structure through a proper reading of each typological element.
Research Interests:
This paper concerns the study of sustainable construction materials applied on the "Health Post", a prototype for the primary health care situated in alienated areas of the world. It's suitable for social and climatic Sub-... more
This paper concerns the study of sustainable construction materials applied on the "Health Post", a prototype for the primary health care situated in alienated areas of the world. It's suitable for social and climatic Sub- Saharan context; however, it could be moved in other countries of the world with similar urgent needs. The idea is to create a Health Post with local construction materials that have a low environmental impact and promote the local workforce allowing reuse of traditional building techniques lowering production costs and transport. The aim of Primary Health Care Centre is to be a flexible and expandable structure identifying a modular form that can be repeated several times to expand its existing functions. In this way it could be not only a health care centre but also a socio-cultural facility.
Research Interests:
This paper concerns the study of sustainable construction materials applied on the "Health Post", a prototype for the primary health care situated in alienated areas of the world. It's suitable for social and climatic Sub-Saharan context;... more
This paper concerns the study of sustainable construction materials applied on the "Health Post", a prototype for the primary health care situated in alienated areas of the world. It's suitable for social and climatic Sub-Saharan context; however, it could be moved in other countries of the world with similar urgent needs. The idea is to create a Health Post with local construction materials that have a low environmental impact and promote the local workforce allowing reuse of traditional building techniques lowering
production costs and transport. The aim of Primary Health Care Centre is to be a flexible and expandable structure identifying a modular form that can be repeated several times to expand its existing functions. In this way it could be not only a health care centre but also a socio-cultural facility.
production costs and transport. The aim of Primary Health Care Centre is to be a flexible and expandable structure identifying a modular form that can be repeated several times to expand its existing functions. In this way it could be not only a health care centre but also a socio-cultural facility.