Omuli Sustainable Village by Ali Ahmadi

Omuli Sustainable Village

M.Sc Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design Student: Ali Ahmadi Supervisor: Prof. Karin Hofert

Department of Architecture Archi and Urban Studies

Dedicated to

Abstract

the sanctity of my father’s tears... when I felt the trembling of his masculine cries in my arms in our last visit...

Traveling ,is an Inseparable part of the human being’s daily life,and by the development of technology and transportation system,it is now growing rapidly.In recent century,tourism industry has became as one of the most important industries within a large number of countries and therfore,it has brought advantages and disadvantages.Unfortunatly,by having the rapid growth in the industry,cities,nature,people and in general,our mother earth,is suﬀering specially from the development of tourism without any management. While on the other hand,it is obvious that the industry cannot be ignored,as it provides financial benefits for the destinations.This project,located in Omuli,Latvia,close to the border of Estonia in the northern parts of the country,by the emphasis on making the balance between environment and economy,tries to develop the concept of sustainable tourism in Latvia,by creating the system of one week tourism and at the end,by the design of the sustainable eco village as a destination as a part of the mentioned one week. In Summery,this is the story of giving a new life to a forgotten location,for people to use,create memories,and be sustainable.

my mother,when i hugged her on the last visit,and her endless hug chased me away on my winding road of the life... my sister for all of her support and love...

Thank you

Prof. Karin Hofert for all the great support,knowledge and advices during the design process...

Michael Dohn Thomsen , Carsten Carlo Friari Nielsen , Signe Annika Haulrich and Catarina Almeida, for all the support and great advices...

Politecnico di Milano which gave me all the possibilities and opportunities...

Henning Larsen Architects,for providing me all the experience,support,knowledge and equipment.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Project evaluation calender

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

content

Introduction

Design Process

Personal motivation ............................................................................................................. 10 Site introduction .............................................................................................................. 12 Question,purpose and response ..................................................................................... 12

Where we are ...................................................................................................................78 MP design strategies ......................................................................................................84 Project aims ..................................................................................................................... 88 Design process ..................................................................................................................88 Master plan ........................................................................................................................94 Master plan analysis ...........................................................................................................98 Design Achievments ...........................................................................................................122 Wooden village proposal ...................................................................................................124 Landscape typologies ........................................................................................................124

Methods Understanding

................................................................................................................. 18 Literature

Design

Tourism ............................................................................................................................ 23 Introducing the challenges ............................................................................................. 26 Sustainable tourism ...........................................................................................................38 Crisis in Latvia .................................................................................................................... 42 Territory scale strategies .................................................................................................. 46

Zone 1 ..................................................................................................................................132 Omuli museum ....................................................................................................................136 Zone 2 ..................................................................................................................................132 Observation tower ..............................................................................................................164 Zone3-Rest cabins ................................................................................................................172 Zone4 ...............................................................................................................................172 Tourist center ..................................................................................................................184 Production buildings ........................................................................................................194 Accommodation cabins ..................................................................................................200

Site Analysis Settlements ...................................................................................................................... 50 Mobility .............................................................................................................................. 52 Railways ..............................................................................................................................54 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................56 Forests ...............................................................................................................................58 Preserved Environment ....................................................................................................60 Qualities closer to Omuli ................................................................................................... 62 Climate .............................................................................................................................. 64 Strategy

list of figures

......................................................................................................210

References

......................................................................................................214

One week sustainable touri.................................................................................................. 68

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Introduction

-In this season, we will go through general theme of the project and we will get familiar with the issue and our main question,and we will be introduced very generally to the location of the project.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Personal motivation

Nowadays,whatever we see or experience in our daily life,is a transformed and updated version of things,behaviors,traditions and directions and breifly,the way of thinking of our ancestors,and all previous generations who have built this way of living and who have shaped all the facilities and possibilities for us. Now,by the time,we are very well aware of most of the positive and negative aspects of our history as human beings and it is on us now to try to guide next generations and provide better world and possibilities for them. Personally,i have travelled alot,not only in my country,but also after my migration,and i have been lucky to see many amazing locations and wonderful places,both in case of architecture or landscape. Having this experiences, I witnessed that a large proportion of people,specially tourists,are not aware of their impacts on the major and minor tourism destinations and they only care about experiencing and having fun.on the other hand,the tourism organizers are also doing their best to make the tourism as the single product that can benefit them economically. As an Architecture student, I started to think about this aspects more and more and then,this became a very important question for me.

Theme introduction I started to gather information and I tried to look at the concept of tourism,more scientifically and to see that which aspects could be developed and how can I try my best to be more and more aware and eﬀective to follow this path also more precise in my career.I wanted to make an scheme in which tourism could benefit tourists,local people and environment. My aim in this project,is to see the consequences of tourism industry and then,take some steps back,to be able to introduce an updated method of development in this case.

As it is described before,whatever we have in our hands and inside our minds,is basically the transformation of whatever it was before and tourism is not a converse case.By taking a look to the evaluation and history of tourism,we could easily see the process of development and transformations and obviously,it is easy to read the good and bad eﬀects of it.

- Traveling,started with the first road developments between the locations back in the history,when it was really hard to travel and at the same time,it was taking a lot of time.On those periodes,traveling was more than just an experience ,it rarely happened and most of the long travels had the economic reasons and was mostly happening because of doing trades. -Going forward through the time,traveling changed its character to be mostly aristocratic and dedicated to high profile groups of people.It was usually them who had the capability to walk along the lengthful journey to see and to explore diﬀerent parts of the world.The more the time passed,the larger proportion of people were able to travel and it gradually started to be a small part of the life.

- Invention of the airplane,was followed by the very first scheduled flights and suddenly,the speed of development in tourism was multiplied several times.the world faced the huge competition between flight agencies and tour organizers and it became an inseparable part of daily life of people. -Companies started to allocate paid holidays in their employees schedule and gradually,it was proved that tourism could be one of the most important industries in the world,and in general,traveling could be really important in many aspects. -By the development of technology,improtant applications such as Airbnb,trip advisor and google flights were created that made everything so simple and so achievable. -At the same time and unfortunately,as same as many of other industries,this speed of development and improved facilities,made hundreds of disadvantages and guided the world directly to the huge environmental and cultural crisis.countries gathered to find the possible solution and they ended up with having the sustainable development criteria.

-It was going more or less with the same rapidity,until when industrial revolution happened and changed everything.It has been the greatest development and occurrence in the history of human being and influenced many things including tourism. --Thomas Cook,who established the first tour around the world was an eﬀective person regarding tourism industry.He successfully established one of the very first traveling agencies and started to make the people familiar with the concept of tourism. -After the creation of UK and US package tour,one of the main factor that after passing many decades,we are witness of its huge impact on this industry,was the invention of first models of airplanes by Wright brothers.

Figure1- Evaluation of tourism

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

1-Abandoned school 2-Dense forest character 3-Existing lake 4-Local developement plan construction Site

Site introduction

The chosen site for this project,is Omuli,in Latvia.In the northern parts of the country,where we are close to the border,and where we are next to the iconic landscapes,where the rural life is current and where we are far from the urban context,there is a part of the land that has placed the very old and abandoned local school and some of the small local housings and storages in the vicinity of the pure nature and also farming lands.the site is influenced by the local development plans and projects based on the needs of the government.This site is very specific and is placed in the location where it has been considered as the preserved nature typology. I started to develop my idea of implementing the new way of sustainable local transformation,which could be acceptable both for the govenment’s overview and local people,and could work both environmentally and economically. I found the potential in the site,to let me develop of a new concept of tourism,whi-

-ch is knowledge based and environmentally friendly,and could function flexibly between tourists and local people and at the same time,by being located in the pure preserved nature,will challenge me to achieve one of my greatest aims which is how to also make it easy to keep the nature work naturally in parallel with gaining knowledge,developing economy and infrastructure.

Figure 3- Project Borders

Question,Purpose,Response After the Brief explanation in the Beginning,I would like to end this chapter by raising the questions as the guiding parameters,finding the purpose and making a general response to that.

1-How tourism could be more attached with the local context and environment. 2-How tourism could be beneficial to develop the local quality of life and recreational possibilities but at the same time keeps the balance between environment and economy. 3-In which ways,it could be more and more sustainable?

In this project,I tried to answer this questions by developing the concept of a sustainable village,which works as the sustainable neighborhood,and is based on the adaptive reuse of the existing abandoned structures,that can create an economic-environmental tourism that can directly develop the local context,in case of economy and also the quality of life.

It is easy to see the issue,as will be more introduced in the next chapter,however it has always been harder to find a sustainable answer.Based on my researches and education in Architecture,and after studying the tourism and it’s relation with sustainablity,I strongly believe that the good arch-

Figure 2- Map of Latvia

-itecture,should be responsive to the context,as the parameter that creates it and it should always consider the future,and create the void for the next generation and a good tourism system should be educational based that let people to make experience and at the same time,preserve the destination and respect the context.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Methods

In this chapter we briefly go through the methods of understanding the problems and the way of finding logical and science based responses to our main issues and questions.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Understanding

Before starting to analyze the site and to start with the design process,the understanding of the problem and the subject has been the most important part of the project and in fact,it works as the foundation for all the process that has been considered through the design.The method of understanding consists of 3 major parts. 1- Researching and reviewing related articles. 2-visiting similar projects and sites. 3-Case studies.

Visiting It is obvious that the knowledge must be supported by experience.Therefore,many aspects of the project is also inspired by the knowledge gained from different site visits and small trips. All the sites that is visited during the process,was chosen to be in a same direction with my understandings and desires for this project.Many sites has been selected that were reflecting also the same climate situation,to help me to know the difference of design elements in different weather conditions and based on different needs.To sum up,visited sites and projects were categorized and prioritized based on two main factors: 1-subject

Researches and articles Most of the knowledge that has been gained through the process,is achieved by the help of the specialists in diﬀerent subjects related to the tourism industry and local architecture and landscape typology,in addition to the existing challenges of the context in various directions such as environmental,social and economic challenges.Fortunately,there is an increasing number of people and specialists,who are taking part in making an eﬀect on changing the current crisis that is happening due to the tourism.For me,from the beginnig,it was really important to base my project on the existing realities and to not no get far from the real problems and challenges.There are in fact,numerous aspects that helped my eyes to be more open after getting closer to what science is concluding.To be more specific,the project is started from a better understanding of the tourism in a global scale,and getting familiar with its pros and cons on that scale.Then,it got developed by decreasing the scale and knowing the advantages and disadvantages in the continent and country scale and also all the challenges that local people and the country is facing and also,the local activity types ,traditions and lifstyles.All of this was also supported by the help of the understanding of other aspects of sustainable tourism,for example,social environmental,economical etc.

2-Climate Case stusies Nowadays,by the improvement of network and social media,it is clear that the speed of knowledge sharing has been rapidly increased.Getting benefit of this service,it was a helping hand for this project to experience the masterpieces from well known architects and artists,or architectural firms who are pioneers on making sustainable changes. By the help of looking at what other architects has experienced and what they have achieved,the project is inspired and tried to get the most positive signs of sustainable changes and implement it within its own territory.

Figure 4- Notes and brainstorms

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Literature

In this chapter,we identify the problems in diﬀerent variation and scales and we will have a detailed introduction to the main theme of the project.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Tourism

Tourism is recognized as one of the most important economic sectors or industries in the world and many countries see tourism as the main instrument for economic and regional development. Tourism is the leading industry in the service sector at the global level as well as a major provider of jobs and a significant generator of foreign exchange at the national level. Travel and tourism is the number one or two industries in most countries and will soon be the leading industry worldwide. The revenue generated by tourism has become a very important resource and a key factor in the balance of payment for many countries and regions and has been a major contributor to their economic growth. argues that tourism needs greater recognition for its capacity to general economic, environmental and social benefits. tourism is defined as the act of travel and visiting places, independent from the purpose, which includes private travel for holiday and recreation purposes but also business travel.

Some scholars develop concept of three basic components of tourism, which are also known as 3 A’s: Accessibility,Accommodation and Attraction. while some others believe that Tourism can also be defined as a service industry with three main focus: 1) transport 2) accommodation 3) services for tourists Some specialists consider that tourism as a system has three basic components: tourists, geographical elements and the tourism industry. Some others have pointed out that “using broader definitions of the tourism sector, a host of providers of recreational, leisure and shopping services, such as local guides and craft sellers may also be included”. Besides, tourism is characterized as a dynamic and competitive industry that requires the ability to constantly adapt to customers’ changing needs and desires,such as the customer’s satisfaction.

Accessibility Accomodation

Attraction

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Fields of Impacts

The tourism as a system influences, and is influenced by, a variety of ’external’ factors; political, economic, technological, socio–cultural, legislative and environmental. As one of the world’s largest industries, tourism carries with it significant social,environmental, economic and political impacts. Although tourism can provide significant economic benefits for some destinations, the image of tourism as a benign and environmentally friendly industry has often been challenged. Tourism has become an extremely dynamic system. Economic globalization, fast changing customer behaviour, development of transportation and information technologies, modifications in the forms of organizations and labor, all strongly influence the industry.

There has been increasing dependence upon tourism as an agent of economic development. Within the developed world, peripheral or economically disadvantaged regions are increasingly focusing on tourism as a means of stimulating economic and social regeneration whilst, for many less developed countries, tourism has become to represent a vital ingredient of their development policies.

Tourism is widely considered as an eﬀective contributor to socio–economic development, particularly in less developed countries. The contribution of tourism to socio–economic development has been most closely related to receipts and spending in the national economy . Tourism is one of the world’s largest and fastest growing industries, which creating jobs, bridging disparities, contributing to economic growth and bringing prosperity . As one of the world’s largest industries , tourism carries with it significant social, environmental, economic and political impacts . Although tourism can provide significant economic benefits for some destinations,the image of tourism as a benign and environmentally friendly industry has often been challenged .

It is already known that innovativeness and sustainability of tourism sector is highly related with the economic progress and growth of localities and regions and aﬀects social, cultural and economic life. Tourism is one of the economics’ sectors that contribute for a large part of employment, balance payments, GDP growth, and capital investment (in direct and indirect sectors).

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Introducing the Challenges Disadvantages of Tourism Tourism has the power to uplift communities from poverty, but at the same time, it can destroy their identity. The choices of the tourists can help to preserve nature and wildlife, and on the contrary, it can put the animals into suﬀering and extinction. Any development requires some interference with nature. Very often the infrastructure is built without any sustainable development plan or environment protection policies. Therefore development comes at the cost of nature. New areas of land need to be cleared for new hotels and roads. Animals lose their natural habitat and have to move to a new location. Often animals get into a conflict with people when protecting their territory or looking for food. Unfortunately, most of the times animals are at loss. Waste disposal problem is a significant contributor to the degradation of the environment. If untreated sewage water is dumped into the ocean, it negatively aﬀects marine life. When another waste is disposed of incorrectly (for example, dumped in the forest or in the river), it may damage the area with the toxins that the waste releases over time. Increased number of vehicles, higher levels of noise, deforestation and pollution disturb the ecological balance of the region.

Another important disadvantage of tourism,is putting pressure on local natural resources. This is one of the inevitable negative eﬀects of tourism. When you stay in someplace, obviously you use local resources. You use water and electricity, you get a vehicle to move around, you eat local food and buy produce. Therefore if too many people stay in one place, over time the local resources get depleted. The first one to disappear would be probably fresh underground water. This is already happening in many cities and regions around the world. California is famous for its droughts and people need to get used to living in conditions of water scarcity. Some people already have to limit their shower time and then reuse the water for flashing the toiler or watering the plants. We keep forgetting about this, but tourism puts enormous stress on local land use and can lead to soil erosion. In some areas, the buildings sink in the ground under their own weight. Construction of new infrastructure (roads, airports) and buildings oftentimes destroys the soil. These eﬀects can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which tourism itself depends.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Tourism often leads to overuse of water: An average golf course in a tropical country, for example, uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers. It also uses 1500 kilos of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides per year. On the other hand,social eﬀect of tourism is one of the most important aspect of this industry. Very often local people start copying the lifestyles of tourists. They dress up as tourists, they talk and behave like them, which may result in the loss of native customs and traditions. To satisfy the needs of the tourists often the locals need to change their traditional style of life. Shops are supplied with products for tourists, hotels are designed and built in a “western” style, small family restaurants become pubs because of the demand. Slowly a small sleepy town becomes a party place that never sleeps. And local people have no choice but to adapt. Nowadays, anywhere you go you can always find McDonald’s, KFC and other famous food chains.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Often this is the first choice for a tourist, as he/she doesn’t know any other places, or is simply afraid to try local food. Slowly, the local restaurants start catering more to foreign tourists, cooking the “western” meals instead of local cuisine. And the food is such an important part of any culture. Another extremely negative effect of tourism is the growth of prostitution… Unfortunately, many tourists during their vacation want to have “fun”. Let’s keep in mind, that in many places around the world, women and girls don’t do this job voluntarily. All these things make a once charming unique town become just another tourist hub, which all look exactly the same. Regarding this point,at the same time, If the travelers don’t do their “homework” before visiting a new place, it may create tensions between locals and tourists. It’s important to do some research about the norms and traditions of every new place you go to. For example, it’s ok to wear shorts in Bali. However, if you travel to other islands in Indonesia, such attire may offend the locals. In India and Nepal, you should not shake hands or pass the money with your left hand. In some cases you may get scolded by the people, in others, you may get yourself in the jail. Tourists quite often, out of ignorance or carelessness, fail to respect local customs and moral values. This may cause a growth of irritation in locals due to “bad” behavior of the tourists, which disturbs the local culture and creates unrest among the people. Some people may get tempted by the easy money from tourists and decide to enter into criminal activities. This leads to increased crime and anti-social activities, and loss of moral and religious values. Negative effects of tourism are not limited to these mentioned. Wherever you go for your vacation you can pretty much always see tours that offer an animal experience. In Asia, it would be an elephant safari. If you are visiting Greece, then it’s donkey rides. And in South Africa, it’s popular to take pictures with lion cubs.

And on top of that, we have circuses, oceanariums and just street vendors where animals participate in shows to entertain the tourists. All these activities may seem like a lot of fun. Some people even think that animals actually enjoy performing or giving a ride to people. But in reality, all these animals go through a lot of suﬀering. Very often they are taken away from the wild at a very early age. Their owner keeps them in very poor conditions. And to train an animal to do the tricks, people use very cruel and often brutal methods. They involve beatings, scaring animals with loud noises, breaking their spirit, keeping them chained, etc. Many people participate in such activities because they actually love animals and want to get closer to them. And they simply don’t know what happens behind the scene. So it’s important to raise awareness about these issues. If you want to have an ethical wildlife experience, check out these tips which will help you to find one.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Tourism also increase the pressure on the local traffic in different scales. When you are in Bali it’s better to avoid going to Nusa Penida all together as it’s full of people going on a tour to the “Famous Instagramable Spots”. If you take such a tour, you will spend the whole time stuck in traffic moving from one place to another with the thousands of other tourists travelling the exact same way. And when you get to the place, you have to wait in line to get a pic in the spot you dreamt about. Heavy traffic affects both tourists and locals. Local people can’t run their errands the way they used to. They have to adjust their schedule or even a route, to avoid the tourist crowds. And the tourists waste their time inside the car, instead of enjoying the beauty of the place. Another negative side of heavy traffic is the air pollution caused by exhaust gases. The more cars, the worse the air quality. Same happens due to increased air traffic. The more people are in one place, the more waste is accumulated. First of all, its plastic waste, such as water bottles, takeaway containers, different packaging, plastic bags, etc.

To accommodate an increased number of tourists many more hotels and other facilities have to be built. More lights in the buildings, more lights and LED signs on the streets, create light pollution in the area. Before it was a small village on the island, where people used to go to bed with the sunset. Now it’s a town bustling with nightlife. Same happens with sound pollution. With the grows and development comes the noise from the people, cars, bars and night clubs. Both light and sound pollution create an adverse environment for the animals that live in that area, pushing them away from their original habitat. We should not forget about sewage as well. The cleaning systems have to process a much bigger amount of sewage waters. An increasing number of people constantly adds pressure And unfortunately, some places don’t have any cleaning systems in place, and the sewage waters go into the ocean untreated. Boracay in the Philippines is a great example of what can happen to a paradise when it becomes a victim of over tourism and how responsible government should fix the situation.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Advantages of Tourism Economy The depiction of a tourism destination as complex is quite common. Therefore, the economic and financial benefits of tourism sector on local, regional and state further development and well–being are broadly analyzed. A group of economists when evaluate the economic impact of tourism argue that “tourism has a variety of economic impacts”. Tourists’ expenditures give rise to direct and secondary (indirect and induced) eﬀect. An economic impact analysis of tourism activity normally focuses on changes in sales, income, and employment in a region resulting from tourism activity. On a local level, even small–scale tourist ventures under the banner of ‘ecotourism’ or ‘community based tourism’, for instance, may draw previously self–suﬀicient communities into the global economic system.

Tourists contribute to sales, profits, jobs, tax revenues, and income in an area. The most direct eﬀects occur within the primary tourism sectors – accommodation, restaurants, transportation, entertainment, and retail trade etc.; and through secondary eﬀects, tourism a fects most sectors of the economy.

Direct and Indirect

researches show that tourism can affect the poor by describing three pathways. First,direct effects imply labor income and other livelihood impacts through direct participation as employees or entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. Second, the secondary effects entail impacts that occur through the tourism value chain in the non–tourism economy such as food and beverage, transport and other sectors and when workers in tourism spend their earnings locally. Third, dynamic effects are wider long–term impacts on the economy and society that reinforce impacts of tourism beyond the periphery of the tourism destination such as changes in pattern of growth in other economic sectors.

Third, dynamic eﬀects are wider long–term impacts on the economy and society that reinforce impacts of tourism beyond the periphery of the tourism destination such as changes in pattern of growth in other economic sectors. The most significant economic and social impact of tourism is the creation of workplaces. The tourism industry has been considered as a sector with good employment creation abilities but most of the work places are only seasonal, requiring a low education level and meaning a possibility for both men and women. Tourism is a service sector with a particularly complex product.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Infrastructures tourism is to a great extent dependent on the range and type of infrastructure available at the destination. Infrastructure is a core area of the tourism industry and plays a distinctive role in the development of this ever-expanding industry. Several countries have recognized the significance of Infrastructure in relation to tourism industry and their governments have coordinated their activities with the tourism industry by providing tourism specific infrastructural facilities. Infrastructure is the key to develop a successful tourism destination. Tourism industry stimulates investments in new infrastructure, most of which improves the living conditions of local residents as well as tourists. The structuring and delivery of modern infrastructure facilities is extremely complex. Based on some opinions, there are 7 actions which can ensure adequate tourist and related infrastructure: 1-ensure accessibility to and within the destination 2-improve the communal infrastructure 3-develop new accommodation capacities 4-advance the quality of the provided services 5-develop the necessary infrastructure 6- upgrade existing accommodation capacities 7- focus in destination safety and cleanliness. The infrastructure is contributing positively to tourist arrivals hence the suﬀicient and proper development of tourism specific infrastructure is essential to develop a mature tourist

Environmental Under certain circumstances, tourism can make positive contributions to conservation through a combination of political, social, and economic mechanisms. These mechanisms differ between countries, depending on their natural environments, relative wealth, social structures, and government institutions. The ways in which tourism can contribute to conservation are tightly linked to land tenure, which assigns different bundles of rights and responsibilities to different stakeholders. Examples include rights to use or sell wildlife, water, or other natural resources and to control or 34

exclude access by various people for various purposes. Tourism can influence changes in tenure type or conditions and changes in land ownership and use. These may involve landowners and land management agencies, local tourism operators, global tourism distribution and marketing networks, local residents and communities, non governmental organizations and philanthropists, aid agencies and donors, and commercial financiers. There are now a number of cases where commercial tourism has clearly converted private or communal lands from primary production to conservation. There are three essential components. The first component is commercial: an icon attraction, adequate access, and an experienced tour operator to provide, package, and market tourism products, which include logistic and hospitality services as well as the attraction and activities. The second component is social: a local community that supports both tourism and conservation, generally because it receives some immediate or indirect benefits. The third component is legal: a framework to provide formal title and conservation status to the land concerned and to allow the landowner to generate either income or capital gain as a consequence. Rights over wildlife, as well as land, can also be critical. This includes both traditional and modern legal rights. Many attempted conservation tourism ventures have failed because they ignored these basic requirements. A small but increasing number of commercial tourism corporations, often in conjunction with parks agencies and environmental nongovernmental organizations, have made significant contributions to conservation of endangered species, including birds, primates, cats,bears, and large ungulates. These contributions have included cash, equipment, infrastructure, and technical expertise. The principal mechanism is through the establishment of private or community reserves with translocation and soft release of small breeding populations of endangered species, actively enforced rules against hunting, and, in some cases, continuous tracking and surveillance of individual animals to guard against poaching. Threats from hunting may be associated with subsistence,traditional, sport, or trophy hunting; control or revenge on predators that take domestic livestock; and concerns over safety or nuisance to humans. Trophy hunting can, however,also contribute to conser POLITECNICO DI MILANO

vation in some cases. Native wildlife may also be threatened by habitat loss, competition or predation from invasive species, poisoning, pollution, and disease.In each of these cases, reducing the threat generally requires changes to social structures so as to establish and enforce systems of conservation rather than consumption or destruction. These social structures change in response to changed net incentives, which may involve a number of diﬀerent factors. Commonly, the most important contribution from commercial tourism is a significant source of local income, which continues only so long as the animals remain alive. The role of tourism in providing funds, and hence political support for conservation tourism, is becoming increasingly critical as population growth and climate change put additional pressure on existing conservation reserves and mechanisms. Existing parks alone are not enough to conserve global biodiversity because they are too small, do not include all species and ecosystems, and are themselves under many threats.Lands outsideparks, which have historically contributed to conservation, are continually shrinking in conservation value.Conservation advocates worldwide, including multilateral institutions such as the IUCN and the most recent (tenth) Conference of the Parties to the International Biodiversity Convention, are calling both for growth in the total extent of global protected areas and for landscape-scale connectivity. These are required both as one response to climate change and to withstand pressures from human population growth and the associated expansion and intensification of land and water use. Growth in the conservation estate, whether on public or private land, needs a portfolio of funding approaches, and tourism is one of these. Conservation tourism has limitations, but also a number of successes. It therefore seems likely that the role of tourism in supporting conservation will become increasingly critical in future. Horizon Broadening Social tourism can have a wide arrange of positive eﬀects, among which are new knowledge, meeting new people, new places, changing perspectives, broadening of experiences, and other factors ‘Social tourism is thus not only a widening of 35

geographical horizons, but can also widen mental and psychological horizons’. Above mentioned could be summarized under the term ‘horizon broadening.’ Horizon broadening could also be linked to experimental learning holidays with opportunities to explore new environments and engage in new activities, meet new people and be faced with unexpected problems, can start an experimental learning cycle which can improve holiday makers skills and aﬀect their views, attitudes, and behaviors (for example self-esteem). The possibility for the elderly to be involved in tourism, to go on holidays, to experience new things certainly represents an added value in their life. Cultural

There are several researches analyzing the perceptions, attitudes and support for future development of tourism in the host communities. some studies have focused on the link between the local residents and tourism development tended to analyze the three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, environmental and sociocultural), and rarely focused only on one of the three dimensions to analyze the perceived benefits and support of communities for future development. show positive attitudes towards tourism development in the research area concerning the perceived cultural and social benefits, highlighting the fact that the standard of life has increased due to improvements in entertainment facilities. Results indicate that the respondents perceived more positively the cultural benefits compared with the social benefits .Perceived benefits from tourism development will lead to future support of tourism activity , on the one hand, but tourism development could lead to irritation of the residents due to increased traﬀic and overcrowding, on the other hand. Tourism development should improve the standard of living of the residents, since social benefits are recognized as increasing support for future tourism development within the host community. The residents from the research area perceive tourism as a factor that provides cultural identity and improves the quality of recreational services indirectly improving the standard of living. These results confirm those from POLITECNICO DI MILANO

previous studies.Further, residents also agree that tourism does not negatively affect the customs and local traditions, enhancing the idea that tourism has a positive impact on the cultural identity. In contrast to other studies, the respondents do not consider that tourism has provided opportunities to restore and protect historic buildings. Promotional It “puts a place on the map”: Tourism gives the locality a chance to show itself off and raise its profile in the world. tourism advertising and destination branding can illustrate to international decision makers and role-players that a country with a traditional negative international image (such as Bangladesh had since the 1970s) is about more than the “doom and gloom” the world believes about it. By showing a steadily growing and impacting entrepreneurial culture, smart tourism advertising and destination branding can attract investors in technology and healthcare and other growing areas in the country. Similarly, by showing how a country is impowering women and children through education and skills – like micro financing and job creation – can help other countries collaborate with organizations in a country not developed countries to exchange best practices and empower marginalized communities in other parts of the world. Ultimately, these public diplomacy efforts do not only reach decision makers in politics but also in the non- profit sectors, in economic development sectors and elsewhere. By reaching these decision makers and attracting them to work with role-players in Bangladesh, for instance, does not only give them a first-hand experience of the country and its people but also helps change the traditional negative image of the country into a more positive one, as people develop relationships, collaboration and familiarity with the country.

Figure 5- Examples of successful placemaking and interaction between architecture,environment and tourism.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Question: how to compensate disadvantages? Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism is tourism which develops as quickly as possible taking account of current accomodation capacity , the local population and the environment.The development of tourism and new investment in the tourism sector should not detract from tourism itself.. New tourism facilities should be integrated with the environment. Sustainable tourism which means tourism which is economically viable but does not destroy the resources on which the future of tourism will depend, notably the physical environment and the social fabric of the host community. Until the beginning of last decade tourism was seen as a profitable sector of business with no obvious constraints to growth, few barriers to entry to the market, an almost universal welcome from governments and , for the most part , entailing few eﬀective regulatory requirements to take the environment into account. As there is many economic,social, ecological and political limits to tourism development, sustainable strategies are necessary to eradicate these problems. Many destinations are now pursuing strategies, which aim to ensure a sensitive approach when dealing with Tourism. A list of principles is presented below that are important for national governments, destinations and organizations who wish to be guided by the ethics of sustainable and resp-

-onsible tourism.

Sustainability of the resource base

Positioning

Participation Residents of a community must maintain control of tourism development by beig involved in setting a community tourism vision, identifying the resources to be maintained and enhanced, and developing goals and strategies for tourism development and management.

To be fair to future generations of tourists and the travel industry, society should strive to leave a resource base no less than the one inherited. It therefore, avoid resource allocation actions that are irreversible.

Sustainable Tourism development involves promoting appropriate uses and activities to reduce poverty and draw from and reinforce landscape character , sense of place, community identity and site opportunities.

Local Ownership Tourism Development must provide quality employment for community residents. The provision of fulfilling jobs has to be seen as an integral part of any tourism development at the local level. Experience has demonstrated that the provision of education and training for locla residents and access to financing for local business and entrepreneurs are central to this type of policy.

Harmony is required between the needs of avisitor and the community. This is facilitated by broad community support with a proper balance between economic, social, cultural industry in community development and environmental protection.

local Business Linkages Linkages must be established among local businesses in the tourism industry in order to ensure tourism expenditures stay within the destinations rather than leak out to purchase imported goods and services for tourists.

Community Goals

Cooperation Cooperation between local attractions, businesses and tourism operators is essential given that one business or operators can be directly aﬀected by the performance or quality of another.

Monitoring and Evaluating Protection and monitoring strategies are essential if communities are to protect the very resources that form the basis of their tourism product to protect the environment on which it depends.

Accountability The management and use of public goods such as water, air and common lands should ensure accountability on behalf of users to ensure these resources are not abused. Training Sustainable Tourism development requires the establishment of education and training programmes to improve public understanding and enhance business. Trainig should include courses in tourism, hotel management , creation and operation of small businesses and other relevant topics

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Sustainable Tourism benefits tourists by providing a genuine and authentic experience of the host destination with the opportunity to enjoy it in years to come, because it is being responsibility sustained. It seeks to benefit via the three pillars it is built on- Economic, Socio-cultural and Environmental. Economially it promotes a two way dialogue between the tourist and the host community. It contribute to the local economy which in turn can help poverty reduction. Again it promotes cultural exchanges and knowledge between the tourist and host community and focuses on reducing the negative impacts the industry has on our environment. This can be through choosing environmentally friendly accomodation or transportation options which in turn help with environmental factors such as pollution and CO2 emissions. It is an emerging term used in recognition schemes to promote sustainable development at destinations. It is not just a trendy word to include in quarterly destination performance. Its about a genuine concern and care for the social, ecological, and cultural systems that the tourism industry is embedded within and depends on. Having success as a sustainable tourism destination takes several factors for consideration. First in order to adopt sustainability into destination development one must understand that it is not about checking a box and reaching a sustainability designation. One perception of sustainability has shifted from being considered a destination to it being more of a journey, it is important to utilize partnership and collaborations to achieve common goals and objectives. To deal with new approaches are required that address the sensitivities of all users to proposals for change. To answer the question, “ How many tourists can be accommodated,” will require improvements in the planning process. The process requires clearer identification of impact and of limits, reflecting the sensitivity of diﬀerent attributes of the environment to diﬀerent types and levels of impact or use. The objective is to identify and sustain those qualities which visitors and locals value in each particular resort setting. A tourist destination plays an important role in attracting tourist, a tourist destination is a geograph

ical location which has all the important components to attract tourists and fulfill their all demands and needs. A tourist destination comprises of diﬀerent components which are characterized as the 4 A’s . The 4A’s are classified as follows: Attraction which motivate and attract the tourist to visit the destination and it consist of the man made as well as natural attraction features or cultural events. Amenities which include a range of supporting facilities and services like accommodations, food, entertainment and recreation which are required by tourist at the destinations. Access in terms of development and maintenance of transport which provides the link to the tourist destination as well as the tourist attractions at the destination. Ancillary services which are provided to customers and industry by the destination through a local tourist board.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Economic and Social crisis in Latvia Society and Economy Despite the fact that Latvia is a part of the Europian Union,they are on the bottom of the table when it comes to comparing the conditions of local population’s life.Basically,Latvia is suffering economically which automatically will provide social and environmental crisis. Based on the published research from OECD,it has been revealed that the country is mostly suffering from sections of income and wealth,,housing,subjective well being,work-life balance,social connection,health and safety and more specifically,it suffers from income,over crowding rate,life expectancy,life satisfaction,gender gap,social interactions and housing affordability. It makes it clear that differenet social and economic condition is not comparable with what people are experiencing by living in developed countries. It is obvious that changes should being implemented from the very small scale and to be effective,with smart solutions ,not

only the country will survive,but it can be a place where all positive aspect of the life is visible and well understood. what makes it easy to have a direction,is this classification.So basically all the desisions,guidlines,sugestions and developement plans must be discussed in various aspects to be more and more sustainable.As we know,susainability is a very complex subject to talk about and we never could estimate precisely that what could be considered as the sustainable project.But if we consider diﬀerent factors and variations,what remains at the end is that if we take the decision which let the people to have better quality of life and have the best quality of enironment,then we could say that we are getting closer to the sustainable development terms.There are numerous countries that have the same condition as Latvia,and alot of them which have the worse.Based on my personal opinion .

Figure 6- OECD’s research regarding the life condition in Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Environmental crisis in latvia Prior to the economic and social crisis which is really important itself,there would be environmental crisis.Latvia,as a developing country which is hosting more and more number of tourists comparing to the recent years,is facing the very challenging environmental problems.Having the Riga as the capital city in the vicinity of baltic sea,which has placed most of the facilities and infrastructures inside,is turning the local problem to a global one. Huge proportion of species of the Baltic sea are in danger of death due to the pollutions in the coastlines and the water itself.On the other hand,the city itself is facing a danger.Now there is a visible noise pollution,air pollution,garbage pollution etc. There is an increasing number of night stays inside the city for tourists which could be working very well with the economic development but in paralell,it destroys the wildlife,the nature and at the end ,it directly eﬀects the local quality of life.Having all of this in the mind,in the recent years,government is trying to change this condition and situ-

ation in another way.They are investigating on the scheme which could make more balance which is inviting people to go further through the country and explore the other parts as well.Of course that could make it’s own challenges but since it is a new term,by the help of specialsit,it would make them able to make more balance and have more control.as mentioned previously,there are two major locations in the country with most of the facilities.So the overview is to use the economically eﬀicient way to invite more tourist to the other parts of the country.It will give on one hand,great opportunity for the country to develope,but on the other hand to make a balance between population,economy,infrastructure and nature.The challenge is that there are many parts of the pure nature that should remain untouched,but provide great experiences and possibilities both for local people and tourists.

Figure 7 - Coastline Pollution in Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Strategies in territory scale

Concentration of population in Latvia

New strategy of making Balance between population,and facilities

Increasing the pollution in the coastline

Importance of preserved nature within the new development strategy

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Site Analysis

In this chapter,we will get familiar with Latvia,by reading the country through different maps of analysis,in different scales and we will see the country from different points of veiw,categorizing its main natural and artificial distinctive features .

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Settlements Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the Baltic states; and is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi), with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate.Its capital and largest city is Riga. There are 7 cities and 71 towns in Latvia. By Latvian law, towns are settlements that are centers of culture and commerce with a well-developed architectural-infrastructure and morphology, and have at least 2,000 residents; however, a settlement can be designated a town if it has fewer residents, but fulfills all other requirements. To become a city, a town must have at least 25,000 residents. Additionally, cities should have a well-developed commercial district, transport, public utilities, social infrastructure, and be a significant center of culture. However, these

requirements may be disregarded if there is suﬀicient population.

Figure 8 - City scapes in Latvia

figure 12 - Settlement map of Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Mobility In Latvia,the network of roads and highways has a total length of 70,244 km. For each of the country’s 1.90 million inhabitants, this corresponds to 36.96 meters. This puts Latvia in 9th place in the global ranking. However, it is also important to note the country’s population density, which is very low at around 29 inhabitants per km². Like this, disproportionately long distances generally have to be covered to reach the more remote parts of the country.

of Riga suburbs, there are no highways. The trunk roads are tarred, but they still have just two lanes. The other roads are surfaced in gravel. 90 km/h is the highest allowed speed, reduced to 50 km/h in towns. While driving from Riga to Liepāja, Daugavpils and Ventspils may take approximately 3 hours, there are no internal flights as the ones that existed proved to be unprofitable due to the thin population outside Riga.

With an average of 192 traﬀic fatalities per year (2012 - 2019), road traﬀic in Latvia is considered relatively safe. This corresponds to around 4.3 accident fatalities per 9.8 inhabitants per year. By comparison, this figure is 5.9 in the European Union as a whole and 17.1 worldwide. Given rare public transport, having a car is advisable if going beyond main cities and Riga surroundings. Outside

Figure 9 - Roads and connections

figure 14 - Roads and Mobility Map of Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Railways There are rail links with Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, and Estonia. LDz trains stop in Valka/Valga and connections to Tartu are available via Estonian operator Elron. Daugavpils is connected to Vilnius by a Lithuanian Railways service at weekends. All international passenger services were suspended in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Latvian Railways has developed a concept for infrastructure development until 2035, with electrification, increasing train speed and improving safety. The total estimated cost of all railway infrastructure development projects could amount to 4.5 billion euros by 2035. Latvian Railways will work on expanding the electrified network and modernising already electrified parts. In the previous years, electrification of the Riga-Krustpils-Rēzekne-Daugavpils railway, which was intensively used for freight transport was at the forefront. Feasibility studies are currently under way to expand the electrified part of Zasu lau-

*Valka-Valga Station -ks-Bolderāja section by June 1, 2026, as well as to modernise the network of overhead lines in Riga junction and the Riga-Priedaine section of the Tukums railway.

Figure 10 - Railway Connections

figure 16 - Railway connections map in Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Wetlands There are 12 400 rivers and 2256 lakes which are bigger than 1 hectare. Together with ponds and reservoirs they cover about 3,7 % of Latvia. Untouched wetlands cover 4,9 % of Latvia. All three types of wetlands – raised bogs, transitional bogs as well fens are represented. There are also flooded and coastal meadows represented in the country. In total about 10,4 % of Latvia are covered by diﬀerent types of wetlands, including forests on peat soils. The seashore adjoining the population centers around Riga was a major focus of tourism during the Soviet era. Jūrmala has many sanitoriums and tourist accommodations, tall pines andsandy beaches. Latvia has an abundant network of rivers, contributing to the visual beauty and the economy of the country. The largest river is the Daugava, which has been an important route for several thousand years. It has been used by local tribes as well as by Vikings, Russians, and other Europeans for trade, war, and conquest. With a total length of 1,020 kilometers, the Daugava (or Zapa-

-dnaya Dvina in its upper reaches) originates in the Valday Hills in Russia’s Tver’ Oblast, meanders through northern Belarus, and then winds through Latvia for 352 km (219 mi) before emptying into the Gulf of Riga.It is about 180 meters wide when it enters Latvia, increasing to between 650 and 750 meters at Riga and its opening in Baltic sea. Latvia’s most attractive, relatively clean rivers and has an adjoining large Gauja National Park along both of its banks as one of its notable features. Its cold waters attract trout and salmon, and its sandstone cliﬀ and forest setting are increasingly a magnet for tourists interested in the environment.

Figure 11- Wetlands and water bodies

figure 18 - Wetlands and Water bodies map of Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Forests Latvia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level northwestern part of the rising East European platform, between Estonia and Lithuania. About 98% of the country lies under 200 m (656 ft) elevation. Latvia encompasses 64,589 square kilometers and is an extension of the East European Plain.Its flat terrain diﬀers little from that of its surrounding neighbors. About 10% of Latvian territory consists of peat bogs, swamps, and marshes, some of which are covered by stunted forest growth.Forests are the outstanding feature of Latvia, claiming 42% of the territory.Over the past 100 years the amount of forest territories in Latvia has doubled, and the process is still ongoing.[citation needed] Forest territories are expanding naturally, as well as due to intentional aﬀorestation of barren land and land that cannot be used for agricultural purposes.More than half of the forests consist of Scots pine or Norway spruce.

Nearly all forests in Latvia are publicly accessible, and therefore one of the most widespread pastimes of the population is picking bilberries, cranberries, mushrooms, and other bounties of the natural environment. Latvia’s legislation on forestry is among the strictest in Europe firmly regulating wood harvesting. Each year the forests produce 25 million cubic meters of timber, while only about 12–13 million cubic meters are felled, therefore the amount of mature and old forests continue to increase. Thanks to the significant amount of forest resources, Latvia has a well-developed wood processing industry,therefore timber and wood products are among the country’s most important exports.Latvian wood processing companies are important players in many European markets.

Figure 12 - Forests and vegatation

Figure 20 - Forests and vegetation map of Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Preserved Environment Latvia has a long tradition of nature conservation. The first proposals for conservation were raised in the 1900s and the first Latvian protected area was the Moricsala Reserve in the Kurzeme region. The Baltic nation of Latvia is home to several protected areas, which receive protection because of their environmental, cultural or similar value. The total area of Latvia’s protected terrestrial territories is 11,726 km2 (4,527 sq mi), which amounts to approximately 18.18% of the country’s territory. In addition 4,631 km2 (1,788 sq mi) of marine area protected, or 16.04% of the country’s territorial waters. Total number of protected areas .In Latvia there are 4 Strict Nature Reserves, 4 National Parks, 261 Managed Nature Reserves, 325 Natural Monuments, 6 Ramsar sites and 9 Protected Landscape. There is a great diversity of rare Latvian and EU-wide specially protected habitats in the protected area, which is home to many very rare species of lichens, vascular plants, inver tebrates

and birds. So far, 126 specially protected species in Latvia have been identified in the protected landscape area “Ziemeļgauja”: three fungi, nine species of lichens, four mosses, 13 vascular plants,47 invertebrates, one reptile, one amphibian, four species of roundnose grenadier and fish, 35 species of birds and nine mammals, and 26 habitats of the EU Habitats Directive have been identified.

Figure 13 - Protected landscapes in Latvia

Figure 22 - Protected Landscapes map in Latvia

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Qualities closer to the Omuli

omuli

Protected landscapes in smaller scale

omuli

Qualities and facilities of Omuli

Mobility facilities in smaller scale

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Climate of Latvia Climate is also a salient influence on tourist decision-making and the travel experience. Climate is a key factor considered by tourists, consciously or implicitly during travel planning, and represents both a push and pull factor for tourists. Tourism destinations and tourism operators are affected by climate variability and change in a number of ways. All tourism destinations are climate-sensitive to a degree, in that they are influenced by natural seasonality in demand, are affected positively or negatively by interannual climate variability that brings heatwaves, unseasonable cold, drought or storms and heavy rain, which can affect not only tourist comfort and safety (and thereby satisfaction), but also the products that attract tourist.Therefore it could be beneficil to get familiar with the needs of the site based on the climate as a key factor and to receive the maximum benefit,not only in case of tourism,but also in terms of sustainable and climate based design. As analysis shows,by being located at the northern parts of Europe,Latvia is somehow facing lower daily sunlight hours compared to many countries.At the same time there is the constant chance of precipitation during the year,regardless of the season,that shows that water,plays a huge role on the daily lifes of the people.On the other hand,in the summer time there is more clear sky and obviously,higher average temprature.also it seems that there is a powerful wind coming from the south west.

Figure 14- Average hours of daylight

Figure 15- Average Chance of Precipitation

Nice weather...!!!

Figure 16- Average cloud coverage

Figure 17- Average Water Tempreture

Figure 19- Wind speed and direction

Figure 18- Average Incident Shortwave Solar Energy

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Strategy

In this chapter,I will explain about the concept of one week-sustainable tour,which is the main guideline for the following processes,and we will get familiar with the local developmnt projects,qualities and also related case studies that inspired me during the design process.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

One week sustainable tour(concept) One of the main aims of the project,which has been implemented as a general concept,is that by making a balance between the amount of tourists within the country and by spreading them all over,we can decrease the concentration of the pollution in diﬀerent ways and by letting tourists to get knowledge about preservation and by making them be a part of this big sustainable change,we can gradually stay closer to a pollution free sustainable tourism.Not only this eﬀects the environment,from the very smaller scale to the global scale,but also it helps the economy and the infrastructure and automatically,it increases the quality of life in the area.the concept of one week sustainable tourism is inspired from the Alpine Pearls tour. It stands for car- and carefree holidays. It stands for restful, stress-free and fun leisure time in 19 unique villages in den Alps. And it stands for exceptional environmental friendliness and green mobility. Like a necklace of pearls, these Alpine Pearl villages are strung across the entire Alpine area of Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. This necklace includes well-known names of winter and summer sports destinations along with lesser known names of quaint resorts and insiders’ tips. What they all have in common is a concern for the environment and a method to protect it.

we are in Omuli,which is close to the historical cities of Valka and Valga.The two important cities that in this scheme,will connect omuli which is detached somehow,to the rest of the country.By trying to use Alpine Pearl as a good and successful reference project, I had a reasearch about the possible actions that could be taken in smaller scale,and to all the facilities and attractions that could invite not only tourists,but also local population the to be a part of this tour and use it as a great one week interesting course that will give them pportunity to interact,to learn and to preserve.luckily,we are in the middle of a unique landscape which has placed a large number of untouched scense,architecture and landscape.By programming the great and precise week,we can give them a sustainable experince,which leads to the better economy and better understandings and interactions between the world and the specific culture of the area.It’s important to see where we stand in the exsisting era.Eventhough it might look impossible to use a car free journey in our own site,but with inviting people to use the electrical cars and public transportation as the common transportation system for all the visitors and local community,we could still be closer to that aim.

Figure 21 - Alpine Pearls tour

Figure 20- Alpine Pearls map

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

One week sustainable tour(concept)

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Step 1 : Identifying the cores

Step 3: connecting developed cores

Step 2 : Developing the cores

Step 4 : Connecting the system to the rest of the world

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Figure 22 - Some of the existing qualities of the program

Figure 23- Oleru muiza-similar developmnt project based on the reuse of abandoned buildings-a part of the one week scheme

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Design Process

In this chapter,we will be introduced to the specific site of the project,masterplan analysis and we will know about the process of design starting from the very first steps.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Where are we?

Analysis of the context

The project location is omuli,which is located in the northern parts of the country,close to the historical cities of Valka and Valga and close to the border between Estonia and Latvia.It has its own distinctive features.By taking a simple look at the site,we see the characteristics of not developed rural context,within the pure nature.The local life has a strong bond with the nature and also with farming.Unfortunatly,the area is totally detached from the rest of the country due to the lack of basic infrastructures,such as a proper mobility network,and being located within the pure preserved and protected landscape,would not let the huge developement to happen here.there is an existing old structure that was used to be the school and after decades,it changed the function and finally it got abandoned.There are large number of artificially and natuarally shaped water elements,that play a critical role on providing necessary services to the local people.There is a low quality network

of primary roads and locally built secondary routes that provides the connection to diﬀerent services such as farming lands,private houses etc.In addition to that,it is simple to see some old building that are functioning as the storages.There is a construction site that has been developed locally with a very low quality architecture but has been deconstructed and remain empty.

Primary Roads

2 1-Abandoned school 2-Dense forest character 3-Existing pond 4-Local developement plan construction Site

Secondary Roads

Site introduction map

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Forest footprint

Public transportation Stops

Functions

Dangerous zones for Species(roades within the woods)

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Figure 24 - Images of the site

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

MP Design Strategies In the design process,starting from the very first steps and sketches,it was considered to create the very active zone that provides a good range of functions and at the same time,would work as the sustainable village that brings better economy,good protection of environment and as the resault,to increase the quality of life of the human beings regardless of being a local or tourist,since at the end,they are the most important users that should receive all of this as the final product.By identifying and reading the qualities and existing components of the site,the design creates 3 active zones that are directly and indirectly connected to each other,and reflecting the eﬀect of the historical identities of the location mixed with the needs of today and the new programming of the site.This zones,give the people the opportunity to experience diﬀerent activities that could be rarely found in this part and in the same parts of countries where we ger more far from the capital,and

will automatically invite more people to come and be interested of exploring the specific spaces that could oﬀer diﬀerent values and at the same time,to understand and gain knowledge about the preservation by experiencing a safe and harmless walk through the preserved nature.

Step 1 : Deconstructing the low quality buildings which recently have been added to the site locally.

Step 3 : Designing the culture hub Centered on Adaptive reuse of the existing school which would be the mix of school,art workshop and museum.

Step 1 : Understanding the most important existing components of the site

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Step 4 : Designing the sense garden,which function both in the biological way,and in the artificial way which give people to experience landscape and the site.

Step 6 : Create the connections between the zones,to let the people flow through the site and without providing disadvantages for the species and environment.

Step 5 : Designing the recreation,production and accommodation center which provides critical services both for inhabitants and for tourists.

Step 7 : Increasing water elements,to manage the water and stormwater in a better way and to enhance the biodiversity.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Project General Aims

Project Environmental Aims

it is important to provide Boardwalks that guides people within the landscape so then the project would be able to control the direction of the people and creates an intangible border for everyone who wants to explore the site.

By providing the possibilities for tourists to come and spent their time and money,and by making the integration between sustainable local production and tourism activities,one of the goals is to develop the economy locally and then repeating the same scenario within the country.

One of the greatest aims of the project,is to design the program for people that will provide specific experience for them as the most important users of the planet. by capturing natural scenes and by enhancing the nature,they will have the memory that will never be forgotten.

By educating people and providing knowledge,and by investigating the income on preservation and in parallel,by increasing the environmental features in the design,one of the main aims is to develop the environment that would provide also more benefits in the future.

As the project will function within the existing pure landscape,it is important to preseve it.However,by trying to develop the life above the water and under the water,and by providing facilities for species,such as birdhouses and sense garden that activates the biodiversity,one of the most important aims would be related to increasing the biodiversity.

By increasing the local activities,and by activating the interaction among the society,and by providing specific flexible space for people to be able to do their activities easier,strengthening the local life is another aspect that this project fights for.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

As the local life and infrastructure suffers from lack of water and storm water management system,and since the water has the strong bond with the local life,by enhancing the number of retention ponds and by developing the concept of water drainage system in the future,the project has the aim to solve the issue.

89 8

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Design Process The sketching process started by understanding of the site.Knowing the fact that the site is located within the protected landscape,the aim was to not having eﬀect on it.Therefore by identifying the existing emptey corridores,activities are placed within the nature. The project is aware of the importance of the existing buildings.By doing the adaptive reuse and transforming the abandoned school building,the project will keep the memory of the building,and at the same time as the part of the sustainability,it decrease the amount of co2 emmision,construction time and costs and it give the new life to the place by using the old building as the new and renovated structure. All the forms are simply designed and perform simply.the reason for doing that,was to have the simple construction and maintenance process that could be easily handled by local society and also to have the forms that can be repeated easily in case of further developments.

As the next step of the design,the project considers to add the new design typology based on having the skylight and central courtyrds.To provide more sunlight in the location where buildings need it as much as possible based on the analysis,also in the warmer seasons to let the natural ventilation system works and to let the people that they can be more creative with materials they have and to let them experience new qualities,have been the aim for this step. As mentioned before,and based on analysis in the past chapters,wood is the local and sustainable material in many aspects that will be mentioned in the next pages,and then the aim is to use the wood as the main material for the design. And finally,by adding the structures that could be easily removed from the location,another aim is to use the flexible program that works as a void for the next generations and based on the needs of the day.

Step 1:

Step 2:

Figure 25: sketch of the master plan

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Step 5:

Step 3:

Step 6:

Step 4: 92

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Master plan scale: 1/2500

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Lighting master plan scale: 1/2500

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Intersections00

100

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

101

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Accessibility

only pedestrian access vehicles and pedestrian access limited car access-mostly pedestrian

102

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

103

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Sustainability

104

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

105

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Public vs Private

106

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

107

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Public vs Private buildings

108

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

109

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Public outdoor experiences

110

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

111

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Veiw points

112

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

113

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Water management

114

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

115

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Rescue

Fire Trucks Accessible for Rescue

116

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

117

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Recycling and trash removing

Recycle Bins Location Waste Gathering Access Intersections for Turning

118

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

119

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Section A A-A A

Section B-B

120

Section C-C

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

121

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Design Achievements Basically,the design achievments will be on three sections:

1-Actions to be taken for preservation

2-Actions to be taken for increaing h´the quality of life.

3-Actions to be taken for increasing the local productions and for developing the economy.

Project overview of quality of life

P Project j t overview i off preservation ti

122

Project j overview i off production d i

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

123

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Wooden Village proposal As mentioned in the analysis,Latvia is a country that has the wood as one of the main productions. there fore,a study about wooden structures,local way of wood constructions,statics and the reasons of having wood as the sustainable material has been carried out.Based on the knowledge gathered from this reseaerch,wood has been chosen to be the main material as one of the most sustainable ones,to let the project be sustainable as much as possible.By using wood,we could get benefits in important aspects.First of all,this is the material that is locally used.so that makes it sustainable.In addition to that,the construction process and to assemble the structure is easier thanks to the flexibility of the material and by using the local simple way of construction,for example,simple joints it w-

Why wood? will be possible for the buildings to be locally assembled,locally built and locally maintained.

Figure 26 : Local wooden constructions

124

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

125

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Study of wooden construction treatment

126

Study of the simple wooden joints

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

127

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Landscape typologies

Low height lawns-wooden pathway

sense garden,experience pathway and birdhouses

Retention pond and lush plantings

Retention ponds-Observing platforms

Wheat field and wild grass

high height wild grass-lifted boardwalks

Furnitures

Figure 27 - Landscape Inspirations

128

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

129

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Design

130

In this chapter,we will go through each zone of the project to get familiar with all the parts separately.

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

131

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

zone 1-Culture hub By transforming the existing abandoned former school,and by designing the spaces around it,the aim was to spread the life again through this zone and by implementing specific functions and designing and dedicating spaces for that, such as indoor museum,outdoor exhibition spaces,classrooms and workshops inside the building,the aim was to let the zone to produce knowledge and benefit both for local people and tourists who are visiting the site.Also that would be a good advantage for all the artists all around the world or country to come to the village,stay,get inspired,be sustainable,get familiar with the space and culture ,teach their abilities to students and people who are interested and be productive and produce their own artworks and installments and have their exhibitions and let the people know about them. This zone,could help the village be a landmark for this area and also for the country at the edge zones with Estonia as a neighbor country,and by having the flexible museum space inside the transformed building,more knowledge and information will also be provided.

Master plan scale: 1/500 Also this zone has tried to enhance the biodiversity by adding the retention pond and add the same time,by managing the landscape around,it will provide a better quality of space.

1-Museum,Workshops,School 2-Existing Storage 3-open space exhibition center 4-Retention pond 5-Museum park and yard 132

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

133 113 33

POLITECNICO D DII M MILANO ILLAN ILAN ANO

Figure 28 - Images of existing abanonded school structure

134

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

135

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Omuli Museum

Activities

Inspirations

The new form of the building is inspired by theLatvian historical sign,named USINS which is responsible for horses and lights.It is believed to be the sign of one of the sky’s god.To reach the design and functioning aims of the new school as the museum,the form,plan and facade have been directly aﬀected by the form of this sign from the very first sketches.By having the additional floor,the design provides more space for classrooms and workshops.Also a central part of the former building has been removed to provide the view through diﬀerent sides of the landscape around the building and also to replace the location of entrances from sides to the center.Another major change in the form of the existing building,was removing the side windows to let the museum in the first floor,use the artificial lighting in addition to natural lights.

By transformation of the abandoned former school and by implementing workshops,the museum provides the activities which will provide interaction and culture transportation between artists,students,tourists and local people.

Museum,workshops,indoor exhibition center and outdoor flexible exhibition pavilion area will provide a knowledge sharing system that will be beneficial to enhance the quality of life.

Figure 29 : Museum design sketches

By inviting the artists to come and by providing spaces for them to share their knowledge,by giving the materials and spaces for construction workshops,and finally,by inviting the people,tourists and students who are interested in diﬀerent workshops,they will be able to use all the flexibility of the space and landscape to install their instalments and to design their own pavilion space in the outdoor pavilion area.

Sustainability

Material

Innovation

Knowledge

Biodiversity

Social

Clean Energy

Economy

Omuli Museum Design Process

136

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

137

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Plans

Ground floor plan

Second floor plan

Old plans

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

138

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

139

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

140

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

141

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Functions

142

Structure

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

143

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

144

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

145

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

First Floor-Museum Museum-First floor

146

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

147

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Ground floor plan in context

148

First floor plan in context

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

149

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Second floor plan in context

Figure 30 - Sketches and imaginations

150

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

151

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Museum-First floor

152 152 15

P PO POLITECNICO OLLIIT TE ECN CNIC CNIC CO DII M MILANO ILLA AN NO

153 153

P PO POLITECNICO OLI LITE TECN TE CN NIC ICO O DI D M MILANO ILAN IL A O

Sections

Elevations

Section A-A

Section B-B

154

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

155

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

156

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

157

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Zone 2- Sense garden-observation tower Sense garden is all about the experience within the high quality environment.This part,is inspired by the designs of Piet Odolf.This part has placed the experience pathway inside,that starts from the school and connects the observation tower to the end of the path which is the observation boardwalk that goes through the landscape and planting and birdhouses.Observation tower on the other hand,is a wooden structure inspired by the local Latvian sign called JUMIS,which is a sign of fertility and fortune and works as the new landmark in the sky of Omuli.After having a research about the existing enadngered local planting carried out by the university of Riga,the project has the aim to add them and enhance their presence to be able to take a part of giving them another life and on the other hand,to let the biodiversity improve and through years,by thehelp of polinatores,they will be spreaded all around the site and make the quality of space to improve during diﬀerent seasons and through years.

Master plan sscale: cale: 1/500

Figure 31 - Landscape design projects of Piet Odolf

158

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

159

POL PO POLITECNICO LITECN NICO O DII M MILANO ILLAN ANO

Existing Qualities

160

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

161

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Planting Pallete

162

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

163

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Observation tower

Activities

Inspirations

The design of the tower is inspired by JUMIS,which is the local sign of the fertility and fortune,and is designed to improve the quality of the space,by functioning as a high quality landmark that can be built by the use of local knowledge and is structurally simple and is easy to maintain.As mentioned ,again here wood will be the main material to be used. By spreading people through controlled patways,and by designing intersections,they will have the chanse of interaction and knowledge transportation.

After having the experience of looking through the site by the help of the observation tower,users will be informed about the qualities of the site and by placing the information boards on their way,they will have the knowledge to share and to keep in order to provide the nature and habitat.

the design has the aim to make a great memory for fo users by giving them the experience to explore the landscape and by framing the view and by making great frames for them,they will experience more qualities and more memories.

Figure 32 : Sketches

Section A-A

ability Sustainability

Material

Knowledge

Social

Economy

Observation tower design process

164

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

165

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Plans,sections,elevations

Section A-A

166

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

167

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Functions

168

Structure

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

169

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

170 117770 0

P PO POLITECNICO OLLIITECN TE EC CN NIIC CO DI DI M MILANO IILLAN ANO ANO

171 1711 17

P PO POLITECNICO OLLIITE TECN CNIC ICO D DII M MILANO ILA IL LAN ANO

zone 3-Resting cabins-connection spine By having the connection spine as the main connector of the two biggest zones of the project,rest cabins have been designed to make services for people who want to take a rest in between,and based on the analysis since the speed of the change in the weather is high in the climate,in case of heavy rains,these buildings would be working as the shelter zones.The material suggested for rest cabins is also wood,and the structure also will be wooden.In parallel,these two simple structure,would let the users to be able to seat inside,do the meditation,do indoor activities and in addition to that to seat and enjoy the nature with which the cabin is surrounded.Also it they work as two observing structure by letting people to go up and see the nature from the rooftop.

Figure 33 : Rest cabins sketches

By giving the opportunity to seat,and to stay as a break or for doing some activities like meditation,and by being located in the connection spine,the function will provide more social interaction for the users.

By installing the information boards as the wooden artworks within the pathway and inside the structures,people will be able to gain knowledge about the nature,landscape,architecture and other subjects.

by framing the pure nature specifand by providing the specif ically designed semi open structure which provides the feeling of safety but at the same time having the contact with the nature,users are able to have a diﬀerent experience.

Sustainability

Material

172

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

173

Knowledge

Social

Innovation

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Plans,sections,elevations

Section A-A

Section B-B

174

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

175

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

176

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

177

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Zone 4- Tourists center,accomodation cabins and production buildings This part of the design,is divided itself in to two parts.Basically,what we see as the public space on this zone,consists of tourists center,construction and production buildings,outdoor camping platform and boardwalks which are the tools both for connection and experience in between so they have also placed platforms for users just to stay,take the rest and enjoy.On the other hand,accommodation cabins will make the private and semi private zone.Cabins that provide low cost accommodation to stay,for local people,for tourists,for families,for individuals and in general,functions as the hostel to increase the night stay range for tourists and also to increase the quality and convenience of the experience and the quality of life. As mentioned in the previous chapters,one of the actions taken in the project to increase the quality of the space,water management and to enhance the biodiversity,was to create artificial retention ponds and also to create all the spaces and structure,in summery,by taking all this actions,there is a huge certain amount of soil that is excavated from the earth.As we know,to bring this amount of the

soil to somewhere else,on one hand is not sustainable and on the other hand costs alot.The aim of the project has been to be more sustainable from the begining,and costs and privacy and convenience of users are both part of it.So by gathering all the excavated soil and create an artificial hill,that will be located between tourists center and accommodation cabins,the project provides privacy and uses the excavated soil in order to do that.By doing that on the other hand,all the accomodation cabins are oriented in the way that they will have their own private and semi private open space,to seat out of the cabins and enjoy the open space as well as indoors.

Section A-A

Figure 31 - Soil excavation and artificial hill examples

178

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

179

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Master plan scale: 1/1200

1 A

6 2

4 1-Tourists center 2-Existing Pond 3-open space camping platform 4-Production buildings 5-Accomadation cabins 6-Artificial hill 7-recycle bins 180 0

7 P PO POLITECNICO OLLIIT TE EC CN NIIC CO D DII M MILANO ILLANO ANO AN

181

POLITECN POLITECNICO NIIC CO D DII M MILANO IILLANO ANO AN

182

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

183

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Tourists Center

Activities

Inspirations

Tourists center,is the core of the design in case of function and location.It has been somehow placed in the center of activities,where the center can control and manage all the activities around.On the other hand,it is the building in which users can have various activities.In the form concept,project tries to introduce a simple and low cost form that has its own complexities.It is decided to place the building integrated with the existing retention pond to create a good mix of architecture and landscape.The central courtyard,lets the water come in and by keeping the natural shape of the landscape and making it to have a bond with the design,it oﬀers a very unique experience to the users.The building will be used for the small and big gatherings,various range of indoor activities,such as reading,eating,playing,talking and also will be used for oﬀicial meetings,such as local community meetings,or tourist indoor exhibitions like music exhibitions.Also information desks provide all the necessary informations for people and manage activities and takes important actions such as controling the check-ins and check-outs etc.

Exhibition and meeting equipments and spaces,indoor and outdoor seating areas ,functions and all the tools within the design are creating new possibilities for making interaction between diﬀerent types of users.

Having the space provided for daily talks,meetings and exhibitions,followed by the information desks and all the possibilities and activities that can take place inside and out side,will let the users to increase their knowledge.

By making the architectural element mixed with the land landscape and water,and designing the unique entrance and by placing the experince and observing platforms toward the way,this building provides qualities for users to experience the building and the landscape.

Figure 34 : Tourists center concept sketch

Sustainability

Material

Innovation

Knowledge

Biodiversity

Social

Clean Energy

Economy

Omuli Museum Design Process

184

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

185

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

186

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

187

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Plans,sections,elevations

Section B-B

Section A-A

188

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

189

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Functions

Structure

Figure 30 : Tourists center first sketches

Figure 31 : Tourists center first plan sketches

190

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

191

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

192 19 92

PO POLITECNICO OLLIITE T CN C IC CO D DII M MILANO ILLAN ANO O

193 19 93

POLI PO POLITECNICO LIT LI LITE TE EC CN NICO IC CO D DII M MILANO ILA IL ILAN AN NO

Production Buildings Inspirations

Production buildings,are very active parts regarding the sustainability,as they provide the oppurtunity for the local food producers,farmers,handicrafts producers,traders,building constructure and in general,all people who can oﬀer some services to use the space.The building form is simple with a rectangular plan,to easily fit the constructing machines as easy as possible.Buildings have a flexible plan,therefore based on the need of the users,by adjusting additional installments,they can be used in many aspects ranging from building construction workshops or local shops.In the project,it is tried to oﬀer a simple design solution for this buildings,so they will be low cost,built with wood as the local material and will be easy to maintain.This section of the design,would be effective to develop the local economy which brings the higher quality of life as a result.

Activities Sustainability

Economic and production activities provide a good flow of the people who need services and creates daily dialogue between the users which ends with increase in the interaction.

By participating in the workshops,and by gaining knowledge of the construction,local trade system and local economy and job opportunities,production buildings provide a good base of knowledge.

Material

Ranging from food industry to construction,these function is the most productive zone of the design as it oﬀers the final product as a direct result and provides the productive work flow.

Innovation

194

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

195

Knowledge

Social

Clean Energy

Economy

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

196

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

197

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

198

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

199

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Accomodation cabins Inspirations

Based on the first analysis,regarding the economic crisis in Latvia,from the very beginning stages of the design,providing the solution for the accommodation as a small part of the bigger system,which at the end,will be directly eﬀective to solve the problem,has been one of the aims of the project.A very large footprint has been dedicated to the project and the system is managed to work as a very small urbanized part within the sustainable village scheme.It is tried to provide low cost but high quality housing,that can be directly constructed in the production buildings.On the other hand,the design tries to provide a great and convenient experiment of stay in the village and live within the nature for all the persons,families and tourists.Cabins are divided into two parts,which are living room,and kitchen storages and toilet and bathroom.

Activities Sustaiability

Accomodation cabins are dedicated to all ranges f people,and by living together and spending time,the interaction will be automatically implemented between all the people inside a cabin,or between all the people as an active neighborhood. 200

Material

To live inside the cabins in the middle of nature and at the edges of the village,special moments and memories will be gifted to the users.

Innovation

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

201

Knowledge

Biodiversity

Social

Clean Energy

Economy

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

202

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

203

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

FFirst irst floorr p plans lans

204 4

P PO POLITECNICO OLLIITE TE EC CN C NIC CO D DII M MILANO ILA IL AN NO

205

POLITECN POLITECNICO NIC ICO D DII M MILANO ILANO IL ANO AN

206

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

207

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

List of figures

208

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

209

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

-Figure1- Evaluation of tourism - Figure 2- Map of Latvia - Figure 3- Project Borders - Figure 4- Notes and brainstorms - Figure 5- Examples of successful placemaking and interaction between architecture,environment and tourism. - Figure 6- OECD’s research regarding the life condition in Latvia - Figure 7 - Coastline Pollution in Latvia - Figure 8 - City scapes in Latvia - Figure 9 - Roads and connections - Figure 10 - Railway Connections - Figure 11- Wetlands and water bodies - Figure 12 - Forests and vegatation - Figure 13 - Protected landscapes in Latvia - Figure 14- Average hours of daylight - Figure 15- Average Chance of Precipitation - Figure 16- Average cloud coverage - Figure 17- Average Water Tempreture - Figure 18- Average Incident Shortwave Solar Energy - Figure 19- Wind speed and direction - Figure 20- Alpine Pearls map - Figure 21 - Alpine Pearls tour - Figure 22 - Some of the existing qualities of the program - Figure 23- Oleru muiza-similar developmnt project based on the reuse of abandoned buildings-a part of the one week scheme - Figure 24 - Images of the site - Figure 25: sketch of the master plan - Figure 26 : Local wooden constructions - Figure 27 - Landscape Inspirations - Figure 28 - Images of existing abanonded school structure - Figure 29 : Museum design sketches - Figure 30 - Sketches and imaginations - Figure 31 - Landscape design projects of Piet Odolf - Figure 32 : Sketches - Figure 33 : Rest cabins sketches - Figure 34 : Tourists center concept sketch

210

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

211

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

References

212

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

213

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

*Andris Klepers-Iveta Druva Druvaskaln(2020)-Rural Landscapes in Latvia: a Comparative Analysis of Representations andPerceptions * Jānis Krastiņš, Riga Technical University-(2017)-Aesthetics of Building Material in the Buildings of Architect Augusts Malvess * Antra Viļuma, Riga Technical University-Uģis Bratuškins, Riga Technical University(2017)-Barriers for Use of Wood in Architecture: The Latvian Case * Daiga Zigmunde(2010)-Preservation of Traditional Rural Landscape Identity as an Integrative Tool for New Housing Settlements in Latvia * Sara Dolnicar(2020)-Designing for more environmentally friendly tourism * Franciza Toledo(2006)-The Role of Architecture in Preventive Conservation * Agnese Gailīte-Gunta Jakobsone(2004)-Tissue culture technology in conservation of threatened plant species of Latvia * Silvija Grosa(2012)-Rethinking National Romanticism in the Architecture of Riga at the Turn of the Twentieth Century * Mudite Rudzite-Edgars Dreijers-Iveta Jakubāne-Digna Pilate-(2018)-The New Red List of the molluscs of Latvia * Hong-Quan Nguyen-Mohanasundar Radhakrishnan-Phi Ho-(2014)-Urban retention basin in developing city: from theoretical effectiveness to practical feasibility * Baiba Vērpe, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia-(2018)-Retracing the Architectural Heritage. The Works of Architect Eižens Laube in Jūrmala City, Latvia * Simon Bell-(2007)-Social Exclusion, Rural Poverty and Landscape Change in Latvia * Ilze Rukmane-Poča, Linda Leitāne-Šmīdberga, Riga Technical University-(2015)-The Directions of Formal Expression in Latvian Contemporary Architecture in the Context of the Synthesis of the Arts * O. Nikodemus-Simon Bell-Zanda Penēze-(2010)-The influence of European Union single area payments and less favoured area payments on the Latvian landscape * Antra VILUMA-(2017)-The SITUATION WITH USE OF wood constructions in contemporary Lat vian architecture * Josep Boyra-(2004)-TOURIST DESTINATIONS AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT FACING THE CHALLENGE * L. Phil Graham -Springer on behalf of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences-(2021)-Climate Change Effects on River Flow to the Baltic Sea * Ismael Rezaeinejad, and Amol Khaniwadekar(2021)-The role of Eco-tourism in sustainable development: case study eco-tourism challenges in Iran * Otora, Osmond Agbor-(2013)-DEVELOPING A TRANSBOUNDARY ECO CULTURAL TOURISM CIRCUIT IN THE CROSS RIVER (NIGERIA) SOUTHWEST CAMEROON BORDER REGION:A PROGNOSIS FOR CROSS BORDER CO OPERATION * Prima Patel-(2020)-A STUDY ON ECO-TOURISM AND ITS SUSTAINABILITY IN INDIA * Ragnar Elmgren-(2021)-Understanding Human Impact on the Baltic Ecosystem: Changing Views in Recent Decades * C. Gregory Knight and Marieta P. Staneva-(2021)-Climate change research in central and eastern Europe * Niels B. Bekkhus-(2021)-ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION * Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz, Maciej Radziejewski and Iwona Pińskwar-(2006)-Precipitation extremes in the changing climate of Europe * Zaiga Krisjane-Ģirts Burgmanis-Elina Apsite-Berina-(2020)-BALTIC REGION KALININGRAD * EDWARD B. BARBIER-(2021)-The challenges for environment and development economics * J. Harff, A. Wittkowski and E. Zorita-(2021)-Environmental change and socio-economic response in the Baltic region * Ugur Sunlu-(2003)-Environmental impacts of tourism * Antti Halkka-(2020)-Changing climate and the Baltic region biota * Jesper H. Andersen-Maria Laamanen-Juris Aigars-Philip Axe-(2009)-Eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. An integrated thematicassessment of the effects of nutrient enrichment in the Baltic Sea region.Balt. Sea. Env. Proc. No. 115. * Asha Elizabeth Thomas-(2013)-Impact of Tourism on Environment: Responding to Global Challenges * Gunta Kalvāne, Danuta Romanovskaja, Agrita Briede and Eugenija Bakšienė-(2009)-Influence of climate change on phenological phases in Latvia and Lithuania * Sustainable Development Solutions Network (2021)-Sustainable Development Solutions Network * Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia-(2017)-REGIONAL SURVEY OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN LATVIA * Sustainable Development Strategy of Riga until 2030 and Development Programme of Riga for 2014-2020 * Ralf Buckley-(2011)-Tourism and Environment-The Annual Review of Environment and Resources is online at environ.annualreviews.org This article’s doi: 10.1146/annurev-environ-041210-132637 * Amin RASTANDEH-(2015)-Challenges and potentials in using alternative landscape futures during climate change:A literature review and survey study

* Margaret C. Nelson, Scott E. Ingram, Andrew J. Dugmore, Richard Streeter,Matthew A. Peeples, Thomas H. McGovern, Michelle Hegmon, Jette Arneborg, Keith W. Kintigh, Seth Brewington, Katherine A. Spielmann, Ian A. Simpson, ColleeStrawhacker, Laura E. L. Comeau, Andrea Torvinen, Christian K. Madsen, George Hambrecht and Konrad Smiarowski(2015)-Climate challenges,vulnerabilities,andfoodsecurity * Tālis Juhna and Māris Kļaviņs̆-(2001)-Water-Quality Changes in Latvia and Riga 1980-2000: Possibilities and Problems * Ligita Melece-(2012)-DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN LATVIA: ISSUES AND POTENTIALITIES * Dzintra Atstāja-(2013)-KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDE IN TOURISM INDUSTRY: CASE STUDY OF LATVIA * Anna Sörensson-(2010)-Sustainable tourism at mass tourist destinations: Best practice from tourist producers in Europe * Iveta Druva Druvaskalne-(2006)-Tourism Challenges in the Baltic States Since EU Enlargement

214

215

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

Department of Architecture Archi and Urban Studies