Rio Aleixo - Booklet Presentation

Rio Aleixo Aleixo is at the moment a dead and gloomy neighborhood. Big areas of it are totally closed and non-accessible. Despite all its potential the big open spaces are left unused, and the green areas are deserted.

In the past few exercises we have tried to find strategies for making Aleixo a happy neighborhood.

We started our process by trying to understand how Porto works as a city, for that matter we compared the city to two other cities with a waterfront and a river, Trondheim and New York. By looking at the properties we found especially that the amount of rain is an interesting property in Porto.

The next step was to analyze Aleixo. With a SWOT analysis we found some fractures in the area, which are boundaries that makes it hard to use the neighborhood of Aleixo. We thought that the way of defeating these fractures are by creating happiness within the plot and building bridges over the fractures.

With these to identifications, the water and the fractures, we found our concept, Rio Aleixo. The paths and streams that connect the surroudnings to the plot, and gather in a big river in the middle.

Here with the biggest stream, the public activities and community functions flourish. This will be where the happy feelings can be created, and in a way it’s a river of happiness.

fractures Aleixo is at the moment a dead and gloomy neighborhood. Big areas of it are totally closed and non-accessible. Despite all its potential the big open spaces are not used, and the green areas are deserted. One of the reasons of this can be the isolation of the territory. We identified different elements in the surroundings that can explain the impermeability of this space. First of all, the neighborhood is located to the bottom of a big cliff on the east side. Then a lot of buildings and

also concrete walls are surrounding the area and make it impossible to access many spaces. Finally, some big roads with traffic are also dividing the neighborhood. These roads are at the same time a threat and an opportunity, because some of these infrastructures can be used as a connection with the city center and other places. Our objective is to attack these fractures and make the boundaries of the area totally open, or at least more permeable.

water system We want to gather people along the main path of our area. The shape and direction of this path is decided by the lowest path in our area. The lowest points will be the points where water will gather and run along.

The guidelines shown on the map has been the base for our masterplan. The lines show where the water will run and how we can use them to create paths. The water can run along, under and separate from our path and be a feature for the pedestrians, but can also work as a watering system for the

transition space Designing public and private spaces in ways that allow people to socialize or recharge, as needed, is more important than ever.

Distinguishing the level of privacy that certain spaces demand is an important part of designing a successful and comfortable space.

Separating spaces based on public, semipublic and private designations informs the design by grouping spaces with similar demands. In the project we developed the division between public, semi-public and private by the using of the topography.

Therefore the lowest part of the area, where our Rio Aleixo flows, is the most public part, which opens in the Delta and bonds with the river.

We implemented this idea of division of spaces also inside the buildings. It has been an important point in the evolvement of our project to create communities that have something to share and have the responsibility for together. A shared garden will hopefully make the residents know their neighbors better and create a sense of safety and security.

To know your neighbors is also an important point in all the reaserach we have done about creating happiness in a community.

public gardens and the park in general. The water can flow both regulated and freely.

The water square combines water storage with the improvement of the quality of urban public space.

The water square can be understood as a twofold strategy. It makes money invested in water storage facilities visible and enjoyable. It also generates opportunities to create environmental quality and identity to central spaces in neighborhoods. Most of the time the water square will be dry and in use as a recreational space.

6000 m2 equipment

Program activities

1/2 of the program

The Aleixo pool will be public and standing as a landmark by the river Douro, connected to the rest of the city with the tram that passes right by. Our pool will be a part of the connection to the river and will be an important element in revitalizing the riverfront in Porto. This will be the outsides attracting point to Aleixo.

50-room hotel 900m2 22 Houses 2000m2

We wish to increase the use of sports facilities in the area and hence increase physical activity. Aleixo has several run-down areas for sport and play. By revitalizing these areas, the importance of social play and physical activity is retained. Also, making these areas accessible and visible for all residents in the area, is key for a diverse and frequent use.

Housing Block 1100m2 Trade Centre 900 m2 River Pier 1300m2 Public Pool 330m2

6000m2 equipment

our 1/2 of the program Sport Centre 500 m2 Creative Centre 2400 m2 Climbing Centre 380 m2 Social Building 400 m2 Watersquares and river 1500 m2 Shared Gardens

We want to increase the number of pedestians in our area. For this we need a better infrastructure for pedestrians. Our topography reveals a potential to strengthen connections between surronding areas.

From the weather analysis of Porto, it is clear that the different conditions during winterand summer, proves it important to provide the public and green spaces with structuresthat help make the areas usable throughout the whole year. Our pavilions as described above give the residence opportunites to created their own space for different use. Examples are events like outdoor cinemas, food festivals and exibitions.

To look at nature is proven to bear positive health effects, and so is gardening and being in physical contact with soil. In addition to the physiological effects, it creates ashared project and sozialisation opportunities, acting as a catalyst for neighborhood and community development. In our project this idea will be represented in two different ways. One is public community gardens that can be used by for example schools and kindergartens in the area. The second one is community gardens within neighborhoods and residens in our housing area.

water facilities Since water is the most important feature in our project, the detail chosen in 1:50 is one of the river running through the site.

This river is at the moment dug down underneath Aleixo. As we bring it up we also propose a solution to the problem evident when extreme weather is present. Which is

happening more and more due to climate changes. Our proposal consist of introducing water squares with water tanks underneath.

These will fill up with water when it rains a lot in Porto. The water squares will at this time be almost full and give another image to the area. During the dry seasons, the tanks will

provide the land, and in particular the shared gardens with water, in order to not fall dead during this time. At this time, the water squares will be almost empty, giving the area a new public space, which for example can be used by skaters in the nice weather.

water square, dry days

draining layer

embankments

water square, rainy days

limestone cement underwater lighting system crushed gravel

Detail, 1:50

Green areas The shared gardens are one of the features in our project that give the biggest feeling of security and happiness. Being in contact with soil is proven to be healthy for you, and is a way to make neighbors interact. When you share the same interest and responsibilty, the level of safety will increase.

lights and materials We studied the most used materials in Porto, and in Portugal in general. In addition we have had in our minds trough the whole process that the final materials should be for the most part sustainable and local. The materials we choose to use are mostly limestone, wood, concrete, green marbel and glass. The most important material in our project is of course, water.

As we develop the project further, water becomes an even more important part in the everyday life for people living here. As always the river will be evident, but also, during the days it rains in Porto, water will be running down the windows, creating a different atmosphere. The windiws will be designed in a way, that makes this happen. Water will also be very important during the night. It will be the source of happiness and light in Aleixo. The river will be lit from underneath creating an interesting play of lights on the walls of the buildings next to our river. The most important part for the light will be the trade center, shown later in the journal which will function as the lightbolb that lights up Aleixo.

The wild green areas, are the ones that give the biological aspect to our project. We want to maintain the diversity of insects and animals in Porto. Since it’s proven that wild green areas give this effect we want to make this importants.

The park is a space for relaxation and leisure.

These are areas for play and physical activity.

These spaces are free and the inhabitants her will use them as they need.

cultural center and climbing center

The lowest-east part of the area is characterized by a very high cliff, which we called fracture in the very beginning of the project.

As we said, we see potential out of this part and we want to create an attractive point there, not only using the cliff, but also using the “back� part of some already existing buildings that face both the delta and the cliff.

Out of this slope, we want to create a climbing center, but also a new main facade. The Creative Center develops in two plaza, the west side plaza connects with the Delta, so we have a connection with the most open part of the center, and the east side plaza, which faces the cliff where we created a stage with some stairs to have open air concerts and events, linked with the function of that building.

Stairs from climbing center to cultural center

Climbing center section

Inside cultural center

Sports center

Section, 1:200 We decided to reuse one of the buildings, and to design a new pavilion which faces both the sport center and the Delta, to improve the access also from the lowest part of the plot.

By using the topography we created a arena, which could be

use both for watching matches and to create more access to the area instead of having a fracture generated by the slope.

We wish to increase the use of sports facilities in the area and hence increase physical activity. Aleixo has several run-

down areas for sport and play.

By revitalizing these areas, the importance of social play and physical activity is retained. Also, making these areas accessible and visible for all residents in the area, is key for a diverse and frequent use.

View, sports center

housing block

The housing block works as a modulo: in fact the design come from an idea to have customized space for everyone that could live inside. The modulo works as a space of 12x10x5m which can be divided in two smaller apartments. Thus the space is more flexible, it could be easily changed during the time, since it is meant to be a place where can live both families and single persons. The structure is sometimes broken by an empty modulo, in fact there are going to be some terraces, with green community areas.

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Facade 1:50

Section 1:200

Plan 1:200

trade center The Trade Center works as an attractive point in the middle of the plot. For the reason that it is located in the middle of a very large green space, the amount of light here during the night is important. The second-hand market, is the first of the three buildings in the trade center. This is

one of the sustainable features in the project. A way to make people reflect on reused materials and object. Here you can deliver the jacket you didn’t use last year and buy a new, used one.

The middle building is the fruit and vegetable market is where people from Aleixo can sell and

buy fruit, vegetables, flowers and other greens from the shared gardens. These are all local, ecological greens. The third building is the library, with a cafĂŠ in the first floor will be a gathering space, where student and other inhabitants from Aleixo can study, write and read.

Section 1:200

Trading center, daytime

1:200

Trade center during night

The trade center is uncoventionally split into three volumes, that creates an informal space in between. Morphologically, they are reminiscent of fractured rocks, phrasing the play between the solid and the fluent - We want the trade

center to work as a lightbulb lighting up the whole area, making it also a happy place during the night. Most of the lights will be located under the water, making the reflection on the buildings will be a live and have it’s own materiality.

hotel and social center

The idea for the hotel comes from the use of topography. In fact the hotel is in a really nice place of our plot, where you have a nice view on the all area, but at the same time, there is a big gap between the road over the plot and the plot itself. Therefore, by using a semi underground structure, the hotel fits in the ground, creating two levels, the top one, more public, and the lower one more private. Since the main facade of the building is facing west, we created some cuts to get more sun from the south in each room.

When we went to Aleixo, we could see how many people are struggling with drugs in the area. That’s why in our proposal, we would like to provide a place where people that have been clean from drugs, after medical treatments, could find a place to live and a job. So we thought to create what we call Rehabilitation Center, a place where people can co-working. This place needs to be not really visible from the main river, since these people are fragile and they might want some privacy.

So the proposal is to create a semi-hypogeous building, that can also connect the upset part of the street, with our main part of the project

View from inside a hotel room

hotel plan 1:200

Housing area

An entire area populated by two-store half houses, the visual design of the buildings are different, but the concept is the same; half of the houses are identical and the other halves are completely unique. In this way we provide people a build part of the house, but also another part, which they can decide how to use. As architects our suggestion is to create a greenhouse out of this part, where people can grow their own vegetables, or an extension to the first floor in order to have a shared space. But if it is need this part could be more intimate and be part of the bedrooms. But the important thing is that this 5th dimension of the house could change in time, according to whom is going to live and use the house.

Plan 1:200

The space in front of the houses are shared between the neighbors in order for a better community life to exist. This space will be playground and garden.

Section 1:200

View from inside one house

Free lot used as a personal working space ...

... an extended living room.

... a greenhouse.

Our project does not provide the area with one homogenous typology or common solutions for all spaces. The buildings proposed are punctual, relatively small projects which can be realized one by one, with separate investors. But most importantly the project aim is to use the properties in each area in order to create locally adapted architecture.

The buildings adapt to space, time and weather condition. The houses were designed to be flexible, adaptable to the need of the inhabitants. In the housing block, we have some modules that could be divided, added or multiplied according to how many people rent the apartment.

In the housing area, the space in between the building is free to be transformed from each family is moving, for example, they could build and extra room if they need more space, or a greenhouse to grow their plants or leave it empty for the community.

The project is also resilient since the intention is to design buildings, landscape, community in response to vulnerabilities.

For this reason we are proposing some watersquares or untouched green areas.

The aim is to give a proposal that utilize each space in the best way possible, where the goal always is to create happy, social spaces. As much as possible we want to preserve the natural environment, and reuse existing structures. We need to see the value of what we have instead of always wanting to create something new.

Group 4 Jole De Donno Pietro Rampinini Giulia De Negri Jiani Huang Benoit Legendre Ruben Ratkusic Malin Dalby Borger