Gian Maria Socci Portfolio by gianmaria socci

GIAN MARIA SOCCI PORTFOLIO OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN WORKS

SAN PATRIGNANO HOUSING. New communal housing for the the San Patrignano drug rehab community. Rimini (IT) 2015/2016. Under construction. Area: ca 2500 m2 Client: San Patrignano Social Cooperative. Project Leader at Urban Think-Tank

The Community of San Patrignano is the largest facility for therapeutic treatment and social reintegration of drug addicts in Europe. It has been recognized as a leading model and several academic institutions are conducting research on its operational modes. From the survey and from the requests brought forward by the community, the necessity to provide San Patrignano with new, functional and innovative facilities emerged. The fast pace at which the Community has grown has enforced a continuous state of emergency on the built environment. Challenging needs had to be met quickly, resulting in the construction of several temporary buildings that lack aesthetic coherence and are sometimes inadequate to their function. In particular, the need to host an increasing number of guests in the best possible environment has brought San Patrignano to ask U-tt to develop spatial proposals for a new typology of dormitory. The building sits on the footprint of an existing stable, adopting the same U-shape that shelters a central courtyard. Social spaces are arranged around it in a carefully layered gradient of increasing privacy. A green buffer mediates between the public space of the plaza and a sheltered portico from wich the units are accessed. The entrance door leads to a decompression space facing the gallery that works as gathering and changing room.

The inner articulation of the units has been developed through an iterative process of testing and feedback with the community members. The results is a double unit that organises 12 beds in 2 mirrored wings sharing the entrance area and the bathrooms. This layout is meant to provide the perfect balance between space efficiency and control over group dynamics, a concern of uttermost importance given the unstable conditions of the residents. The design process provided the opportunity for research and innovative insight into the close connection between spatial environment and social integration in sensible groups, rising the ambition to underline guidelines for the architecture of this particular type of care facilities. The construction will be executed with prefab elements of wooden platform frame, assuring a quick implementation that maximises the advantages of the seriality inherent the architectural concept. The overdimensioned portico unifies the 3 separate volumes of the building, providing shelter from the elements on the entrance area and doubling as greenhouse on the roof terrace. This architectural element in coherence with the landscaping of the courtyard, also constitutes a primary feature of environmental control, managing solar gain or shading in the different seasons, and organising rainwater harvest for secondary uses.

Detailed plan of standard unit ground floor

Detailed plan of standard unit first floor

White plaster (water based paint)

Aluminum coping (painted black)

Ceramic tiles

Wood handrail Wood steps Ceramic tiles

White plaster (water based paint)

Aluminum coping (painted black)

Ceramic tiles

Cross section AA

28 8

9 27

10 26

23 J

22 I H

21 A

C D

F E

Ground floor plan

Cross section water harvest strategy

water 30 cm pre-cast concrete wall water 10 cm (phitodepuration area) gravel layer (10cm) sand filtering strata (80cm) air circulation piping main drainage pipe gravel layer (10cm) filtering aquatic plants roof catchment area roof terrace filtration surface

Water harvest strategy plan and detail of the central pond

PARK OF FRIENDSHIP Client: Rotary Club of Montenegro Bar (MNE) 2014

Regarding the evocation and revaluation of the green areas in the city center, the Antivari or Old town of Bar has a great influence. Here natural green invasion of climbers, low vegetation, olive trees along with stone construction creates an image of reciprocal respect between nature and man. This phenomena will be revived in new park of the city of Bar. The future park will be also an important knot of cultural manifestations (summer scene, workshops, children recreation) and participation. The theme â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendshipâ&#x20AC;? has been declined into five programmatic points. Friendship between nature and construction- architecture and nature formally collaborate whereas they differ for materiality which makes their own identity to arise. This way the two forms coexists and respect each other. Friendship between modernity and tradition- Inspired

by the fortification of old Bar, using the traditional stone construction , we want through a new vision of architecture to revive tradition. Friendship between technology and manufacturingWe want craftsmanship to regain the great cultural value it used to have in the past. New global technologies in collaboration with local manufacture, can raise the value of the place and create a strong identity. Friendship between light and shadows- Plays of light and shadows are always presented in the park. It creates a dynamic atmosphere where activities adapt to temperature and light. Friendship between play and relax- The park should be the collective place where people meet, chat, share ideas and opinions. But the park is also the place to be alone with nature, enjoy your privacy and express individualism.

East Waterfront

West Waterfront

THOROUGHLY GABICCE. New waterfront and general urban strategy for a small touristic city Gabicce Mare (IT) 2013. Competition Finalist. Area: ca 60 ha. Status: Ongoing final competition stage. Client: Gabicce Mare municipality. In collaboration with: Marchingegno, ComeOnArchitects.

Gabicce Mare is a small coastal city on the Adriatic sea that relies completely on the tourists influx during the summer season. During the roaring years of great touristic development, specially in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s, the settlement has grown unplanned and chaotic according to the individual longing of the local owners, who, out of the blue, found themselves Hotel managers. This resulted in an extremely dense fabric and in an objective difficulty to feel the sea from within the city. On the other hand the locality is placed in an exceptional spot along the Adriatic coast, as the San Bartolo hill, a natural reservoir, breaks the monotonous, flat, sandy landscape of the well known beaches of the Emilia Romagna region. Given the beautiful natural setting and the numerous touristic facilities, the proposal focused on restoring the lost balance between nature and urbanity in order to achieve a

coherent ecosystem that, while preserving the existing assets, will successfully compete with the glittering, all aperitif and disco, neighbouring cities. The urban strategy focuses on a suturing approach. Five trasversal squares are identified and enhanced in the existing fabric: trough small demolitions, surface treatements and levels adjustemnt these places creates iconic voids amid the too dense buildings and reconnect the rear city to the sea, both visually and physically. The squares are perpendicularly tied by the new waterfront. This promenade extends the mediterranean landscape of San Bortolo right trough the city, and gently creates an hybrid space of transition between the tall hotels and the soft beach. The swimming facilities as well as bars and restaurant become integral part of the system as they facilitate the access to the beach and merge into the natural environment.

OBSTACLE fragments of natural and urban public space are parallel to the sea but have no relation with it.

MOVEMENT The new viability diverts the traffic out of the central area. A new roundabout evenly distributes fluxus and serves the new underground parking.

CROSSING Proposed public spaces open up direct accesses to the beach with visual corridors. The squares are joints between the fragments.

UNITY In between the crossing, new parallel landscaped promenades arise. The new waterfront ties the punctual interventions in a territorial unity.

4 East Waterfront 2

West Waterfront

1.Dock square 2.Palm square 3.Mississipi square 4.Town Hall square 5.Piazza Giardini dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia 6.Extreme Sport square

East Waterfront

West Waterfront

DOCK SQUARE The existing dock, deprived of its funcional role, doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t integrate in the experience of the city despite the sublime views it offers. The proposal make it inhabitable with minimum interventions that add the necessary comfort without negating its rough character.

PALMS SQUARE Taking advantage of the only enlargement along the old waterfront, a urban living room is placed here in order to let people relax and enjoy the breeze. The square, defined by a palm forest arranged in regular grid, acts as a pause along the night and day promenade.

MISSISSIPI SQUARE Aiming to reconquest the seaside, this square starts from a quiet shaded place to reach, trough a long catwalk, the abandoned â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mississipiâ&#x20AC;? building on the water. The latter is renewed to host a beach club able to attract people even in the winter months.

TOWNHOUSE SQUARE Laying at the core of the settlement, this plaza connects the three promenades with the main access to the city. Its institutional role is underlined by the enlargement, suitable for shows and gatherings, and by the direct view of the beach trough a great staircase.

GIARDINI Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ITALIA SQUARE The square is a pivotal joint in the proposal, as it manages to climb with a gentle plane the great hight difference between the higher city areas and the beach. A hidden elevator grants access for all.

EXTREME SPORTS SQUARE As counterpoint to the more urbanized plazas, this place stands as the outpost to the discovery of San Bartolo natural reservoir. Here the aquatic sports find their facilities and old styled caravels bring the tourists to inaccessible beaches at the foot of the hill.

East Waterfront

West Waterfront

MINIMUM LIVING IN THE ALPS. Prefab, expandable, self-sufficient bivouac for the Italian Alpine Club. Trentino Alto-Adige (IT) 2012. Competition. Area: 18 m2 Client: Italian Alpine Club. in collaboration with Eliodoro Bigi, Marco Jacomella, Roberta Pari.

A renewed interest in mountains and wilderness in general calls for a urgent update of the network of huts and shelters provided by the mountaineering club in the Italian Alps. The proposal draws a building system for alpine bivouaks inspired in equal terms by futuristic technology for extreme climates and by traditional techniques. Furthermore, the project looks beyond the basic shelter as a miniature social experiment, a place where a common passion is usually shared with strangers amidst great physical challenges. Despite the minimal volume (44 m3) the building is thus distributed in separate modules specifically designed to maximise the use of space and comfort during the short stay, allowing for the creation of proper social occasions. The modules can be assembled seamlessly to form expandable compositions of different sizes. This strategy grants maximum flexibility, allowing the same system to be adapted throughout the alpine range according to location and needs. The highly prefabricated construction maximises the precision of realisation as well as cost and time effiency. The modules are built down the valley, moved to location by

helicopter and quickly joined on-site by a small team with limited tools. The central module acts as core of the composition, providing distribution between the modules and concentrating the structural and technological features. Three metal legs extend from the base of the core to fix the bivouak on the granite rock with minimal impact on the site, while the rest of the structure cantilivers from the centre. On top of the core the infrastructural systems find their perfect location. Simple and proven photovoltaics and water filtering, a composting toilet with burner, provide off-grid self-sufficiency for the limited needs of the mountaineers. The materials are chosen to achieve the best balance between embodied energy, eenrgy consumption, costs and weight. X-Lam panels create a coherent structural box providing also a certain thermal mass necessary during sunny days, while an ultra-thin reflective mat adds extra insulation of space-shuttle performance. The seals between the modules are dealt with isolating joints to ensure the continuity of the thermal envelope.

Core

Base Unit (6 beds)

Extended Unit (12 beds)

Further compositions (18+ beds)

Sleeping module 14.18 m3

Core module 6.55 m3

Entry module 10.70 m3

Living module 13.32 m3

Elevation, entrance

Assembly scheme

Elevation, living

Elevation, beds

Section, entrance

Section, living

Section, beds

Reflective thin insulation

X-Lam box structure

The external continuos skin in metal shingles protects the wooden structure against the harsch weather greatly enhancing the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifespan.

High efficiency, thermo reflective insulation wraps the volume with transcurable weight and thickness (2cm). The mat is installed on small wooden posts between 2 mirrored air chambers.

Engineered wood is the material of choice for the main chassis, as it provides a perfect balance of structural and thermal performance with an extreme construction precision, allowing for seamless assembly and trouble-free transport.

400

Detailed section

2300

1900

2100

1680

Aluminum-copper alloy

DAS ANDERE Alternative Urban Narratives Aalborg (DK), Europan 12 Competition â&#x20AC;&#x153;Adaptable Cityâ&#x20AC;?, 1st prize client: Aalborg municipality

Adaptable City is, after all, a tautology, as cities themselves are the place of transformation and adaptation par excellence. The modes in which this adaptation occurs are indeed very diverse.There was a time when it was believed that Planning could actually reshape the destiny of a city: the right functions at the right place, all baked in a coherent form to fulfil the highest degree of efficiency. This is not the case anymore. The multiplicity of stakeholders involved in the making of the city nowadays, with their own contrasting, unpredictable interests, makes unsustainable any uniform, top-down action, and rather asks for a process of Negotiation. On the other hand, the empowerment and participation of citizens in decision making, opens the way to a new,

Exceptional Vestbyen

exciting application of direct democracy: it seems urgent to take advantage of this great opportunity as citizens are, ultimately, the ones who really make the city. Thus, instead of answers, cities shall be provided of questions. Questions in built form. Punctual, uncanny interventions are laid down as Baits, following empiric occasions, to foster interest around certain spots in the city.As incubators, they reveal hidden potentials and disclose the widest spectre of possibilities. A dialectic process of negotiation is then started between municipality, stakeholders and citizens: it is based upon Negotiative Plans in form of exemplary architectural proposals. These, starting from the given Baits, will evolute trough iterative adaptation to changing needs, they will inspire peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s imagination, give birth to unpredictable uses and, lately, influence the physical transformation of Vestbyen wider area.

Quotidian Vestbyen

Snapshot 2018: Baits

Snapshot 2025: Negotiative plans

are needed. Although the quotidian array of facilities makes life possible and supports the development of a healthy community, only Places of Exception can produce collective memories. The proposed Baits insist on existing fragments popping out of the urban fabric. They work as incubators, treating the borders and introducing new iconic values to awake latent potentials. The interventions are overlaid, adding instead of replacing, so to preserve at most the built traces of the city that was: a deep, ancient stratification of meanings and values triggers peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory, as their renewed engagement shapes an alternative identity for the future Vestbyen.