hortus conclusus the youth farming commune of Milan
Politecnico di Milano | M. Sc. in Architectural Engineering | Master Thesis Project Milestone 01-Competition Marko Blazic & Mahmoud Abdelwahab
Intro The key goal of the proposal is to establish the future model of student housing that will set the framework for overall youth lifestyle modification, towards the future of urban agriculture lifestyle, by aggregating, at the first glance, the two incompatible processes, the maturation of the young generations and the process of agriculture. The starting point was to clearly understand both processes, and the requirements for their mutual reeling, in order to define the architectural solution that can provide the neccessary spaces for their coexistance.
Reframing concept of urban agriculture Going back to history and studying the ancient types of urban farming, as hortus, was significant to transfer this culture to modern society, having the student community in Milan as a first reactant. Hortus conclusus has been selected as a typology, since it establishes a very strong connection between inhabitants and the farming process. Today, as the farming technology is progressing, many types of farming are developed, between the complete climate controlled and open climate agriculture. The key point is that, while learning how the cultures are easily grown with new techniques, the tradition has to maintain its position.
Massing evolution Focusing more on the process of seeding, growing, harvesting and consuming a plant, the key idea is to highlight the importance of seeding, since it represents the initiation of the process. Within the same metaphor, we wanted to highlight the beginning of the new era of living and farming lifestyle, by using the seed shape architecture. It will provide a enclosure for social interaction within farmlands and it will, as every shape placed in a certain space, communicate the fact that the seeding is executed, and the process of studet lifestyle modification has been initiated.
The interpretation of the seed micromorphology is used for establishing the system of the facade, that will act as a farming host, thermal barrier, and shading device.
The programme aim lies in adressing the level of interaction between the student lifecycle and the farming process through different scales, from unit to building scale. Using the holistic approach, these interactions are addresed to place the student as individual, and as a part of the community in the process of farming, from seeding to consuming.
Living unit represents the first level of interaction with farming process, having a microfarm integrated into the skin that is covering the corridors on one side, and the balconies on the other. The functional relationship was taken from the Hortus, the ancient typology of urban gardens.
Adjusting circulation
Functional aggregation
Outdoor spaces
Skin
16.06.2016. Lecco, Italy