selected works
Martina Gentili July 2015
Martina Gentili 01.07.1987 | Rome, Italy I am a motivated and hardworking person that enjoys learning and working in a culturally challenging environment. I intend urban planning and design as a socially involved practice based on research and on high ethical values. Over the years I learnt to work in an international setting, hence I can quickly adapt to new situations and I enjoy both collaborative and independent work.
contact
references
Papenstraat 8, 2611JC Delft, The Netherlands
Ir. Leo van den Burg - TUDelft l.p.j.vandenburg@tudelft.nl
martina_gentili@yahoo.it +31 6 17057268 | +39 3282406559
Ir. Marta Relats Torante - TUDelft m.relatstorante@tudelft.nl
education 09.2013 - 07.2015 Technische Universiteit Delft MSc in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences - track Urbanism graduated cum laude 09.2006 - 07.2010 Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza BSc in Interior Design and Architecture 110/110
09.2010 - 10.2012 Roma Tre University BSc in Architectural Sciences graduated cum laude 07.2004 - 01.2005 Cashmere High School - Christchurch, New Zealand High school exchange semester
international workshops 05.2014 - 06.2014 Buenos Aires - Argentina Universidad de Buenos Aires - TUDelft “Globalization: research on the urban impact” Managing informal urbanization and environmental risk in the Reconquista river basin
04.2012 - 06.2012 Valparaiso - Chile Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso Taller Internacional de Arquitectura y Urbanismo “Valparaíso Ciudad Abierta”
languages italian - native
english - C2
spanish - B1
french - A2
experience 01.2014 - 01.2015 Polis - Platform for Urbanism Board member - Treasurer Urbanism Study Association at TUDelft polistudelft.nl
03.2014 - 10.2014 Urbanism Week 2014 - “The Scale Factor” Organizing Committee member Annual event at BK TUDelft: lectures, workshops and debates on relevant urban issues urbanismweek.nl | facebook
10.2014 iCities 2014 Conference at NCKU - Taiwan “Workshop on Workshop”, the role of workshops in planning education Presentation of the Urbanism Week http://spatialplanningtudelft.eu/?p=3021
12.2012 - 07.2013 Intern at BLAST Architetti - Milan Architectural and Interior design, metric survey, CAD, models, rendering, graphic design 05.2009 - 07.2010 Intern at Manfredi Pistoia Architetti Associati Architectural and Interior design, metric survey, CAD, models, rendering, graphic design
awards Best Graduate of the year 2012 Nomination Roma Tre University
Archiprix 2015 Nomination TUDelft | not yet assigned
skills Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
Autocad
Office package
Sketch Up
hand drawing
model making
team working
public speaking & presentation
writing
research
interests
travelling
literature
sociology
cooking
italian folk music
ballet dancing
Index
Strategic Planning
UTOPIA OF NORMALITY TUDelft Graduation Project 2014 | 2015
Regional Planning
PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE TUDelft Research and Design Studio 2014
Urban Design
Urban Regeneration
WATERBOGEN TUDelft Research and Design Studio 2013
PIGNETO E CENTOCELLE Roma Tre Urban Regeneration Studio 2012
Utopia of Normality TACKLING HOUSING EMERGENCY THROUGH URBAN REGENERATION
TUDelft | Design as Politics Graduation Project 2014 | 2015 Archiprix Nomination
Location: Porta di Roma | Rome | Italy Mentors: M.Relats | L.van der Burg | J.Hoekstra
In Rome, the lack of housing policies and the deregulation of market forces have created a paradox in which thousands of vacant apartments in anonymous middle class housing developments are the only response to the great numbers of people demanding an affordable dwelling. The distorted model of urban development makes it exceptionally hard to achieve a “normal” urban environment, especially in the peripheries, which is why the standard, plain and functioning neighbourhood becomes a Utopia almost impossible to reach. It would take only so much effort to make things better, but it will probably never happen, making it relevant to talk about a “Utopia of Normality”.
1. Visualization of The Wall 2. Aerial view of Porta di Roma 3. Utopian map of Porta di Roma in 2040
practical education & training
workshops
activate ground floors & public space office buildings, also mixed use
the wall
social housing
soft border
temporary and permanent use of the park
commercial spaces
start ups, coworking, young firms
school
culture centre, library, square
public transport hub urban gardens
cohousing
4. Visualization of facade after Bonus System interventions 5. Different types of housing - map 6. Bonus System
Rome is facing a growing housing shortage, with a great mismatch between demand and supply: many vacant houses and a great number of people struggling to find an affordable dwelling. In this situation right to housing movements and illegal squatting represent an option that not only fulfils a residential purpose, but also responds to a widespread social need, by providing socially engaging activities, aggregation spaces and missing services for the community. The goal is to find a smart way of making the empty houses meet the homeless people and to recognize the urban potential of social movements and appropriation processes. The housing policy proposal implies various measures to tackle the housing shortage, including taxation on vacant property and the expropriation of vacant dwellings in order to transform them into social housing. The proposal suggests to empower the many movements and associations that already provide affordable housing solutions, by making them responsible for the management of the stock acquired through the new measures. This Community Management branch of Public Housing Agencies should ensure a better integration between housing and other functions. The goal is to create an inclusive living environment, where housing is strongly connected with sociability and communal life, and different income groups can be integrated.
Tackle vacancy through progressive taxation, tax benefits and temporary or permanent expropriation
�hcnarb ytinummoc stnega dexim )ytilapicinuM ,PCAI( snoitutitsni stnemevom gnisuoh ot thgir Community management: a mix of institutions snoMunicipality), itaicossaRight ytintouHousing mmocmovements, (IACP, community associations and grantees seetnarg -
bonus system
Social housing
Existing residents
Extra room for existing residents
Extra balcony space for existing residents Extra space for social and commercial activities Transitional space
material connection between facade and public space
Extra storage space for existing residents Parking spot for existing residents
<30% social housing parking lot at ground floor independent living units no common space
30%> <50% social and public housing active ground floor independent living units common space in plinth
co-housing active ground floor private life can be collective common space at every floor
As a project location I chose Porta di Roma, a new development on the outskirts of Rome. Envisioned as a new centrality with commercial and tertiary functions, it turned out to be an unfinished and largely vacant residential neighbourhood, a satellite to a large shopping mall. The different types of housing proposed follow the vacancy pattern. In some of the housing stock vacant dwellings are transformed into social housing and extra community and public functions happen at the ground floors. Introducing lower income population in a middle class residential neighbourhood presents some risks, but design can help in the form of a bonus system that gives extra advantages to the existing residents to help them with the integration process. The ground floor spaces will also be put on social rent and they will host all sorts of activities, some of which will be run by the Community Management.
7. Visualization of main square 8. Activation of public space
social rent of vacant dwellings
social rent of ground floor spaces
some activities are managed by the “community branch” of ex-IACP
activation of public space through social, cultural and economical activities
9.Activation of public space through commercial, cultural and social activities in the ground floor spaces 10. Articulated urban space on the Porta di Roma's side of the Wall
professional workshops for practical education
mixed use office buildings
social rent for start ups, coworking, young firms, handicraft companies
the wall: secret garden, border with shopping mall
The shopping mall works on a much larger scale and it overrides the needs of the neighbourhood. The Utopia of Normality needs two things in order to be realized: it needs people and it needs independence from the shopping mall. The first can be achieved through the new housing policy, while the second needs an extraordinary element to allow normality to happen outside of the shadow of the mall. The extraordinary element is “The Wall”, a linear secret garden enclosed by two brick walls. It represents an ideological statement: it is a “purification space” between the mall (neoliberal space - non place consumerism) and the neighbourhood (counter culture - anthropological place - production). The Wall represents the only possible path between Porta di Roma and the shopping mall. It is an element with a life of its own that attracts people and even provides job opportunities.
11. Sketches of the Wall 12. Visualization of Porta di Roma's side of the Wall
13. Utopia Scenario 14. Nightmare Scenario 15. Compromise Scenario
Each stakeholder has different levels of economic and institutional power and different needs and desires. There are two key factors in my project - social housing and the Wall - and depending on which choice the stakeholders make, different things will happen that will lead to different scenarios. If they persist in their positions of rejection and non-cooperation we might end up in a nightmare scenario, where Porta di Roma is just another dormitory suburb, with very little appeal and property value and very big problems. With this project I am trying to push the stakeholders to consider different options, because they could be the future. If we do nothing, nobody wins. In my Utopia of course everybody wins. But if we keep the Utopia in mind and start compromising than we can at least start playing!
Productive Landscape TUDelft Research and Design Studio 2014
In the IJssel Vecht delta area the agricultural landscape is threatened by urban growth, financial pressure, ecological pressure and by the emptying out of the countryside. The main objective of the strategy for the region is to achieve a stronger economic position for the agricultural sector. At present, economy in the Zwolle region is based for 18% on the agro and food sector, and the agricultural landscape accounts for more than 70% of the total. Since agriculture and the agro and food sector contribute to a great extent to the identity of the region, it is necessary to provide a strategy for their future.
A SPATIAL STRATEGY FOR THE ZWOLLE REGION Location: IJssel Vecht Delta | The Netherlands Tutor: QualityD. Zandbelt | D. Pojani Quantity In collaboration with: K.Spasov | B.Koster | MJ.Kim
current Currentsituation situation 2-3%
1-2%
Organic organic farms farms
Small size Medium size small size medium size farms farms farms farms
8 - 10 %
2-4%
strategic vision
Environment
Not only Food production
Energy
Multiple use
Enhance it It provides identity
Leisure
Education
How do we improve the productivity of the landscape and at the same time keep it open and preserve its identity?
Controlled urban growth and population mutation
Factory factory farms farms
Our vision
Connection to other sectors Change in agriculture
Large size large farmssize farms
Values of the region:
Historical
Environmental
Also for the villages keep their vitality! Economical
Social
R e s i l i e n c e
The main objective is to increase the productivity of the agricultural landscape while at the same time keeping it open and sustainable and strenghtening its identity. Resilience for the whole region can be achieved by constraining the growth of its cities, enhancing the role of the smaller towns in the economic network and defining the borders between the built areas and the open landscape. In order to improve the agricultural sector in the region there is a need for balance between organic agriculture, that follows the rules of nature to provide high quality and biological food; and factory farming, that uses all the “shortcuts” provided by technology and innovation, to cut costs and produce a high quantity of affordable food. To achieve future resilience the region also needs diversity. The suggestion is to, on one hand, enhance the organic farming to place the region in the growing economic market of quality food and provide it with a strong image. On the other hand to increase large scale and factory farming for national market and international export. The vision aims to close the cycle of food production, by using biomass and to shorten the chain “producer to consumer”. Along this, management tools will be provided for farms (cooperative, contract, multiple use) and incentives for single farmers. To achieve the main objective, strategic interventions have been developed in different areas of the region: Mastenbroek polder for organic livestock, Dalfsen for organic crops, Raalte for industrial farming, mixed use leisure/ agriculture next to recreational areas, floodlands for mixed use with water, energy landscape, educational farms next to cities.
The aim of the specific strategy for the Mastenbroek polder is to provide a solid base for the region’s organic food production and to preserve the historical structure and heritage of the polder. The switch to organic livestock farming respects the identity of the Mastenbroek polder, but can occur only with the cooperation of the community of farmers. Farms will be organized in clusters of about 30 to 40 farms, which provide advantages in terms of waste and energy management, reuse of organic manure as fertilizer and also competitiveness on the market. The main focus of the farms will still be cattle, now farmed according to “organic principles”, but each farm can have multiple uses: education, environmental protection, as well as grocery production. Each cluster will be provided with “increased public space”: a public and community space strategically placed at the main crossings in the polder. The detail refers to the historical Kruisvliet crossing. The public space is both a community space and the place where producers and consumers can meet. Working with the community of farmers allows to use existing spaces to place new functions, like a market for local products, a place for seasonal cattle fairs and a floating platform that can host new features for the community, for example a “bio restaurant” that uses only local products.
Waterbogen TUDelft Research and Design Studio 2013
The project location is in Rotterdam North, very close to the city center and right at the back of the Central Station. In the midst of the area, a former elevated railroad is located: the Hofbogen, a red brick viaduct in disuse. The design task was to regenerate the area and to have a long term plan for the viaduct. Rotterdamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban water system is ingenious, but rather vulnerable. Peak downpours are causing disruption and damage and in densely built up urban areas very little space is available for a better drainage of water. This is what made me think of the Hofbogen as the best place to collect and store rainwater.
SOCIO SPATIAL PROCESSES IN THE CITY. URBAN DESIGN AND REGENERATION Location: Rotterdam | The Netherlands Tutor: F. van der Hoeven
the area and its residents will experience minimal disruption from heavy rainfall
the strategy modifies the public space making the urban fabric more comfortable and attractive
1. Axonometric view 2. The Hofbogen - October 2013
inhabitants are aware of the sustainability issue and know what they themselves can do
open space public green private green allotment gardens appropriation and water collection space
functions mixed use water storage arches
active arches: shops, offices, start ups workshops, creative industry social spaces, bars, restaurants
rainwater is collected and stored in the arches of the hofbogen during heavy showers
it is filtered and used for domestic purposes inside and on top of the viaduct
Usually water storage works on the principle of buffering water during heavy rainfall and later discard it slowly into the sewage system so it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overflow. My project for the Hofbogen adds one more step to the water cycle: not only store the water temporarily, but also purify it and use it for domestic purposes, that is flushing toilets, watering the plants and even partly doing laundry and dishwashing. Water is collected both from the roof of the Hofbogen and from the surrounding area, through a
water collection system made of gutters and small channels. It is then filtered and pumped into the viaduct. The water from the roof is collected in ponds, basins and barrels and purified with natural methods (helophytes filtering). Physical filters keep out solid waste. The water is stored in a visible way, and some of the arches can even function as a sort of â&#x20AC;&#x153;aquariumâ&#x20AC;? where sculptures and pieces of art can be placed, to increase the popularity of the monument itself. The water is then transported
no overflow of the sewage system during heavy rainfall and less waste of drinking water for domestic use
along the viaduct and used to flush toilets, dishwash and water the rooftop garden. A series of urban interventions is triggered by the Waterbogen. The arches used as water storage are only 15, which leaves many open possibilities as to what to put in the remaining ones. Since the project location is a monofunctional residential area, the idea is to host all kinds of functions in the Hofbogen: shops, offices, start ups, workshops, art and design studios, cafes and restaurants.
3. Project Plan 4. Cross section
Most of the housing stock in the area is old and needs maintenance or replacement. Changes in the buildings along the viaduct allow the creation of a special water collection space: paved with light waterproof stone, a pattern of gutters provides it with a a spatial rythm. It not only is a water collection area, but it is also an â&#x20AC;&#x153;appropriation spaceâ&#x20AC;?: a public space that is only partially designed and is mainly left for people to make use of it in the way that suits them best. They can rearrange furniture and create a differentiated and personalized space. This should be perceived as a shared community space, in which everyone is responsible, and it should be taken care of as if it was an extension of their indoor space.
5. Water collection systems 6. Visualization of "appropriation space"
7. Appropriation space - plan 8. Elevation
Pigneto e Centocelle Roma Tre Urban Regeneration Studio 2012
Pigneto and Centocelle are two postwar peripheral suburbs of the city of Rome. As most European residential suburbs, they suffer from many problems leading to a decrease in the quality of life for residents. The major problems can be summarized as building decay, social marginalization and isolation, bad reputation, socio-economic depression, abandoned plots and improper use of public spaces. The two neighbourhoods have a very peculiar character and thus can offer specifical solutions to these problems because of the distinctive resources that are available within the area itself.
URBAN PROJECT FOR TWO RESIDENTIAL SUBURBS IN ROME Location: Pigneto and Centocelle | Rome | Italy Tutor: M. Cerasoli In collaboration with: R. Coccia
1. Tangenziale - 2011 2. Location 3. Aerial view of Pigneto and Centocelle
Pigneto is a former “borgata”, a railway interchange area where many dismissed industries are located. It was the vital centre of the productive life of Rome in the ‘50s and ‘60s, thus it has many areas that are now abandoned or affected by profound deterioration. If regained to public use, these areas could start a regenerative process for the neighborhood, enhancing the diverse local potentials and animating social identity. Centocelle is a former illegal suburb and, though many years of transformations have gone by, the neighbourhood still retains a popular character. This strong identity represents one of the most relevant resources for regeneration, along with the many neglected green areas, the marginal public spaces and a dense yet regular urban fabric. There is a third area which does not clearly belong to either of the neighbourhoods, but rather connects them, working as a “filter” between them. It is deprived of any urban role or identity, since it is neither a built zone nor a proper green one.
4. Via Prenestina - 2012 5. Analysis map
Lack of pedestrian crossings and sidewalks Tangenziale (elevated highway): acoustic, visual and environmental pollution; high levels of traffic; too close to the houses Traffic jams, forced routes, inadequate dimensioning of roads Deep fractures in the urban fabric Presence of a large role-less area between the neighbourhoods Difficult access to an important medical facility (Figlie di San Camillo Hospital) Degradation of places and facilities related to railway transport Lack of urban quality on the neighbourhoods borders Noise pollution and violence problems Heterogeneous, fragmented and impermeable urban fabric Social problems and potential gettoization Decay and obsolescence of Ex-Snia Viscosa Lack of green areas, degradation of the existing ones Inaccessibility of a large park in Centocelle Fort Prenestino: neglected buildings and park, social degradation Neglected cultural heritage
The regeneration of these three areas may represent a first step towards a wider strategy integrating renovation on physical, environmental and socioeconomic level leading to a local sustainability. The masterplan defines the general criteria for the urban intervention, the guidelines for public and private mobility and it pinpoints the areas that need further planning. In general the project favours public mobility, enhancing trains and tramways and discouraging the use of cars. In addition, it includes the regeneration of the many abandoned green areas, both at neighbourhood and at district scale.
motorways expressways large trackroads road junction railway railway stations metro A line
fast tramway lane local tramway lane bus lane minibus lane cycling lane
metro B line
interchange junction infrastructural junction
centralities
parks
future centralities newly built area
project interventions areas to be regenerated
6. Masterplan
renewal projects: former bus and railway depots, ex-Snia Viscosa, Fort Prenestino
infrastructural interventions: creation of interchange junctions
urban regeneration interventions on green areas and road network
public transport interventions: creation of bus, tramway and bike lanes
The detailed plan focuses on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;filterâ&#x20AC;? zone, defining the limits, the obligations, and the intended uses and functions for areas and buildings. It also provides the layout of public spaces and services, defining a long term strategy for the area. It envisions the realization of an extensive green belt around a built area in which new constructions are combined with an already existing settlement, whose rural character is preserved. Furthermore this rural identity is enhanced by the setting up of four urban gardens that should improve the social role of the green areas.
demolitions built area - residential use built area - mixed use areas for public services green areas parks pedestrian zones existing public services commercial roads fast tramway lane local tramway lane bus lane
7. Subproject - plan
minibus lane cycling lane urban gardens
thank you