UNIT+ UNIT+ is a group of multidisciplinary creatives of expert collaborators. The dimensions of UNIT+ fluctuates according to the needs of specific projects. At the centre there is a group of designers with a base in London that believe that through the collaboration of experiences and the analysis of ideas, the quality of the design can be enriched. UNIT+ Logo
MEMBERS: Nicolo’ Spina Matteo Blandford Luke Miles Jordana Lyden-Swift Massimo Dorigo Florian Seigel Laura-Sophie Behrends Hara Anastasiou 2
INTRODUCTION In 1976 the Bartoletti family published “Operazione Arcevia�, a collection of works - drawings, photos, surveys and texts - explorating the diverse expressions of creativity and imagination on the new architectural landscape in Arcevia, where the project began. 40 years later, the reseach and the enthusiasm of the Bartoletti family brought UNIT+ to create a new phase of development mantaining the original values. The result is Operazione Arcevia 2.0. Photo of Operazione Arcevia meeting
Conceptual image of the birth of the hub. Op. Ar. 1976
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1972-2012
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Map of the area. Op. Ar. 1976
OPERAZIONE ARCEVIA 1972-76 In 1972 Italo Bartoletti with the help of architect Ico Parisi created Operazione Arcevia. Based on his previous studies, Parisi introduced the idea of existential community and of “Aesthetic Operators�: sculptors, painters, musicians and contemporary artists, bringing them together for the development of his vision of the new architectural landscape. Operazione Arcevia strove to intervene, in an non elitist way, proposing a reconsideration of the social, economical and cultural reality of the time creating a territorial infrastructure.
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Rendered image of the proposal at street level. Op. Ar. 1976
Rendered image of the interior of a proposed room. Op. Ar. 1976
For the founders of the project the “Existential Community” wasn’t a therapeudic community
Image of elevation of building in the proposed complex. Op. Ar. 1976
Rendered image of proposal at street level. Op. Ar. 1976
But a model for a method of living differently, closer to the effective human necessities of the modern world. Key to success was the necessity from the residents of adapting to the proposed style of living, with at its core the relationship between resident-artisttourist-farmer.
Planimetry of complex. Op. Ar. 1976
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SURVEY AND PROPOSAL In september 2012 five members of UNIT+ were invited to Riserva Privata San Settimio by the Bartoletti family. In a week they concluded a series of survey works of the territory documenting the area and the future phases of proposals, they then presented the initial ideas of their future proposals that responded to their first encounter wth the reserve and living in the reserve.Through a deep confrontation with the place, using live mapping techniques and various ways of representation and investigation, UNIT+ presented a tree mapping navigation system, an Open-Air Studio concept, a floating meditation room concept and a towering sundial, beacon to draw future collaborators.
Sketch of towering sundial with detail. Op. Ar. 2.0
Leaves
Field
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The colors of the reserve. During our visit we collected as much information as possible. Op. Ar. 2.0
In September 2012 five members of UNIT+ travelled to Riserva Privata San Settimio, invited by the Bartoletti family
Conceptual sketch of the tree mapping. Op. Ar. 2.0
Clay model floating meditation room. Op. Ar. 2.0
Soil
Sky
Bark
Lake
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Some of the works that were developed from September 2012 will be created in April 2013.
Conceptual image of the Open-Air Studios. Op. Ar. 2.0
APRIL 2013 In April 2013 UNIT+ will travel again to Riserva Privata San Settimio with an implemented number of people, 8 components of the collective and 2 collaborators interested in knowing the project and at participating on Operazione Arcevia 2.0; some of the works that were developed from September 2012 will be created.
Sketches of the floating meditaion room. Op. Ar. 2.0
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Screenshots of the “Concepts” video of the proposals. Op. Ar. 2.0
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New map for Riserva Privata San Settimio. Op. Ar. 2.0
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40 years ago Italo Bartoletti developed Operazione Arcevia. Today UNIT+ is developing Operazione Arcevia 2.0.
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NIDASTORE
Logo of Operazione Arcevia 2.0 Op. Ar. 2.0
LORETELLO
SAN PIETRO
Ripalta
RISERVA PRIVATA SAN SETTIMIO
OPERAZIONE ARCEVIA 2.0 40 years ago Italo Bartoletti started Operazione Arcevia 2.0. The goal was to promote contemporary art and create a place in the Marche region where art is born and created: a “Thought factory and creative lab” built from the “Beauty creators” of the time. UNIT+ today is developing Operazione Arcevia 2.0. In this continuation UNIT+ is collaborating with artists which are free to create and invest their passions in the construction of a new cultural and artistic hub in Riserva Privata San Settimio and surroundings. The proposal so far include a series of Open-Air Studios: physical refuge or furniture elements that define spaces to paint, write or simply dream.
PALAZZO
CAUDINO
MONTALE
San Ginesio
PITICCHIO Magnadorsa
Monte Fortino
ARCEVIA
Colleaprico
Costa Santo Stefano Santa Croce Prosano
Civitalba AVACELLI
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Map of the area. Op. Ar. 2.0
CASTIGLIONI
A room for meditation: a place of reflection that exploits the natural beauty of the place. A towering sundial: the beacon for the hub that is being created. A mapping of the reserve with colors. Coded to give the visitors a sense of time and space. These interventions are powerful, symbolic representations and genuine of the reserve as cultural, spiritual and artistic centre. Our intention is to pick up where Italo Bartoletti left Operazione Arcevia moving the attention from “Thought factory and creative lab”, developing the nucleus for future projects that will mark the territory, will enrich the lcoal identity and strenghten the potential for regrowth. There are two clear objectives of Operazione Arcevia 2.0: inspire research, as this is a place for inspiration and innovation; and create a intercultural exchange, as this is a place where artists can confront themselves, by result create and work. We believe that these plans will encourage other practitioners -artists, architects, writers, conceptual artists and creativity professionals - to come and interact with the site.
The collaboration of these “Creators of beauty” is at the centre of the construction of th nucleus. Not a untilitarian project at the exclusion of others, rather an invitation to gather, collaborate, enrich, discuss, design and create together. In conclusion Operazione Arcevia 2.0 wants to organize recurrent residencies with open minded artists from around the world. There will be congresses, seminars, art exhibits and shows to enrich the minds and souls of the region. In conjunction with OperazioneArcevia 2.0 there will be laboratories throguh Operazione Arcevia 2.0_ School and individual studies from every member and collaborator. All three activities will have to work with every expression of contemporary visual art.
Images of the birth of the hub. Op. Ar. 2.0
Operazione Arcevia 2.0_ School Logo Op. Ar. 2.0
Conceptual image of a possible laboratory. Op. Ar. 2.0
OPERAZIONE ARCEVIA 2.0_SCHOOL September 2013 The objective of Operazione Arcevia 2.0_School is to explore the architecture potentials within the local context of the region through a work of exchange that happens thanks to workshops/laboratories in which students can confrnt themselves with local and international tutors. THe activities of the workshops will vary, they will range from various themes, will happen twice a year in the months of April and September. The first real appointment will be the next September in Palazzo D’Arcevia, small town in the periphery of Ancona, capital of the Marche region. The interest in the smaller centers and the peripherical towns is born as they reflect an economical and social crisis which is deeper compared to bigger populated centers. This happensa as the bigger cities have a ease at dynamicity in austerity periods.
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Image of meeting in 1974. Op. Ar. 1976
The first phase of the workshop will e based on the observation of the site, the reading of existing local maps and the realisation of a new documentation such a ‘social mapping’. The second phase will focus on the production of conceptual ideas that will engage with the chosen theme through a proposal of an artistic installation and/or of a design. The process of designing will translate in phisical interventions specific to the scale of the place, keeping in mind the problems and the needs of the local community. So some of the proposals that will emerge during the research phase will be selected from the inhabitants and the owners of the reserve (which will house the project) and the local authorities
Image of meeting while discussing in 1974. Op. Ar. 1976
to then be built and mantained as a temporary installation in Palazzo D’Arcevia. As already said, the workshop will give particular importance to the field research, mapping techniques, designing analysis and participation with the local community. All the final results will be exhibited in a show. Every participant at the end of the workshop will have a body of research and design work on top of an online publication of Operazione Arcevia 2.0 website to include in their portfolio.
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Palazzo emblem according to the LIVE Palazzo Strategy. Op. Ar. 2.0
LIVE PALAZZO- PALAZZO LIVE Palazzo starts from the idea of expanding the limits of interventions of Operazione Arcevia 2.0 beyond the boudaries of Riserva Privata San Settimio. It is a revitalization strategy that follows the guide lines of previous revitalization attempts in other european cities with similar characteristics, though it follows a unique trajectory for each place, like Palazzo D’Arcevia. UNIT+, as Italo Bartoletti in his time, discovering the beauties of Palazzo, and facilitated from the fact that it is the gateway to the reserve, decided to engage in a study, not only theoretically and academically but also practically with Operazione Arcevia 2.0. LIVE Palazzo began in September 2012 followed mainly by Matteo Blandford. Starting from a mapping of the history and contemporary economies of Palazzo, he drew his initial conclusions on the strategies of approach.
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LIVE Palazzo is part of Operazione Arcevia 2.0. Op. Ar. 2.0
Part of the research made him realise how local economies are returning to agriculture, farming, production of food and construction. Integral part of the strategy looks at integrating the present and past in order to put foundations for the future. Such an action doesn’t want to simply concentrate on the existing. It wants to valorise the identity of the Palazzo.
The local identity of Palazzo are his residents and his produces, its architecture, its arts and its traditions. LIVE Palazzo wants to revitilise through the boosting of identity integrating the interventions of Operazione Arcevia 2.0 as they are also part of the local identity. In this instance we are engaging with the action of re-branding, creating a visual identity.
Topography model in cardboard that identifies the idea of two cultural centers. Op. Ar. 2.0
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The idea of revitilising Palazzo through design comes from our desire to unite two of our passions. The first stage lets us discover the residents and wants to create a debate.
The second doesn’t want to be a finished product, rather a medium for which we implement the project, together with the community of Palazzo D’Arcevia, imagining a future together. 23
PROPOSALS The idea of revitilisign through design comes from our desire to unify two passions. The strategy so far figures two stages of intervention. Conversation Kit: the card deck of the italian game scopa, wants to be the first intervention of design in order to engage in the first conversations between us (UNIT+ and Riserva Privata San Settimio) and the inhabitants of Palazzo D’Arcevia. The design starts from the original playing cards but merges it with the local trades of Palazzo. The symbols have been also simplified, a principle - simplicity - which we want to continue throughout LIVE Palazzo, in order to make the strategy accessible to all. This first stage wants help us meet the community and begin a debate on how our future interventions can be received.
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RISERVA SAN SE
Topographic map showing relationship between reserve and Palazzo. Op. Ar. 2.0
The gift: analysing the census data and the economies through our first study of Palazzo D’Arcevia, one question kept rising: how will shrinking cities be in the near future? How do we solve the problems of shrinking cities? In April 2013 we’ll present, in collaboration with Riserva Privata San Settimio, an installation produced through the study that imagines a possible future for shrinking cities. We want to offer an hypothetic solution tothe problem. The temporary installation doesn’t want to be a finished product but a medium for which we imagine the future together with the community. The interactive structure will represent an idea and gather ideas and thoughts and questions to bring the project to a more detailed phase of analisys for the subsequential steps. Our final goal is to experiment a collaboration with designer/artists and the inhabitants.
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Mappa topografica con indicati Palazzo e la Riserva con l’obbiettivo di 2050 d.C. Op. Ar. 2.0
F L I O F L E L
The collaboration wants to start discussions in order to create strategies to save and re-live the center of Italy in its history and its future joining the arts with the daily life. With the event we want to organize to present the structure produced we want to give voice to the inhabitants and give back to the community what Palazzo has to offer giving it new found value.
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A PRIVATA ETTIMIO
Clockwise: Japanese Pavillion at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale: Toyo Ito presents the project for a communal space for the town of Rikuzentakata to regrow after the tsunami. English Pavillion at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale: DArryl Chen investigates the properties of Ai Wei Wei’s project in the Chaogandi district of Beijing, renovated utilising illegal art galleries. The idea is to utilise art to regenerate a degraded area. Salemi, Sicily: Salemi at the reins of Vittorio Sgarbi and Oliviero Toscani was revitilised selling houses for 1€ in exchange of renovation after a earthquake that destroid the city. Op. Ar. 2.0
PALAZZO D’ARCEVIA
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Cards of the scopa game. Op. Ar. 2.0
PALAZZO D’ARCEVIA This deck of playing cards takes its design from the arts and crafts of Palazzo; it will be used to engage first conversation with the residents. Here are the mockup images of the design of the deck.
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With the event that we want to organize to present the intervention, we want to give a voice to the residents and give back to the community the value of their identity, giving them a reason to call it theirs. “This is Palazzo”
LIVE PALAZZO The installation in April will consist of: a first element that will report the past and present of Palazzo. The second will be the visual identity of Palazzo: “This is Palazzo”. The above mentioned component will be constituted by words as tall as 2m. The third will be a newspaper produced by UNIT+ that will illustrate our idea of Palazzo in the near future. The fourth will be a lunch together with the residents and us. The last will be necessary to gather information to iform the following steps for the strategy.
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Intervention dimension. Op. Ar. 2.0
PALAZ
ZZO
Conceptual image of how the event can be. Op. Ar. 2.0
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Mapof the local area with the location of one of the interventions. Op. Ar. 2.0
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Rendered image of one of the proposed interventions. Op. Ar. 2.0
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Conceptual image of how the intervention may turn out to be. Op. Ar. 2.0
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Immagine concettuale di come potrebbe venire l’evento. 36Ar. 2.0 Op.
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CONCLUSION In conclusion we would like to focus your attention on the second intervention of the strategy which will occurr in April. Such installation isn’t meant to generate profit and it is not intended to manifest an idea or a voice that comes from UNIT+ or the Riserva Privata San Settimio. Actually, we believe Palazzo deserves the possibility to speak its own voice, a voice which comes from the community, a voice that together will push towards the revitalisation of Palazzo. In this we want to base the interventions: an open discussion which is realistic, on the future. Imagining the near future for Palazzo D’Arcevia different from the one that, through the studies we are predicting.
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Palazzo D’Arcevia today.
R I S E R VA P R I VATA
We believe that not only such a strategy will facilitate the development of the local arts but also we believe it will add the probability of success for local start-ups and the realestate market. All of this, we believe, will boost local and international tourism.
SAN SETTIMIO
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