P I E T R O C A N OVA Architecture portfolio
WORKING EXPERIENCE Guangzhou, China, 08.2018 / 10.2019
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Project architect
Main projects: - Mixed use residential development - Yinchuan (China) - Shangri-la Winery and resort - Deqen, Tibet (China) - Winery extension - Yinchuan (China) - Great wall memorial - Guyuan (China) Tasks: - Project manager for teams up to seven people - Project report to either clients and local government - Coordinator of exterior consultants and firms - Digital modeler and CGI visualizer - Detail design and construction drawing drafter Parallel times architecture - Guangzhou (China) http://www.plt-arch.com/ Padua, Italy, 12.2017 / Ongoing
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Language
Name: Pietro Canova
Italian: Native
Date of birth: 27/05/1991 Nationality: Italian
English: Professional proficiency Chinese: Basic knowledge Spanish: Basic knowledge
Profile I’m an Italian registered civil and environmental engineer, who graduated in building engineering and architecture, and chose the architectural career and spent several years in China. I started my abroad experience with an exchange program and attended the Guangzhou University for one year after winning a scholarship granted by Padua University. Thanks to this opportunity, I learned a different approach to architecture, urban planning and, generally speaking, to a distant culture. During the second semester, I started a successful cooperation with an Italian studio located in Guangzhou where I dealt directly with clients and attended to the project reports. I’ve always be a fast learner and a problem-solver with a managing attitude developed in different fields, from rugby as coach to architecture as project manager. Thanks to my abilities, I rapidly got promoted to architect and developed different projects in multiple countries. After a specialization course in Italy, some projects as a freelance and having successfully passed the qualification exam to be a civil engineer, I got back China to work as a project architect for a Chinese studio.
Freelance architect
Main projects: - Pape Park visitor center - Pape (Latvia) - Attic interior design - Padua (Italy) - Limana healing park for the elderlies - Limana (Italy) Tasks: - Coordinating small teams to develop different projects - Drafting and submitting all the material for the approval - Contact and manage of the different contractor - Modeling, CGI visualization of the projects and cad drafting AAND, Architecture and design - Padova (Italy) http://www.aand.it/ Guangzhou, China, 03.2017/11.2017 Guangzhou, China, 04.2016/08.2016 (Architectural intern)
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Architect
Main projects: - Jesolo Cavalieri Hotel - Venice (Italy) - Flower park visitor center and diffuse hotel - Yinchuan (China) - Zhuahi convention and exhibition center - Zhuai (China) Tasks: - Project manager for teams up to four people - Project report to different clients - Coordinator of exterior consultants and firms - Digital modeler and CGI visualizer - Detail design and construction drawing drafter Ruggero Baldasso Architectes - Guangzhou (China) http://www.rba.it/
AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS
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Padua, Italy, 09.2016/03.2017
Architectural intern
Main projects: - Institute of biomedical research - Bellinzona (Switzerland) - Carducci and Marson apartment building - Venice (Italy) Tasks: - Cad drafting of drawings and details - Preparation of the material necessary for the client reports - On site project supervision - Independent development for specific projects LVL Architettura, Auralelio Galfetti e Luciano Schiavon - Padua (Italy) http://www.lvlarchitettura.com/
EDUCATION & INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES
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Master degree in Building engineering and architecture
Five year single cycle degree plus master focused on blending together the design and restoration knowledge of an architect with the technical skill of a construction engineer. Graduation mark: 110/110 Padua University
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For Unseen Landmark in the international competition for the Pape Park gateway.
Guangzhou, China, 02.2017
Thesis research scholarship
Winner of one of the six scholarships granted by Guangzhou University to develop master thesis during a six months period in China Guangzhou, China, 08.2015
Year abroad scholarship
Winner of one of the fifteen scholarships granted by Padua University to attend the fifth year of the master degree in China at the Guangzhou University.
OTHER EXPERIENCES
Expert in digital manufacturing
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Padua, Italy, 10.2011/06.2017
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Honorable mention
Interview available at: https://papegateway.beebreeders.com/pnpg-hon6-winn-interview
Rovigo, Italy, 02.2018/04.2018 Multi subject course focused on digital, parametric modeling and 3d printing. Pop Lab - Rovigo / IUAV - Venice (Italy)
Pape park, Latvia, 08.2018
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Guangzhou, China, 04.2016/07.2016
English teacher
Teaching English during the weekend to students from 3 to 10 years old. ABC English League Padua, Italy, 08.2010/08.2015
Rugby coach
Coaching rugby to kids from 9 to 14 years old and managing a team up to 50 athletes. Petrarca Rugby
Guangzhou, China, 03.2017/06.2017
Software skills
Master thesis research
Autodesk autocad
Sketchup
Autodesk 3D Studio Max
Chaosgroup V-Ray
Autodesk Revit
Corona Render
Graphsoft archicad
Lumion
Guangzhou, China, 09.2015/07.2016
Adobe suite / PS / AI / ID
Enscape
Year abroad exchange program
Rhinoceros
Micosoft Office suite
Six months spent in China to develop my thesis titled : “The Other China - Study on the redevelopment of the Yinchuan countryside� Guangzhou University
Attended the fifth year of my degree at the Guangzhou University in China Guangzhou University
Grasshopper Other software basic knowledge: Solid works, Lightroom, After effect, Arduino, Cura, 3d printing drone pilot
ZHUHAI CONVENTION CENTER
International competition Second prize
Team: RBA +HMC - P. Canova, R. Baldasso, M. Dal Pont, Y. Cheng, I. Ricci, P. Edwards Land Area: 51750 m2 Built area: 358600 m2 Height 150 m Location: China - Zhuhai Year: 2016
This competition was developed under Ruggero Baldasso’s supervision and my tasks were developing the concept, starting from raw physical model to the final digital one, drafting the plans and develop some of the diagram used in the competition report. Zhuhai, a third-level city located in the southern part of China, is experiencing a blooming exponential growth, thanks to its close relationship with the nearby cities of Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macao and Guangzhou. A considerable number of large-scale projects are being developed in this area, in particular on the southern bank, from super-tall towers to wide exhibition centers. The site is located inside a block partially occupied by an existing scheme, developed by the architecture studio 10 Design, focused on the duality between the object buildings and the landscape that encapsulates them. A series of landscaped sunken plazas knits the various buildings together on multiple levels, helping to either unite functions and people or separate them when necessary. Our project from the beginning was developed on forms, layouts and positioning based upon the aforementioned concept, while maintaining the fixed requirement of distinctiveness stated in the brief.
The Macau-Zhuai relationship Situated within the gateway between Zhuhai and Macau, the Zhuhai International Exhibition and Convention Center boosts a commanding position on the waterfront, and has become the center for key exhibitions and events along the Pearl River.
The site is located in a key area for South China’s commerce
The expansion of Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau is creating a business region that is gaining more and more importance.
The close relationship between the various cities is crucial for the design of the buildings located on the shoreline.
The main concept consists in the development of two separate main entities recognized as the Exhibition Center and the retail plaza with the surrounding towers. These elements are all connected on three common underground levels that host not only the logistics and the parking lots but also the ground floor of the Exhibition center and of the retail area.
The overall design The retail area is arranged around a rectangular sunken plaza that connects the shops with three towers which host a hotel, serviced apartments and penthouses. Developing the towers around a sunken plaza not only helps to tie these structures into the existing context of the Convention Center
Complex, but also provides a more human dimension to their character since they stand as an architectural têtê-a-têtê rather than in a rigid line. While developing the Exhibition Hall, we focused on providing a multipurpose and flexible space unique for the surrounding area.
Tower function The smaller residential tower is located to the North-West of the proposal, giving the penthouse loft units a greater range of views to the sea and mountains due to the reduced immediate context at tower height. The hotel function is accommodated into a single tower, the medium one, giving it complete autonomy despite its configuration within a cluster. The tallest tower is located at the South-West corner of the site, pulling its potentially imposing scale on the street into the site and hosts the required apartments. All the refugee floors are designed as green open areas, making them a common space for the different tower guests.
Site organization All the required functions have been arranged in an area that has the communication of the spaces as a priority, creating one unique complex instead of separate entities while keeping the indi-
vidual appeal of the different elements. Indeed, even on a relatively small scale, the convention center’s iconic form and roof establishes a presence like no other on the shoreline.
YINCHUAN VERTICAL COURTYARD Team: PLT + DAMU Design - J. Wang, P. Canova, M. Dal Pont, Z. Pai, S. Re, K. Chen Land Area: 16077 m2 Built area: 69810 m2 Height 63 m Location: China - Yinchuan Year: 2019
I took part in this project from the beginning as the project manager, personally designing the different elements in the area according to the client’s requirements. I coordinated a team of up to six people and personally reported the project to the clients and the local government in Yinchuan. I also realized most of the CGI images, designed the diagrams and drafted some of the drawings and technical details. Like other projects developed with PLT, the Vertical Courtyards project has been developed with the cooperation of the local studio Damu Design located in Yinchuan. This is one of the many projects that I oversaw in this part of China and in particular in Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia. A real estate developer asked the studio to design a high-end residential complex, with towers divided in eighteen floors, with different services for future owners and a commercial area hosting shops, a supermarket and a gym. The peculiar element of this complex had to be the terraces of the apartments, as the client wanted to create a green space full of local vegetation, a starting point for the development of the surrounding area that will empathize this green approach.
Main roads texture
Region
City
Located in the north western part of China, the Ningxia region is surrounded on the northern part by the Gobi Desert and characterized by an overall dry climate.
Yinchuan is a third-level city facing a huge estate development due to the Government’s intention to increase the business potential of the city.
District The site area is in the downtown, a part of the city that lacks a real city center and where the main attractions, like shopping roads and parks, are scattered.
The road texture follows a semi regular orthogonal grid, where almost every road has the same width and importance transportation-wise. The only exception is the one located on the southern side of the site area that, due to its ancient origin and length, can be recognized as the main road and that goes from the countryside on the east part of the city to the desert on the west part. The block where the project is developed is going to undergo a complete renovation and the site area will be tested for the surrounding spaces.
High density areas The actual distribution of the buildings inside the block and around the surrounding spaces is identified by a regular grid where almost all constructions have the longest side facing south. The average height is six to ten floors, exception made for some poorer areas, like the one on the north side of the site, where edifices are not higher than three floors.
The green areas Due to the government’s intention to improve the status of the capital of this region, the whole city and the surrounding farmlands are undergoing a strong irrigation campaign, which aims to convey a greener image rather than its original dry and desert feeling. Indeed, a lot of new green spaces such as parks, traditional gardens and sport areas are being developed all over the city. Various events were hosted, like the 2017 Flower expo, to prove the possibility of a radical change that will make the city more livable and hopefully attract more business and future inhabitants.
Masterplan The design area sits on the second row of the block behind an important, government-related, hotel. The surrounding space, especially for the north-
ern part, will see a huge development during the following years and will become a residential area.
Project changes A project had already been developed in this area, based on three wide buildings of eighteen floors each. Since the client wanted to develop a high-end area, we decided to split every tower in two, increasing the side exposed to the sun and giving more intimacy to each element.
Tower layout The six towers are connected through the first three floors by a common podium that hosts different functions, such as the towers’ lobby recreational areas for the residents, corner shops, a supermarket, a gym, but also, for the ground floor, some parking lots and, most importantly, other apartments.
Ground floor The ground floor is a mix between public and private. The unusual configuration with the parking lots on the ground level comes directly from the Yinchuan market, where the spaces on the northern part of the ground floor have almost no economic value. On the east side, closer to the road connected to the main avenue, there are the shops and the restaurant. On the southern part, instead, facing the central courtyard, the spaces are designed as common areas for the apartment owners.
The podium function The six towers are connected for the first three floors by a common podium that hosts different functions such as the towers lobby recreational areas for the residents, corner stores, a supermarket a gym but also, for the ground floor, some parking lots, and most importantly other apartments.
First floor Space layout The six buildings are eighteen stories tall each, plus an underground level that acts as a common parking lot for the whole complex. The first three floors host both apartments and the public functions required.
The first floor, or second floor in Chinese standards, hosts the lobby entrance from the garden. Due to the uncertain development of the surrounding area, it has been necessary to provide two entrances to the lobby of the towers: one from the courtyard and one from the northern part.
Typical floor For the high-end apartments we designed different typical plans that could accommodate all the possible requirements in terms of size, division of the spaces and dimension of the balcony. Every apartment has a living room, a dining room and a separate kitchen, and is also provided with a family or TV room. The central core allows people to enter inside the apartments from the center, as it has an elevator that serves each side of the building.
Construction system
Common area and façades
The entire complex construction system is based on reinforced concrete beams and pillars with a central core in every tower, creating a more functional space for the first floor and the underground floor.
Due to the strong and sandy winds coming directly form the Gobi Desert on the northern part of the region, the north and the south façade must be different but “speak the same language”. Indeed, the southern façade hosts the big balcony, while the northern one is more close and. The courtyard in the middle is directly connected to the shopping area and accessible only by the residents.
-Granite slabs on adjustable support -Non woven fabric layer -Waterproof tanking membrane -15 mm -Cellular glass insulation layer - 200 mm -Concrete structure - 300mm -Rockwool insulation layer supported by metal structure - 120mm -Painted plasterboard finish - 12.5mm -Parquet floor finish - 25mm -Sand and cement screed - 50 mm -Acoustic insulation layer 5 mm -Lightweight concrete with polystyrene spheres - 90 mm -Reinforced concrete structure 260 mm -Rockwool insulation layer supported by metal structure - 120mm -Painted plasterboard finish - 12.5mm -Parquet floor finish - 25mm -Adjustable supports -Water tanking layer -Lightweight concrete with polystyrene spheres - 200 mm -Reinforced concrete structure -150 mm -Vase coated with rustproof paint supported by reinforced concrete structure -Parquet floor finish - 25mm -Sand and cement screed - 50mm -Thermal and acoustic insulation 90 mm -Vapor control layer -Structural lightweight concrete on disposable formwork 100 mm -Plastic disposable formworks - 450 mm -Lean concrete foundation 50 mm -Reinforced concrete structure 300 mm -Sprayed finishing layer - 15 mm -Growing medium soil -Gravel layer -Filter membrane 2mm -Drainage mat and root barrier -Lean concrete foundation 50 mm -Reinforced concrete structure 300 mm -Sprayed finishing layer - 15 mm -Industrial floor finish on concrete screed - 35mm -Sand and cement screed - 50mm -Waterproof tanking membrane -15 mm -Reinforced concrete bedplate - 900mm -Waterproof tanking membrane -15mm -Concrete blinding - 150mm
JESOLO CAVALIERI HOTEL Team: RBA - R. Baldasso, P. Canova, M. Dal Pont Land Area: 2650 m2 Restored area: 4332 m2 Built area: 1890 m2 Location: Italy - Venice Year: 2017
I followed this project as the project manager during the conceptual phase until the client’s approval, taking care of the progress and managing the assistants located both in China and in Italy. I designed the overall concept guided by the director, R. Baldasso, realized the CGI images, drafted the plans and the diagrams necessary for the different reports. The Cavalieri Hotel in Jesolo, a seaside city near Venice, is a four-star hotel built in the late ‘60. The very competitive market in the area make it essential to renovate the spaces cyclically, and the client decided to start a 20-years plan to upgrade the dimensions and the aesthetics of his hotel, upgrading the four-star ranked hotel to a four-star superior one. Thanks to an external steel frame, detached from the original structure, the hotel shape has been enlarged, moving from an odd and irregular one to a rectangular and neat one. All the plans have been redesigned, including the pool, the entrance stairs and the street in front of the hotel that previously was just a strip of parking spots instead of the pedestrian way that have been since developed. The original floors, thanks to the new external steel structure, have been enlarged and redesigned. Two new floor rooms have been placed above the original building, with a total of fourteen luxury rooms. The rooftop that hosts a spa, a gym and a solarium, has been designed as a glass box placed on top of the building.
Renovation steps
Ground Floor Lobby, Bar and Restaurant
The renovation of the hotel is led by the intention of the client to improve the level of the hotel from a four-star one to a four-star superior. To achieve this, the room size, number, and space used for the services have been increased.
The ground floor has been fully renovated, reviewing the interior layout but keeping the original location of the main spaces. The pool area has been completely redesigned and pushed to the margin of the site according to the new parking lot added in the basement.
Existing room expansion
New suites
Garden roof
The original rooms are improved with a modern layout and changed into different sizes.
Fourteen suites in total have been added between the fifth and sixth floors.
The previously unused roof has been upgraded is now hosting gym spa and a solarium.
PAPE NATURE PAK GATEWAY
International competition Honorable mention
Team: P. Canova, M. Dal Pont, A. Camera Land Area: 3650 m2 Built area: 450 m2 Location: Latvia - Pape Park Year: 2018
This competition has been a joint effort by M. Dal Pont, A. Camera and myself. The concept was developed together and I acted as team coordinator, decided the final design and realized the CGI images. An interview about the project has been published on: https://papegateway.beebreeders.com/pnpg-hon6-winn-interview The brief of the competition was to design an iconic landmark at the entrance of the Pape Nature Park located in Latvia. This element had to host all the elements necessary for day-to-day life at the park, including a ticket booth, visitors accommodation, a terrace for campers and a playground for the kids. The building’s shape was dictated by the project area itself, as it follows the limits imposed by the specific components of the area, adapting to and respecting its position with a structure whose external outline proves to be solid but articulate, and following the landscape and the peculiar field lines dictated by the trees. Thus, this element finds room for itself inside the context as a piece of an extremely articulated puzzle that is the Pape Nature Park. The main structural component was chosen in light of the need to find a material that would be easily replaceable in case of damage or wear, have a reasonable cost, be easily transportable inside the construction site, and is closely related to the local culture.
Concept
Function and design
Due to its location, the overall shape of the building is defined by the surrounding environment, and in particular by the position of the trees, that is mainly characterized by two straight canals on the north and west sides, and by a forest for the remaining ones. In order to divide the spaces in relation to function, the central part of the project has been designed as an empty space surrounded by the building itself purposed as a kindergarten and leisure area. Another breaking point of the shell is located on the main gate that divides the main shape in two buildings, creating a smaller one which will serve as a ticket office. The roof system was devised to give higher spaces where necessary, like for the common room, and reaches its maximum height on the entrance gate. Indeed, this particular configuration allows to store the rain water in two different points, creating a cost-effective collective method and overcoming the problem of the lack of a proper infrastructure. The circulation diagram explains how the occasional park visitors’ path is direct and straight. The guests and guided tour path, instead, allows multiple options related to the aim of the visit. The path on top of the building explains how it is possible to walk on the panoramic roof with three different views channeled in the three main elements of the Pape Nature Park: the horizon and the lake view on the highest point, the grassland in the middle and the deep forest near the campsite
From the plan, we can recognize the four main functions as the ticketing and entrance part on the left side, the main building with the management office, the kindergarten and meeting space in the middle and, on the right side, the camping area with the outdoor dining area available for every visitor of the park.
The main elevation, characterized by straight lines created by the wooden cladding material and by the thin vertical windows, hosts two entrances to the building.
All the areas are connected by a wooden platform that merges the indoor and outdoor spaces, acting as a square on multiple levels that allows visitors to roam freely across the open-air areas.
As we can see from the main entrance, the structure’s outer layer is covered by easily replaceable wooden slats, which are able to transform the building into a point of reference for the area’s entrance and, at the same time, a mimetic element once inside the park itself.
The foyer of the main building coincides with a multi-functional room that is at the heart of the structure and its main construction element. Thanks to its multi-purpose terraced steps, the room was drafted not only as a visitor waiting room and info stand, but also as a meeting and entertainment area.
YINCHUAN FLOWER PARK DIFFUSE HOTEL
Master thesis
Team: Guanzhou University + UNIPD + RBA - R. Baldasso, Prof. E. Pietrogrande, Prof. G. Bollini, P. Canova, M. Dal Pont Land Area: 11207 m2 Restored area: 1597 m2 Built area: 1040 m2 Location: China - Yinchuan Year: 2017
I developed this project under R. Baldasso’s supervision, analyzing the features of the area in loco, and extensively researched the usage of raw earth as building material. I co-managed the project with M. Dal Pont, reporting to different clients, coordinating the LDI’s work, realizing the CGI images, plans and details as well. My thesis started as a study about earth as an affordable building material, gathering information about the different way to use it and the common traditions related to this as they are honored in different areas around the world. Once completed this first stage, I decided to focus on a specific area and get a deeper insight. With this purpose in mind, I submitted my studies to the Guangzhou University and won a scholarship to continue my research in China. Since RBA, the studio I had an internship lined up with, offered me the opportunity to direct and design a project in Yinchuan, Ninxia, a region with an ancient tradition on earth buildings, the project was focused on the restoration of traditional earth houses and on the realization of some new buildings. The site area is located in front of the Yinchuan Flower Park, a theme park directly related to the 9th China Flower Expo of 2017, an international fair held in the countryside to the east of the city. After the fair, the park will change its function from an exposition park to a place dedicated to weddings and the related business.
The Ningxia earth tradition
Diffuse hotel
Earth house restoration
-Metal top coat - 5 mm -Puddled earth top lift
This region has a strong earth building heritage that dates back to the first permanent settlements of the Western Han dynasty. One of the most important examples of this heritage is the portion of the Great Wall in the north of Yinchuan. Numerous earth manufactures can be found scattered all over the region and the most common example are the green houses realized in rammed or compressed earth. In my study I mainly focused on two construction processes and rammed earth is the first and most common one in this region.
The restoration of the building was sponsored by a private investor who acquired the land and wanted to change the area from a residential and partially abandoned one to a space directly connected to the nearby Flower park. With this aim, the project area was converted into a diffuse hotel, but maintained the residential function in the occupied buildings. The main circulation has been divided in two paths, one dedicated to cars only and one for pedestrians. The second circulation goes through the diffuse hotel itself,
The house restoration is focused on updating the existing building, reinforcing the original structure and adding modern insulation technologies while keeping original characteristics such as the head bed and the earth roof.
-Native soil - 160 mm -Root resistant membrane -Bituminous membrane -Plywood - 18mm -Mineral wool thermal insulation - 180 mm -Vapor barrier -Plywood - 18mm -Bamboo structure - 180mm -Bamboo fake ceiling with metal clips - 10mm
The other process, less known and more diffuse in South America than in China, is construction with adobe bricks. The buildings in this area realized with this kind of mud and straw bricks are mainly single storey houses that have been built during the last eighty years. The site area is full of this kind of constructions that, as we can see on the left page, are still used but lay in critical and hazardous conditions.
-Aluminum window frame -Double glazed screen -Mosquito net -Roller blind -Aluminum plaster support.
Common spaces and services
Existing houses and new rooms
-Earth plaster finish - 30mm -Wooden support -Extruded polystyrene insulation - 80 mm -Rigid pir insulation -Mineral wool thermal insulation - 160 mm -Waterproof membrane -Aluminum window cill
Secondary paths
-Earth plaster finish - 30mm -Sand and cement screed -PIR insulation - 80 mm -Damp proof membrane -Original compacted earth and stone floor -Existing gravel base
New main circulation path
One of the results of the research has been to provide local people with the guidelines and the knowledge on how to restore these houses efficiently and, thanks to government funds and private investments, how to upgrade them to more comfortable units while keeping the original earth building heritage intact.
-Earth plaster finish - 30mm -Interior plastic net reinforcement -Original adobe wall - 30mm -Exterior plastic net reinforcement -Mineral wool thermal insulation - 160 mm -Earth plaster finish - 30mm
where services like small stores selling local products or small restaurants which can host up to five customers, are scattered all over and managed directly by the inhabitants of the houses. The other main characteristic of the project was to keep the people living in the area inside their homes and involve them in the new working positions necessary to run the park.
The functional update In all the houses we surveyed there was at least one room, that often already featured a separate entrance, used as an old stuff and garbage collector. Mixing the concept of a diffuse hotel with that of a B&B, we studied every building and turned a part of it, or all of it if abandoned, into a new source of income.
-Heated metal wire embed in the screed to avoid thermal bridge -Metal connector between the interior and exterior net -Original brick foundation -New stone and mortar foundation
Earth wall detail The earth wall details have been devised following the Climahaus standards with the aim of a possible certification. The reason is to testify the value of the existing earth buildings that can be upgraded and to create a better option, thanks to the earth properties, compared to the cheap brick houses that were built over the past few years.
Flower Expo visitor center
Diffuse hotel
Traditional restaurant
Market and Reception
Park entrance
Flower Expo park
The visitor center is a multi purpose building with different functions necessary to the park.
In the first stage, all the existing house functions are modified to serve the park better.
The restaurant will serve meals realized with local, homegrown ingredients.
The reception for the diffuse hotel also hosts a small convenient store selling local products.
Avoiding a traditional gate, the entrance to the park is through a ramp that starts inside the visitor center.
The flower expo park will be used, after the exhibition, as a theme park.
The reception and local market
A social element
In the main village square we can find two buildings that are satisfying all the essential needs of the visitor exiting the park and of the guests of the diffuse hotel. The building design has been thought in a way that separates the different functions but at the same time keeps a unique element inside of them. The reason is that the diffuse hotel will only work in the summer and in the autumn, whereas the market will stay open and serve the park throughout the whole year. In order to keep the inside cold during this period, the shape follows the chimney principle with the hot air flowing to the top, enhancing the dry climate features of the area.
Community is an extremely important concept for the local people. Due to the dry and difficult environment they are found in, the small groups of houses are scattered all over the countryside in the less arid areas. In this way, a village is spread over a big amount of land, up to five kilometers, even if only composed of a bunch of buildings. The gathering point is often one, a small shop or a particular restaurant, where all the farmers living in the same village meet almost every afternoon. Our idea of placing together the two main buildings of the diffuse hotel is to create a square where all the locals of the area can meet, and not only a space designed to serve the park. Indeed, the future expansion of the area, expected in the next years, will see this first development as an example and hopefully will provide a second gathering point for the residents of this side of the village.
The traditional restaurant Trying to blend tradition in a new building is a delicate process. The simplicity of the spaces inside the countryside restaurants, characterized by large empty spaces decorated only on the ceiling and on the lateral walls, was kept and all the services such as reception, toilets, kitchen and storage are pushed on the sides of these rooms. Following the concept of the Chinese architecture, an impluvium has been placed in the middle and this can be seen from all the different dining rooms. Thanks to its octagonal shape, the building is oriented to point towards the visitor center and the lake area of the park.
YINCHUAN FLOWER PARK VISITOR CENTER Team: Guanzhou University + UNIPD + RBA - R. Baldasso, Prof. E. Pietrogrande, Prof. G. Bollini, P.Canova, M. Dal Pont Land Area: 15120 m2 Built area: 1310 m2 Location: China - Yinchuan Year: 2017
I developed this project under R. Baldasso’s supervision. I was in charge of co-managing the project with M. Dal Pont, reporting it to the different clients, coordinating the LDI’s work, realizing the CGI images, plans This project was commissioned by a landowner from Yinchuan who wanted to redevelop the area surrounding the Flower Park and build a visitor center on the occasion of the ninth China Flower Expo, which took place in Yinchuan in 2017. The designated area for the construction of the visitor center is located on the west side of the park, a complex of six hexagonal glass greenhouses. The building was supposed to be an iconic structure that welcomes visitors inside the park and had to stand out as the symbol of the park. The surrounding area is characterized by a rural landscape and the nearby small traditional village that, with its characteristic earth houses, became an attraction itself. With this purpose, we created an iconic element that doesn’t interfere with the natural and traditional aspects of the environment, but in fact highlights them. Indeed, we designed a building that, without sacrificing the language of modern architecture, follows the simple design lines of the surrounding spaces and is made most economically and ecologically from the advantageous material of the site: earth.
All the machinery necessary to run the building, like AC units, power generators, etc. are placed below the roof level and embedded inside the core. The core hosts mainly the services necessary for the guests, like toilets, a cloakroom, the offices, and the surveillance room for the whole park.
The entrance is on the ground floor, where we can also find the ticket office and a small exhibition area.
The service part for the underground level is located inside the core.
The main access stairs, which include a ramp on the side, can be used to host events such as concerts, product presentations, and marriages.
Design principles The starting concept of the building was developed by thinking about the main characteristics of the rammed earth. The spaces are developed around a central earth core that provides a natural temperature control during the different seasons. All the different building facades were developed while keeping in mind the various climatic elements of the area. The ones on the south, east and west sides are realized with each facade having differently inclined earth walls to provide protection from solar
radiation, correct insulation, and limited use of glass. The one on the north is indeed more compact and close. For a correct connection with the surroundings, the main entrance is placed on the west side well facing the main road and the village. With the attempt of avoiding an almost necessary fence, the building sits on an artificial pool, and the entrance to the park, or exit from the visitor center, is located on the basement level
The main entrance is at the west facade on the ground floor and the titled earth walls hide the double doors, necessary due to the strong winds present in the area. The interior spaces are divided by the core into four triangular spaces of different sizes. On the west side there is the entrance ticket office, which overlooks the entrance to the park, located one floor below. Continuing towards the north side, we find a small exhibition space and the entrance for the lounge room and the cloakroom that are placed inside the central core. On the east side there are the main stairs with the ramp and terraced steps that will provide a large space for displaying and selling local products but can also be used after the expo as an auditorium for conferences, concerts, or other events. On the first floor there are the administrative and control offices, which enjoy views on both sides of the building to allow easier supervision. Services and a restoration area are located in the basement level. From here, it is possible to enter the park thanks to an outside ramp.
SAN ROCCO GOURMET STORE Team: PLT - P. Canova, M. Dal Pont, K. Lu Total Area: 121 m2 Location: Italy - Venice Year: 2019
This project has been developed with the studio PLT, where I acted as main designer and project manager. Starting from the general concept, I chose the specific design and materials and realized plans, diagrams, and CGI images. This project has been commissioned by the owner of a restaurant located near San Marco’s Square in Venice. A part of the restaurant itself was used as a para-pharmacy during the last five years, but the income generated was quite low due to the position slightly off the main tourist path crowded with people and the kind of business, which was aimed more at the local community. Due to this characteristic, an important feature that will influence our design proposal is the presence of big groups of Chinese tourists having lunch in the restaurant main room, directly connected to the project space. Our proposal was to create a high-end space where the finest Italian products can be sold, rather than a cramped shop filled with merchandise. The goal was to attract not only the tourists passing by, but also customers going specifically to this new gourmet shop to find goods not available in a traditional supermarket.
Modular furniture To enhance the discovery approach, we managed to design five modules realized with dark, pure iron that can be exchanged one to another, with different sizes accommodating different products.
A design based on flow control One of the issues that the client addressed from the beginning was the circulation problem inside the shop. The shoppers were going to the same shelf every time, and even in this small scale, they completely avoided some parts of the shop. Our design started from the analysis of the spaces and the flow inside the shop. Indeed, with two entrances, one reserved for huge groups (G) and one for occasional buyers (V), it was necessary to create two proper circulation paths.
Material contrast The choice of the material is focused on giving a high-end feeling to the space, working on the contrast between the ceiling, the furniture, and the paving, realized with a light wood parquet.
To control the roaming of the costumers around the shop we used the furniture itself, with shelfs that are 2.4 meter high. In this way we can also create new spaces that were not existing previously like a storage space for the merchandise and one reserved for the pharmaceutical products. The cash desk is located on the east entrance and will be used from both kind of clients
DON BOSCO ATTIC RENOVATION Team: Freelance + Studio Manzelle - P. Canova, M. Dal Pont, M. Manzelle Total Area: 215 m2 Location Italy - Padua Year: 2016
I followed this project from the conceptual part to the approval process, designed the overall distribution of the spaces, chose the materials, and realized the CGI images. I also drafted all the CAD files and redacted the relations necessary for the project’s approval. I dealt directly either with the client or with the different contractors appointed for the construction that has been followed on site by Studio Manzelle. A private client, unsure about the options that her old-looking apartment had, asked to develop a new interior design. The apartment is located in a suburban area of Padua city and occupies a quarter of the last two floors of a five-storey building. One of the main features is the big terrace overlooking the countryside placed on the south and connected to the living room. There are many singular aspects that we took into consideration for this design, and most of them were related to the specific tastes and habits of the owners. The previous apartment had a traditional plan, with corridors, small rooms, and a neat division of the spaces. The owners would rather have a big open space instead of these small rooms, and the priority was to increase the size of the living room and connect it better with the covered balcony. Another important problem of the previous configuration was the lack of storage space that have forced the client into unusual and temporary solutions during the last years.
Common and private spaces
Material selection
The layout of the first floor has been changed to an open-space plan, with a division of the kitchen area from the living area, highlighted by different materials. The storage problems for this level have been solved thanks to a full-height wall cabinet that not only acts as a wardrobe, but also hides inside the heating and air ventilation system. To have a cleaner view from the living room, one can fully close the kitchen.
For the materials, we chose a minimalistic selection:
In the living areas, we chose a light seashell oak parquet with a subtle wooden pattern.
The floors of the connecting spaces and of the kitchen will be realized in a solid terrazzo finish.
To create a lighter space for the smaller rooms, we used a white lacquered Hickory parquet.
Division and color use We can access the second floor thanks to the central metal stair that is connecting both the kitchen and the living room to a family room intended as an art studio or recreation room. Thanks to a wall cabinet, we improved the storage amount, leaving more usable space inside the small rooms.
A strong contrast between the walls and the furniture color helped us to improve the size perception of the smaller spaces.
The light stair is a division mark between kitchen and living area but is designed to be as minimal as possible, maximizing the amount of natural light coming inside both spaces. The chosen furniture is playing with the contrast between the two main colors, white and dark gray, and to more saturated and vivid ones. The central disposition of the furniture’s main elements, such as the sofa on the first floor and the beds on the second, creates different circulation paths with a more flexible space. In the small toilet, we used the mirror and the furniture to increase its perceived size.
NOVAPLAN PASSIVE VILLAS Team: RBA - R. Baldasso, P. Canova, M. Dal Pont, I. Ricci, E. Cheng, J. Yu ,M. De Nobili, G. Ostinianello, Land Area: 2500 m2 Built area: 1450 m2 Location: Venice - Italy Year: 2017
I started working on this project after it had already started in 2014, and my specific task was to develop all the necessary details according to the Klimahaus standards for a future certification. I drafted the plan and section details, while in Guangzhou coordinating my work with different experts, contractors and colleagues in Italy. This project is a complex of nine v independent villas that share a large pedestrian area, with a condominium garden of 2,300 square meters, located in Jesolo and nearby Venice. The villas are designed to be certified by CasaClima - Klimahusus in Gold energy class, thanks to a casing with high thermal insulation and utilize the most advanced anti-seismic construction techniques. All the houses are equipped with the necessary technologies to ensure efficiency in the use of energy resources and guarantee the highest comfort possible, such as floor heating, air conditioning, mechanical controlled ventilation with heat recovery and solar panel systems.
Airspace Brick planks 2 x 25 x 5.5cm
“S. Marco wall clip” ties Outer brick layer realized with 12x25x5.5cm bricks EPS insulation module by “ICF Italia” - 10 cm
Aluminum gutter
Concrete structure - 20 cm Steel and polystyrene stay in place formwork “Schulter Ditra 25” waterproof membrane
EPS insulation module by “ICF Italia” - 7.5 cm
“Bauder dir m/mf” insulation foam panel - 12cm “S. Marco Air Wall” Micro-ventilation joint
Vapor barrier “ICF Italia Monobi” structure system with EPS insulation attached on the bottom - 24 + 5 cm
Interior double plasterboard with service void
Outer brick layer realized with 12x25x5.5cm bricks Airspace EPS insulation module by “ICF Italia” - 10 cm Concrete structure - 20 cm EPS insulation module by “ICF Italia” - 7.5 cm Interior taping Thermal insulated entrance door with thermal break frame
EPS insulation - 6cm
Fake ceiling with service gap
Sunshade Mosquito net the smaller Insulating foam - 15 cm EPS insulation - 6cm Waterproof housewrap
Plasterboard metal support MDF skirting to paint Perimeter frame
Interior taping / sealing
“BT102” water-stop by volteco Exterior taping “Stirodur 2800CC” XPS insulation with waterproof membrane sealed to EPS permanent formwork Waterproof membrane
Window frame taped to eps blocking
Drain pipe
Top door gasket
Thermal insulated sliding door with thermal break frame
Floor door gasket Thermal break
Wooden counterframe
Interior sealing Perimeter frame
EPS insulation - 8 cm Insulating foam - 1.5 cm
Water collector Preformed aluminum cill Waterproofing membrane
Top-notch insulation
60cm-Thick Walls
Thermal insulated fixtures with optionals
With the careful balance of the extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS) and of the expanded polystyrene insulation (EPS), the buildings can achieve the highest insulation level possible on the Italian market.
The concrete walls with an outdoor brick finishing are 60cm thick, guaranteeing not only a great thermal insulation, but also a high acoustic performance and a sizable thermal mass.
The Internorm fixtures, such as the KV440, not only have great insulation levels, but are also equipped with blinds, venetian blinds or the opaque duette blinds integrated between the glass panes.
Italy
China
Phone: 0039 - 393 6514425
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Email: pietrocanova@gmail.com
Email: pietrocanova@gmail.com
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Website: http:// www.aand.it
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