Sofia Croso Mazzuco
Professional work
Sofia Croso Mazzuco is an architect, urban designer, and urban researcher. She has worked in a variety of different scale projects and varying global contexts.
Empathy Walks | London
Her research and work is mostly focused on the Urban Commons, public space collaborative regeneration, and social innovation.
Escadaria Criativa Cambuci / Creative Public Stairway | S達o Paulo Green Stream Linear Park - DBB | S達o Paulo CSA Environmental | Twigworth, UK Golf Club Apartment | S達o Paulo
Academic work RESHAPE: RESilient HAmmersmith Productive Ecosystem | London Repurposing Public Spaces into Urban Commons | London Poplar Urban Acupuncture | London Quotidian Cultural Centre | S達o Paulo A Retreat from Mechanical Living | London Ridley Road Market and Gillet Square - Public Space Analysis | London
PROFESSIONAL
Empathy Walks London, São Paulo, Mumbai
Empathy Walks (EW) is a project that proves the city as a patchwork of different voices and makes these voices mutually heard through shared walks. EW is based on walking other people’s daily paths to understand how different citizens jointly co-create cities. It unfolds everyday urban stories, with a special interest on immigrants, to create more empathy and tolerance between people from different backgrounds. Our methodology is based on six steps: - Step 1 : identify and invite someone to be a walk leader. - Step 2 : interview walk leader to understand its ways of belonging to the city. - Step 3 : create a personal route in collaboration with walk leader, who defines what paths of his daily life would be relevant to show to walk participants. - Step 4 : create walk event and invite people through social media and established network. - Step 5 : document walk through photos, videos, writing, and by a map of personal impressions distributed to walk participants to collect personal impressions. - Step 6 : disseminate knowledge online and both through events and exhibitions. Empathy Walks received the 2017 Young Urbanists Grant from the Academy of Urbanism, in London.
OUTREACH EMPATHY WALKS
WALK LEADERS
POLICY MAKING & PLANNING
COMMUNITY GROUPS
ACADEMIA
ORGANISATIONS
METHODOLOGY
NETWORKS
PLANNING
MAPPING
Jan Gehl Saskia Sassen Jane Jacobs Suzanne Hall Monica Degen
/ Just Space / Reclaim Our Spaces / Civic Wise / Impact Hubs / Time Banks / Museum of Walking
/ Community outreach / Co-design + Co-planning / Qualitative data / Giving a voice
/ Just maps / Living Maps
/ public space / sociology / walkability / ethnography / senses
COLLABORATION
COMMUNITIES
/ Royal College of Arts / University College London / Arts and Humanity /Research Council / Academy of Urbanism
/ Pembroke House
/ ... we are always open
T
I
TRAINING
/ Training officers and councillors on EW methodology / Enriching consultations / Inspiring students / Online open platform
ORGANISATIONS / Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation / London Migrants Network
/ ... we are always open
M
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PRE-WALK
WALK
AFTER-WALK
CONNECT
PRODUCE
DISSEMINATE
. Now .
. Spring 2017 Onwards .
. Long Term .
- Exhibition - Connecting with organisations and people - Connect the unbound points rather than filling a gap - Mapping what’s already there
- Video and audio recording - Mental mapping - Maps produced out of the walks
- Produce empathy data - Develop online platform
+ Applying for further funding and grants
+ Use data for action with public bodies and policy makers
EMPATHY
path is a relati el ne ter in nglish and other latin lang ages the first ti e it appeared in English was in1909, created by Edward Tichner to translate the term “einfühlung” in Germany which means “feeling into”.
For the English word the roots are from ancient Greek:
EM - in; PATH - feeling; Y E M P A T H Y
First used 108 years ago
T I M E L I N E
1909
1917
1934
1980
1997
2008
2014
Einfühlung means “feeling into”.Use of visual arts in psychology
Cognitive processes : Understanding other’s feelings better
Role taking to understand people better
Heinz Kohut (American) Empathy as basis for all human interaction
Barret-Lennard - (American) Empathy connects people
Obama acknowledges “Empathy deficit
Social relation revolution
E M P A T H Y
C O N D I T I O N S
Cognitive
Affective
objective understanding role taking “take role of other person to understand” (Hebert uad, 19 iaget, 19
visceral feelings reactivity to others “...feeling ourselves into them” (Titchner, 19 )
)
O T C O M E “Affective response more appropriate to another’s situation” (Hoffman, 19 )
P O C E S S “is the e perience of foreign conciouness” (Stein,191 )
EMPATHY
E
“
I
E M E N T S
Empathy is always towards other people.
Empathy is to be aware of the presence of other, perceive the other, care with the other without judging and with respect. Being able to build momentaneous bridges between strangers with no other e pectatives. t can also e defined as a caref l awaraness about otherness, and a great trigger is identification
“
E M P A T H Y
AL S
Em athy forms the very asis of all human interaction olhut 1 80
ESCADARIA CRIATIVA CAMBUCI Nomas
This project was selected to be showcased in the X Architecture Biennial in São Paulo which theme was “Modos de Colaborar” (‘Ways to Collaborate’); it was created in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team. Escadaria Criative Cambuci (meaning Cambuci Creative Stairway) was developed to support different social activities inherent to Cambuci neighborhood, in São Paulo. We defined four distinct sections of social activities for the stair aimed at different group ages and interests. These sections are: green stair, cultural stair, ludic stair, and cultural stair. The green area counts with urban allotments for food growing and agricultural knowledge exchange; the cultural area features an open library, a study space, and an open air cinema screen and seats; the ludic area hosts a children playground; and, finally, the cultural area is for artistic workshops and capoeira classes. The project is based on the idea that activities inherent to a neighborhood should be enhanced in regeneration projects, keeping the sense of belonging and local identity which is crucial for the social development of any area.
green stream linear park Davis Brody Bond + Aedas The Parque Linear do Córrego Verde (meaning Green Stream Linear Park) was designed to resolve two main urban issues in the city of São Paulo: the big flooding issue (that occurs mainly because most of the rivers in the city were pipelined and the water still tries to find its way through its original paths) and the availability of quality public spaces. Vila Madalena neighborhood, like in many areas of São Paulo, has many idle public spaces - despite being a pole of cultural activities with the best Carnival in town and many artsy spaces. This project has a functional role (counting with elements such as a pavement designed to drain excessive rainwater) while creating a public space network that enhances livability and the rich cultural context of the area. The large masterplan, that embraces all of Vila Madalena, is divided into six main areas developed in detail. This project was developed in partnership with the local municipality of the city of São Paulo. 0 25
50
100
Extensão aproximada Área total aproximada
NASCENTE
PRAÇA JACQUES BELLANGE E GAL. OLIVEIRA ÁLVARES - SITUACAO ATUAL
PLANTA: PRAÇA DAS ÁGUAS
PRAÇA DAS
DBBAedas ® 2011
500
1670 m 65.410 m2
ÁGUAS
PEDRA
PLANÍCIE
CHARCO
DESÁGUE
TWIGWORTH
Site Boundary
CSA Environmental
Main vehicular routes through Twigworth To Norton
Working at CSA as an Urban Designer was an opportunity to understand how to develop sites through an integrated sustainable approach, looking at design, landscaping, and ecological factors. I was working on different sites across England and the demand for housing projects was very high due to the ongoing housing crisis in the country.
Other documents included: opportunities and influence study, development framework plan, illustrative masterplan, layout principles, and land use plan. For every project CSA organized exhibitions and community consultation in order to get input, thus seeking also social sustainability of every design proposition. 1
Draft Green Belt Boundary DOWN HATHERLEY
(Source: Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031)
Ancient Replanted Woodland
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To Sandhurst
Existing public footpaths DOWN HATHERLEY LANE
To Down Hatherley Existing bridleways
ETW3A
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- Gloucestershire Way
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Existing recreational route
ETW3
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Orchard Park
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Properties on Brook LaneTWIGWORTH
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The urban study of sites involved investigation of elements such as policies that applied to given areas, nearby transport modes and other facilities, heritage sites and monuments, and designations. It also Holmewood involved the social study of sites and its surroundings.
Green Belt
To Longford G
LO
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SHIRE
WAY
INNSWORTH
Figure 3.1: Site context.
View from the northern boundary of the Site looking south east. Abandoned Nursery
2
View from the south eastern corner of the Site looking north west.
Dwelling at Yew Tree Farm
The Manor House
The Old Coach House
Tewkesbury Road, Twigworth - May 2017
Sandhurst Hill
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Figure 5.2: Illustrative masterplan.
ORCHARD PARK
Proposed drainage pumping station
Proposed location for underground surface water drainage tanks
Proposed location for emergency access & pedestrian/cycle links
TE
K
Green Belt
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D
New development to be set back to respect the setting of the Listed Buildings
Proposed access off Tewkesbury Road
Figure 4.1:
A38 to Gloucester
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Grade II Listed: Court Farm House
Grade II Listed: Milestone
Proposed children's play area
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+13.5
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Y
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Potential location for children’s play area
Proposed pedestrian & cycle link to existing bridleway
Shared surface areas form focal points and aid legibility through the development
Maintain green corridor to preserve Great Crested Newt habitat
development
Proposed new boundary landscaping (with long grass
Site's habitat for wildlife
New landscaping including a new wildlife pond to create an attractive feature at the edge of the development, with the
Retain and enhance existing vegetation with new tree planting
Potential location for a wildlife pond
Potential vehicular access point
38
A38 to Norton
LAN
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Existing bridleway
Existing footpath
Proposed location for underground surface water storage tanks Proposed drainage pumping station
Proposed recreational routes
Proposed new pedestrian & cycle links
Proposed emergency access & pedestrian/cycle link
Tewkesbury Road, Twigworth - May 2017
*
Proposed new wildlife pond
Proposed children's play area
Proposed public open space (to include new landscaping and tree planting)
Existing vegetation
Proposed residential development
Site Boundary
Tewkesbury Road, Twigworth - May 2017
ASH
Green corridor to maintain Great Crested Newt habitat
Opportunity for potential new pedestrian link to connect to the existing footway
Opportunity for new recreational route through development
the development
Opportunity for new boundary
Potential public open space offers on-site green space to meet the needs of the new community
B ES
A RO
A
Opportunity for potential new pedestrian link to connect to the existing public footpath
Proposed pedestrian & cycle link to Tewkesbury Road pedestrian link to existing footpath
Potential location for pumping station and underground storage for surface water
Existing integral vegetation to be strengthened to form part of the network of public open space
Existing buildings within the Site to be demolished
Potential emergency and pedestrian/cycle access point
Grade II Listed: Yew Tree Cottage
3.5 +1
Existing buildings within the Site to be demolished
Existing ponds
Root protection area
Existing trees and hedgerows
Grade II Listed Buildings
Existing public rights of way
Contour lines
Constraints:
Opportunity to overlook Tewkesbury Road
Potential pedestrian/cycle links
Potential new recreational route
Potential new landscaping
Existing integral vegetation to be strenghtened Potential to strengthen existing vegetation
Potential public open space
Potential location for children's play area
Potential location for pumping station & underground storage for surface water
Potential developable area
Potential emergency access point
New development to be set back to respect the existing Listed Buildings
+13.0
Potential vehicular access point
+13.5
Opportunities:
+14.0
Existing bus routes and bus stops
+13.5
B
+14.0
Site boundary: 3.12ha
+14.0 +14.0
SANDHURST LANE
BROOK LANE
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golf club apartment São Paulo | Personal project During nearly two years I was leading my own firm and developing personal projects. This 300 square meter apartment was my first project, which location building dates from the 70s. The client was willing to keep some of the apartment’s original features while integrating other more modern elements. My firm partner and myself decided to keep the original pavements of most rooms, and the layout and imbued furniture of a few rooms. Areas like the kitchen, home office, living room, and corridor, were completely restructured with new layout, furniture and personalized woodwork design. The apartment gained a clean but eclectic style with characteristics from different ages. Great attention was given to the detailing of every designed element. On top of client relationship, I was leading all of the design and construction follow up stages, including the coordination of a contractor and different service providers.
ACADEMIC
RESHAPE - Resilient Hammersmith Productive Ecosystem Bartlett, UCL This project envisions how the predicted demolition of the car traffic flyover in Hammersmith, West London, could give space to a productive urban ecosystem. It is based on the concept of food security, with citizens’ locally producing their food while also participating on the production and management of the built environment. The existing buildings gain a new space on their rooftops, namely greenhouses, while boats located along Ham River are adapted to support allotment growing, and pedestrian underpasses become ideal places to grow mushrooms.
Legibility map, based on one-to-one in-situ interviews
Temporal pedestrian and traffic map & diagrams
Land use
Open space
social opportunities Social opportunities map
The different phases of the project involve gradual evolution of citizens’ participation until reaching thorough food sovereignty and a circular economy. The housing strategy is adapted to a model of community land trust in order for the local community to have more ownership of their living environment. More people equals less market.
Road hierarchy
FURTHER PHASES PHASE 3 PHASE 2 PHASE 1
Tactical Interventions
Productive Ecosystem (Retrofitting)
initial strategy for hammersmith retrofit
Sovereignty: Development of further projects supporting holistic sustainability and local economy
New Housing based on Land Trust
intended connectivity with surroundings
OUTPUTS INPUTS
Homes Restaurants
People
Resilience
Locally grown food
Productivity
Skilled workers
Learning & Experience
Money ££££££
Investment Jobs Money £££££ Masterplan strategy: long-term development
REPURPOSING PUBLIC SPACES INTO URBAN COMMONS Bartlett, UCL
UR
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M CO
MONS
This project is the result of my MSc thesis. After a thorough study of the Urban Commons I have created a framework for it, which is composed of four main elements: regenerated public space, collective governance, hands-on activities, and resulting community benefits. This framework proves the power of public space to support community resilience through active citizenship. On this project I suggest adapting the passive participatory urbanism model in the UK (reliant on citizens’ consultation) into a hands-on participation process where citizens become active in the development of their communities.
Applied in Gospel Oak
GOVERNANCE Collective
ACTIVITIES
PUBLIC SPACE
Hands-on
Repurposed
BENEFITS Community Development
Collective regeneration of public spaces into Urban Commons - spaces and
resources where communities engage in the co-production of goods and services - is the backbone of this proposal, hypothetically applied in Gospel Oak neighborhood, North London. The different repurposed public spaces create a network of urban commons in Gospel Oak with activities ranging from indoor workshops to outdoor training, and regenerated street market specialized in locally hand-made circus tools. The central benefit resulting of this proposal is the emergence of a locally-led social economy based on the circus arts, which triggers active wellbeing and holistic community resilience.
underused public spaces in gospel oak
INDIRECT (PASSIVE) PARTICIPATION:
HANDS-ON PARTICIPATION:
Community being asked to opinate on a consultation document
Community actively engaging on local regeneration and being regenerated simultaneously, while learning
COUNCIL
Defining what and how change should take place. Mistakenly considering community opinion as empowerment.
CONSULTATION
Stating opinion is unlike to address the need for individual and community empowerment.
? PASSIVE COMMUNITY
Direct participation: co-organisation, co-building, co-benefitting
Community gets connected to collaboratively drive change
DIVIDED COMMUNITY
ACTIVE COMMUNITY
ACTIVE REGENERATION
AWARENESS
PERFORMANCE MATTERS
TACTICAL URBANISM
HANDS-ON LEARNING
CONNECTING THE DOTS
RECYCLING
SOCIAL CAPITAL
NETWORK OF COMMONS
MAJOR COLLABORATION
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SUPPORTING NETWORKS
Poplar Urban Acupuncture Bartlett, UCL This regeneration strategy is based on the concept of Urban Acupuncture - small scale interventions that cause a ripple effect on the socio-spatial fabric of a given environment. Four kiosks with different activities are suggested to gradually regenerate Poplar, East London, by socially reactivating spaces underused due to car domination. Social capital and public life are pursued as the central element for urban regeneration, and the connection of the different kiosks through urban adaptations enhances life on the street including the pedestrian and bicycle flow. The design of the kiosks integrates spaces for social life and for biodiversity. It is based on modules of 2x2m that can be combined as desired by local residents to create different typologies. This concept gets inspiration from the work of the artist Alexander Calder, who played with the idea of interactive structures that embrace both fixed and variable elements to become more responsive to the viewer; in the kiosks, the grid is the fixed element and its arrangement and use the flexible variant to be decided by its users.
Kiosk 3 READ
funds
Kiosk 4 PLAY
... further holistic development
all else is mistery and surprise
funds
light it up
Kiosk 2 ART
walk in colour
funds
stay for a while
Kiosk 1 EAT
Elements can be assembled in four directions and give different shapes to the kiosks. There is no rigid format and the kiosks can expand over time and have its structure adapted to upcoming needs.
breathe the green
Community fundraising
[ 2 KIOSKS ASSEMBLED]
climbing wall A
wood + biodiversity
A ITAT
READ
connect
PLAY
green roof G
glass panel
EAT
ART
connect
infinite possibilities and arrangements. (2) ( )
[ 1 KIOSK ]
(2)
( )
( )
(2) ( )
I
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A NATURE HABITAT
[ 2 KIOSKS ASSEMBLED ]
[ 2 KIOSKS ASSEMBLED]
[3 KIOSKS ASSEMBLED]
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QUOTIDIEN CULTURAL CENTRE
space avoiding interaction
car dominance: street as socially dead and intimidating space
space embracing unpredictability
food market effect: street as happenning and spontaneous space
Mackenzie University
design principle of this project is to avoid the disconnection between people and intensify local social exchanges, seen as valuable for urban livability and social capital.
The Quotidian Cultural Centre looks at how architecture can host spontaneous social activities inherent to a given place. It was inspired by the difference noticed on its location street during two opposite events: the street as a functional space for car traffic, and the street hosting a food market and allowing pedestrian traffic only (the second event occurring on weekends). The first event was recognized as a barrier for social exchanges, while the second a trigger for it. Thus, the main
Based on this intention, the functional space of the corridor (or footbridge) was projected as a generous space where social exchanges and events could occur spontaneously at any time of the day – it is not just a transit space but also a space for happenings. To invite pedestrian traffic into the new cultural center the building’s internal and external spaces adopt the same pavement of the street, thus being acknowledged as an extension of the street.
cobogรณ: brazilian style faรงade element - see through
arts labs
vertical circulation
green
open use
A Retreat from Mechanical Living Architectural Association
the cell module
This retreat proposes reconnecting man and architecture to nature and its speedless timing; it is designed to collect nature. The ceiling opening in the cell, on the higher floor of the retreat, frames a slice of sky while inviting rainwater in to be carried below to the allotments by the stalk column. The column and water pipes have not only a functional purpose but are also meant to support vertical growth of the vegetation on ground floor to blend the retreat into nature (thus supporting architecture as a non-icon). The design of the stalk column was inspired by the shape of a given sewer cover in London, and repurposed as both a functional and contemplative element in the retreat. Each retreat floor is characterized by a different degree of privacy - the higher the floor, the higher the privacy. Different combinations of the retreat module, namely different typologies, are arranged to be connected to the existing fabric of the city of London, and could be inserted in different urban contexts.
ground floor
first floor
second floor
solo Retreat
Monastery retreat
studio Retreat
common room Retreat
Ridley Road Market & Gillet Square Public Space Analysis Bartlett, UCL
This public space analysis evaluates formality and informality in Dalston, South London, using three parameters for evaluation: urban design theory, design intentions, and empirical reality of places. The analysis reveals controversies between all three. Conclusions are: a) informality naturally arises in spaces designed for formality as a result of spontaneous daily occupation, and; b) formality is engendered by given social groups in spaces intentionally designed to host informality. Thus, the urban designer has limited control over the use of designed spaces and social exclusion can occur in both formal and informal public spaces. The methodology used in this analysis combines the six urban dimensions set by Matthew Carmona (social, visual, temporal, functional, morphological, and perceptual) and the urban livability indicators defined by Jan Gehl (playability, meeting, human scale, micro climate, visual, cycling, walking, and staying). Analytical tools include: observation, photographing, surveying, people counting, and interacting in-situ with different people. The layout of the pages displaying the analysis was designed with the intention to capture the dynamics of both public spaces, featuring a strike of confusion and unpredictability.
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FUNCTIONAL:
e e e e a e g e e ee a
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ANALYTICAL TOOLS
TEMPORAL:
- Photographing -Observing -Comparing theory intention with reality - Surveying - Lived Experience - Buying food to sense relationships
“JAN GEHL CHECK”
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RIDDLEY ROAD MARKET
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We c o from me to th e ma Beth rk I don n ’t thi al Green, et every week nk it ’s saf just for the d e at ay. night .
AL: PERe CgEPeaTU e a
On a regular market day ...
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THEORY vs REALITY e
FORMALITY OR INFORMALITY ? Page 15
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“Above all do not lose your desire to walk: every day I walk myself into a state of wellbeing and walk myself away from every illness: I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it... Thus, if one just keeps on walking, everything will be alright.” Søren Kierkegaard
walking the walk Strollers in London