PORTFOLIO Stefano Cassano - Master’s Architecture student
PROJECT 1 - Architecture and Urban Design Studio
Val di Susa Project was the first design Unit during the Bachelor’s degree program. The aim was to design both commercial and residential buildings in a place that needed an architectural icon. The project consisted in two large complexes which confront each other beyond the river coming through. The main concept is an architecture which blends with the landscape, as it happens for the inner courts and the fragmented tessellation that disappear in the grass. Also, material use is not casual, since heavy stone is opposed to the use of glass façades for the greenhouses on top of the two buildings, as a call for the heavy mountains of Val di Susa, covered by the light snow on top.
PROJECT 2 - Architectural Construction Studio
The project aim was to design a co-housing residential building in Paris. Given the narrow available space and the presence of surrounding buildings, the final design suggested a curvature of the building following a 45° angle axis towards the inner courtyard, so to prevent too much shading and lack of light. The curved glass ceiling, supported by a structural pillar in the centre of the rear space, covered the mutual spaces of the building, whereas the more traditional front part hosted mere private places. So the project in Paris merged at different levels both public, semi-public and private places and this was reflected in the overall architectural design, in the use of material and shapes.
PROJECT 3 - Architecture and structural design
The project focused on the design of a footbridge for cyclists crossing Luigi Sturzo Highway to go from one part of Meisino Park to the other. Crucial was the design of info point, bike station, restaurant and services useful to cyclists and the overall visitors. General concept was to connect those different functions and places alongside one single path, in a way that was unique and as much solid as possible.
PROJECT 4 - Architecture and construction systems
In front of Piazza Risorgimento a retrofit of pre-existing buildings was needed. Each of Design Units group had to sketch, think and imagine the architectural activity as one of the now-trending architectural firms. My group chose LAN Architecture. The project consists in connecting four different building blocks with an internal courtyard, which reflects the idea where public meets private, as it is visible in the use of translucent panels that create a false barrier to what is mere public. Also, from the outside of the courtyard, people are invited to go in, thanks to voids created to convey potential place for public activity development. Also, the material use of wood, expresses an idea of unity, family and community. What is one of the problem of nowadays cities? Which is the boundary where Public meets Private? The project tries to investigate these questions, according to LAN architecture philosophy.
PROJECT 5 - Architecture and Urban Space
In 1151 under the Jin dynasty, the ancient name “Lu County” given to the city, became “Tongzhou”, roughly meaning “the place for passing through”, in recognition of its importance as the land and water approach to Beijing. Tongzhou is located in the Jing - Jin - Ji region, in a point where 5 rivers encounters the main Grand Canal. In the future vision of the development of Beijing East corridor, this city will defenitely play a pivotal role in the interconnection of Chinese Cities. What is the embodiment of Cities interconnection? Infrastructure. Highways, footbridges, roads, walkways, the fast mobility on the one side, the slow mobility on the other, characterises the core of Tongzhou ( and more generally future cities) Urban Plan. Another question arises: How can future Architectural development uphold a Transit - Oriented approach to the city? How can future infrastructure embody the design of more linked and liveable places? Departing from these considerations, the studio focused on the design of 5 interconnected points: a station, a tower, a maritime facility and a “bridge”, that connects all the four buildings.
CONTACT stefano.cassano16@studenti.polito.it stefano.cassano16@gmail.com + (39) 327 854 1372