SPROUTS - a graphic novel to present a urban design

S P R O U T S

titolo

3rd may 2016. f e d e r i c a , ornella and giuseppe , three d e s i g n s t u d e n t s p r o c e e d quickly to the u n i v e r s i t y.

3rd may 2016. f e d e r i c a , ornella and giuseppe , three design s t u d e n t s p r o c e e d quickly to the u n i v e r s i t y.

e a s t E R N naples: an idea

by Francesco Saverio Nitti who, at the beginning of the 20th c e n t u r y t h o u g h t about two industrial areas at the east aND aT THE WEST OF NAPLES. THE IDEA SAVED THE CITY, BUT TODAY, with the decline of the indutrial italy, it ended its function.

e a s t E R N naples: an idea

by Francesco Saverio Nitti who, at the beginning of the 20th century thought about two industrial areas at the east aND aT THE WEST OF NAPLES. THE IDEA SAVED THE CITY, BUT TODAY, with the decline of the indutrial italy, it ended its function.

GOSH!...this should be the bah!...this should be the most beautiful city of the most beautiful city of the world...abandonment, world...abandonment, abanabandonment everywhere. of donment everywhere. of things, things, people, spaces. a perfect people, spaces. a perfect scena- scenario for a rio for a post-apocalypticpost-apocalyptic horror horror movie. this gets me movie. this gets me very very angry... angry...

giuseppe, calm down and drive slowly! nevermind, stop complaining and turn up the volume of the radio!

giuseppe, calm down and drive slowly! nevermind, stop complaining and turn up the volume of the radio!

It was concluded

recently, as every year with success, the salone del mobile, the furniture fair in Milan, which saw many designers protagonists in exhibitions and events throughout the city.

damned traffic!

- mh - the salone...I have not made a clear idea about it yet... at least you don’t race--let me hear what they say about milan

come on...let’s listen to those who know more of us...maybe there is some suggestion for our project...

We interview now Giorgia Lupi, an Information designers who, after graduating in Architecture, has been involved in multi-disciplinary information design projects, technology and interaction design.

hello! to all listeners!

To do your job, you have to "listen" to the world, you always have to tune in on a listening mode.

Yeah, absolutely, I think learning to listen to the world around us is essential to learn how to do design

If I remember correctly, he argued that design is an ongoing attempt to upgrade, to understand what is happening, and that therefore it’s necessary to stay in tension with the world

This concept is not new! I read an article on domus that quoted Sottsass Speaking ABOUT this

Yes, in fact at the university they talk a lot about this; design is a response to a need, therefore, inevitably have to be always in contact with the world, how else can we understand what needs to respond and, therefore, that projects to pursue?

I’ve read a book called “where good ideas come from”, in which steven johnson says that good ideas will never come when you isolate yourself. it’s in the meeting places, like in the ‘7o0 cafes, that minds of different social and cultural background develop better ideas.

by the way... coffee?!

fede, according to what we said before in the car, it seems that we just have to choose which is problem to face. plus, that there are lots of designers!

well, yeah. today we have three matters to intercept...

p e t r o l e u m . its smell is propagated by eastern naples, you feel it from kilometers, you feel it on your skin, it soaks your clothes. it hurts you, man, and your environment. as if man and environment were separated...

...the environmental one...

On 1st December 2015 exploded environmental bomb of the East Naples area refineries.

The leadership of the Kuwait Petroleum Italy SpA (Q8) charged with unlawful disposal of refinery waste to save money for a proper treatment of waste: impound e d 240 million euros.

a b a n d o n m e n t . how many stories you hear of people forced to illegally occupy spaces for slow bureaucracy, the interests of the few, the indifference of many are abandoned...oh gosh...what am I saying ?! I speak as a politician ...

I seem to play a written script, read and repeated a thousand times...

I live in a constant DĂŠjĂ vu. the words pollute the air, like smoke from a chimney.

I feel so tired....

...the social one...

R

e

v

i

v

e

.

I want my own place.

THAT IS THE HARBOUR my paranoia, THE SITE FOR MY IDEAS. it is an imaginary laboratory, a "workshop", a pleasant space to live indefinitely, a stone's throw from the university, two from work and one from my family. a place to relax, but also where to build. yes, building, that's what we try to learn in school. a place like that does not exists yet in my naples, but it would be

heaven.

September 9, 2013 was inaugurated the campus of the University Pa r t h e n o p e residence in the former tobacco factory.

I wonder how students are f a r i n g ?

...and the economic one.

...this coffee tastes like petrol...

and we as designers must try to respond in a balanced manner to all three, thus making sustainable our project

earth calls giuseppe!

yeah yeah, sorry. I was thinking about the Eastern Naples area. I pass every morning to go to university... all that degradation, abadonment...when are they going to intervene?

Well, in fact there are already lots of projects of upgrading but we'll talk about it later... we are late for the conference. Let's hurry! pay these coffee and let's go!

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE IN MILAN FOR THE DESIGN WEEK? I SAW THE VERTICAL FOREST OF BOERI, BUT...

..BUT IT IS NOT A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, I Know WHAT you are GOING TO SAY.

that project does not deal with social issues, because it’s a private structure, not public, so it’s not a project for the whole community.

for some aspects, the project of aravena, elemental, is more sustainable. it’s an example of incremental design: a design that grows through people

kilometers of traffic later...

...and so important for mendini...so, go on...why is it so important to design on public spaces? maybe because is it the space where the three aspects of design (social, economic and environmental) take part together? yes, for sure but...it’s not the only reason...

here we are, finally. we are terribly late. mendini? who is mendini? shhh! shut up, giuseppe! i’ve already heard that name. we’ll talk about it later!

...public spaces are also “hinge spaces”. we often see big projects of retraining, but they are disconnected to each other.

by intervening on public spaces, we have to design a system, that connects all the elements of the project

the citizens should be educated to respect. to do this, they must use and not just see.

that’s why i’m showing you this interesting project of a water square, in rotterdam by de urbanisten. a project that satisfies the social, the environmental and the economic purposes.

wow! cool! what the hell is a watersquare?

are you asking yourself what a water square is, uh? well, it combines water storage with the improvement of the quality of urban public space.

it’s a positive example to show people how the water issue can be solved.

when it’s sunny

maximally once a year, when it rains a lot

approximately 30 times a year

when it freezes

it’s a public space that, when it’s dry, it works as a square, and when it rains, it works as a basin.

the basin can be closed when it is connected to a near existing sewerage

the basin can be open when it receives water from the roofs and from the public spaces. the water, usually collected on the lower altidude, is relatively clean

the basin can be locally open when it collects water from the near zones.

as you can see the potentiality of those spaces is in describing the dynamicity of a place that changes as the weather changes, and the fruition itself changes...

that conference was interesting.

yup. but who is mendini?

ok...that’s all. i finished. are you awake? let’s go to eat!

alessandro mendini is the architect who designed the metro station of salvator rosa, here in naples...

uhm...i think i don’t know him, not even the station...but...we can go there now!

ok, let’s go!!!

he really doesn’t know where salvator rosa is. where does he live?

you have to go straight for piazza dante, then you turn right, then left and you’ll arrive in 5 minutes

you’ll see. it’s not just a station. they figured out how to use funds dedicated to the metros to retrain a whole area.

well guys, i have to come back home but, if you want i’ll show you the way until the station... besides, i’ve already seen that metro.

you can leave me there! thank you, guys! see you tomorrow!

a dream. is that a ray of sun?

here we are.

follow me

a COLORFUL ray of sun

a playful ray of sun

uagliù fermi tutti! ‘ccà ce stà pure o’fotografo!

o’fotò! facci ‘na foto mò mò!

ah! young neapolitan cocky guys...they love soccer, scooters, girls, smartphones...but they have a huge heart for their friends and for their families.

SOMETIMES IDEAS COME SUDDENLY AS FAST AS A SOCCER BALL.

PALLAAAA!

SOMETIMES THEY’RE NOT IDEAS. THEY’RE JUST A SOCCER BALL.

OUCH!!!

GIUSEPPE! ARE YOU OK?

oh...yes...but i think it’s time to go home for me now

THAT NIGHT

TRAFFIC, FLOODED ROADS, FIREMEN ON alert. a terrible storm is striking the city and expecially its periphery.

traders are protesting, because the overflowing water is damageing their stores

everyday is exactly the same. the tv repeats always the same things. but sometimes these things happen to a friend of yours and you just can’t let them slip away...

wow. luckily i came back home soon from naples...

the municipality announces the state of crisis

damn. how is it possible? is the eastern zone of naples destined to be an everlasting swamp?

...it’s a mess...a crisis... they say “crisis� comes from the greek krino, that means oppotunity, judgement. yeah...words... words...

it seems that lots of projects, both from the university and from professional architects, were made. i wonder if someone has ever designed a water square for that place. i’ll ask to the gals

the idea is not new, but it’s still innovative. maybe these urban project should be just improved a little with “attractive” and specific solutions. something that links the single person to the project.

Ornella 2:30 AM A friend of my cousin’s had her thesis about a water square there. we should get in touch with her.

Giuseppe 2:30 AM What’s her name?

Ornella 2:31 AM Lidia Salvati. But, don’t add her now...people use to sleep at this time...do you remember that tomorrow we have the revision with the professor?!

Giuseppe 2:30 AM OkOk...’night!

umpf

A SYSTEM

I’M SO TIRED NOW

i think the professor isn’t here...let’s wait for him here for a while

the next day

ck o n k ck! kno

so...i asked my cousins about lidia’s project

good news! the drawings are available on the website of the professor paola scala, her thesis supervisor.

my cousin told me that lidia applied the ideas of rotterdam in the eastern zone of naples

HEY! I FOUND IT!

AND I FOUND HER!

what?! when did you add her? yesterday night?! yes! i asked her to meet me at palazzo gravina!

you’re crazy...don’t you think you’re too...hasty?

no, why?

inspiration comes when you seize the day.

HI LIDIA!!!

we saw your project! awesome! would you be so kind to give us some explanations?

Wow! great idea! I wanted to ask you if we could engage with design solutions within your project

well, i insisted on the “network concept�: tangible and intangible networks. I studied first the context, identified space-zipper and cross these data with the wastewater management system.

Depending on how these spaces related to one another, I have identified the watersquare type.

For example, a square that becomes a closed basin, a road that becomes conduit, all functional, but also pleasant for those who benefit of these spaces: in this way the citizen can understand the interventions and therefore to respect!

Sure!

Because as a single watersquare does not work alone, but needs to be inserted into the system, you also might think to integrate within this macro system with your micro system.

what do you mean?

There are three main phases in the operation of watersquares.

COLLECTION, STORAGE AND DISPOSAL. You could design an object that works on a single phase, or more than one. remember, The object must tell both its function, interacting with the user in order to have an information / educational role.

you’re welcome! keep me in touch!

thank you very much, lidia. you’re so kind!

next day

G N I R !

RING NG! RI

mh... giuseppe...maybe he has some good news...

hey giuseppe! how are you?

COLLECTION, STORAGE AND DISPOSAL! remember that! lidia suggested us to work following these three phases of the watersquares!

calm down, giuseppe! i’m in classroom! come here and let’s reason together!

I already started to sketch one of the element of the watersquare: the fountain wall. come here and i’ll show it to you!

ok ok! i’m coming!

yes! i’ve already studied the different weather conditions of the area, taking the lidia’s project as reference

ok, now let’s decide who has to deal with each stage

you’re simply great! you’ve already started a diagram of operation!!! we have just to decide where to put our designs!

ornella’s fountain wall federica’s flowing way to the water storage giuseppe’s elements for water disposal

i guess this is your fountain WALL. I’M GOING TO STUDY THE WAY TO DISPOSE THE WATER and call federica to see if she agrees.

GUYS, I’M TOTALLY IN. I WILL FOCUS ON THE WAY TO LET THE WATER FLOW IN A playful way...

suddenly nothing. blankness. how does a project start?

we take inspiration from the past, when we were children. we understand that we like that thing when we do the same expression we used at the time ...

...and we still struggle to understand why we like it.

maybe it’s all about curiosity

g n s i ld und i bu so a e t sd th ha re t d in

pipe games

mondrian

open air theatre

the water flows from the smart-profiled street and from the buildings to the wall

the wall collects the water

as the water raises the wall ejects it into the square

the square begins to work as an open basin. but, how will the basin dispose the remaining water within 48 hours?

er at

o fl

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us

el

h bat per p sto

ornella’s wall

it’s a carousel WHEN IT’S sunny

a manhole for light water flows

900

air

air

1000

1750

2000

the floater brings up the stopper

air

air

during the waterstorm the square become basin

air

air

It's in the hardest places and separated from the reality that there are the sprouts of a better future .

In places that are sore spots of the general body of humanity, the beauty has to be restorative .

Make a square helps, but if you do not recognize , and does not care how the public space that is not enough architecture will therefore be a tool to solve a problem not only with efficiency and functionality , but also focusing on the beauty , thus becoming an efficient tool to claim rights , progress, opportunity , inclusion

play

do gymnastics

socialize

rest / watch the shows perform

...wow...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and when the beholder is a child the wonder equips the eye for new d i s c o v e r i e s .

to be continued...

bibliography -Where good ideas come from - Steven Johnson - published by riverhead books 2011; -Domus n° 888 january 2006 “ritratti di coppia”; -De Urbanisten and the Wondrous Water Square by Florian Boer (Editor), Jens Jorritsma (Editor), Dirk Van Peijpe (Editor) - nai010 2013.

sitography -http://www.archiportale.com/news/2016/04/architettura/biennale-di-architettura-2016-presentato-il-padiglione-italia_51215_ 3.html; -http://www.larchitetto.it/magazine/aprile-2016/gli-argomenti/attualita/un-padiglione-pop.html -http://www.repubblica.it/cultura/2016/04/17/news/raul_pantaleo_e_entrato_in_crisi_l_assurdo_sistema_delle_opere_eclatan ti_-137849839/; -http://marcovermeulen.eu/home/; -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0af00UcTO-c; -http://fuorisalone2016.breradesigndistrict.it/progetto/3/premio-lezioni-di-design-giorgia-lupi; -http://www.urbanisten.nl/wp/?portfolio=waterpleinen.

DESIGNED AND EDITED BY gIUSEPPE d’aLESSANDRO oRNELLA FIERRO fEDERICA oNORATO