Archinect
Valeria Colavita

Valeria Colavita

Itala, IT

anchor

NATURE AND ARCHITECTURE. CALL FOR ACTION: NATURE AS MATERIAL FOR A NEW ARCHITECTURE

The brief requiered a project focused on the relationship between architecture and nature, through the ideation of a green space related or not with buildings. The general request, in my opinion could not be solved through the design of a park or garden: this would have been the solution to that particular case, but not an absolute answer to the topic.  I preferred to advance a more general idea, that can be used in every place that needs i;, feasible in many cases, flexible and easy to be repeated everywhere.
My project is therefore almost not contextualized , but in reality it is setted in any suburban area of our cities, where industrial landscapes , chimneys , concrete and deserted parking spaces create an unhealthy and uncomfortable environment for human life. My idea is to use green , as a material for architecture, for its improvement . It ‘s a certain fact that the presence of parks and wooded areas contributes positively to the condition of the environment, affecting climate and social aspects: they considerably lower the temperature of the air, are a powerful anti-pollution , create important shadow areas and affect the mood of the people. Industrial areas are often areas that people tend to avoid , but which actually hide a lot of potential for rebirth.
I suggest the conversion of parking spaces in small urban private gardens. After being hired, they become a space under people responsibility. They have to  maintain it in the best way.
The concept idea begins with an analysis of the word parking meter, an object that often governs the parking lots, adding costs to the economic and social cost of  cars. With a game of words, I metaphorically replace the parking meters with meters of parks. The standard size of a parking space of 2.5 m x 5 m, become 12.5 m2 of green space . For the implementation of this proposal, It is required the cooperation of the public and of the inhabitants.

 
Read more

Status: Competition Entry
Location: Rome, IT