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INSIGHTS
These places are at the same time neither completely public nor completely private and are suited to non- institutionalised socialisation
Fabrizio Rossi Prodi
conceiving people as they and move in space at different hours of the day and in different seasons for a variety of functions and groups. Contemporary design through 3D modelling and advances in virtual reality enables the architect to envision, control and expe- rience the future shape of dwellings and neighborhoods in movement and in time.
2. Shifting the boundaries between private and public
After three decades of retreat, a devolution of value from the private to the communal sphere is under way. Even the focus of contemporary architectural debate is shifting from the linguistic exploration of morphology and its architectural formal characteris- tics to the design of communal places and spaces. The design of public space and urban voids looks at sidewalks and areas delimited by walls or views framed by masses, landmarks and various systems of landscapes; in other words it is concerned with a variety of elements and functions that influence spatial experience and social practice.
Thus expressions such as semi-private, semi-public and especially ‘in-between spaces’ are in use today: these places are at the same time neither completely public nor completely private and are suited to non-institutionalised socialisation. There must be a soft shift from the public domain to these other domains. The task is that of designing a map of behaviour, populated with different zones scaled to fit certain experiences. The spaces should be well placed, well sized and connected to functions and movement, in order to avoid their being rejected and degraded. This assumption is realised in new developments, espe- cially in tighter sites where, in order to create this stream of common and in-between places and transitions, traditional closed blocks are often opened up though maintaining recognisable urban shapes.
3. Sustainability beyond the building
Further suggestions come from a long period of hermeneutics, weak thought and postmodernism which is now in decline and in its wake a renewed attention for reality and its problems has arisen including the need to value and protect our resources. The design consideration now is for construction materials, energy saving, and lifestyles.
Far from the excesses and idolisation of greenery, sustainability must not be confused simply with that of the project alone. On the
contrary, the first goal of sustainability lies in a balanced project that fosters quality in architecture and the urban realm - in designing pieces of urban fabric that are liveable and dignified. As a consequence, some architects are designing experimentally with timber and new materials, others with green roofs, re-use, shading systems and geothermal energy. Ventilation chimneys are back, as well as the principles of good orientation. Even in the urban design of masses and voids designers let themselves be guided by natural influences such as winds and solar exposure, shadow and noise whilst taking care not to unsettle the continuity of the fabric - the morphology of the places themselves.
Good architects have rediscovered that systems of loggias, terraces and greenhouses constitute an environmental safeguard which controls the internal micro-climate. And now we acknowl- edge that many of these solutions were are part of the cultural heritage of good design and construction methods that have belonged to our regional traditions since ancient times.
4. Fluid modernity and a multi-ethnic society mean closer attention to people’s habits
As a consequence a new residential landscape is arising with a mixed functionality, varied housing typology and a spatial, func- tional and distributive design that transforms it into opportunities for life and social encounters.
These new residential developments incorporate a variety of activities such as shops, offices, workshops, service providers and semi-public spaces and move beyond the ghettos of mono-func- tional culture. Functions such as a social housing administrator, common living-rooms and kitchens, workshops, community gardens, and play and sports areas create opportunities for devel- oping community spirit.
A variety in dwelling types generates an architectural vitality accommodating different family typologies that are ever more common today: one parent families, cohousing groups, student communities, single or elderly persons and allows for flexibility in time. Today’s city dwellers expect a higher quality of life, therefore as designers we are forced to change the approach from providing housing as a product to considering it a service. Well beyond drawing beautiful forms, the architect’s main task has thus become to design places that help personal and social life and which foster values such as humanity and domesticity. Moreover, design can’t focus only on flats and outdoor spaces; for a successful neighborhood we need to actually design a community, envision its members and groups, their service-systems and places – in short help to develop the life of the community.
5. Only a dialogue of various disciplines helps a project to thrive
This implies the need to explore different fields, causing them to react and discover new syntheses and new paradigms in the short- circuit between different approaches and topics. We must make all the elements on the production chain work and design together: those dealing with finances, social research, planning, spatial dynamics, design, technology, sustainability, construction, social planning and housing management. Combining these will be key to the built environment supporting further advance in building neigh- bourhoods and social housing.
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Architect, Professor Fabrizio Rossi Prodi is founder of Florence-based architects Rossiprodi Associati
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF OCTOBER 2016
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