Rozzol Melara: Abitare 19.01.2014 / Casabella 437, June 1978

An interesting article I read today about the Rozzol Melara complex in Trieste, which I visited during my study trip. It provides insights into the ideas behind the planning of the housing scheme. Some of Celli's ideas are summarised in this quote taken from the article:

“The presence of the public dimension next to the private one, the population density, the concentration of facilities, the presence of typical urban spaces (the piazza, the pedestrian road), the articulation of functions and uses, the variety of indoor and outdoor situations, are amongst the fundamental criterias that allowed to structure RM as a part of the city, thus finally refusing the role of degradated suburb that so often has been appointed to social housing interventions in Italy.” (Carlo Celli)

Reflecting on our housing proposal, we tried to inherit some of the ideas of a housing scheme as a city itself by proposing a block strategy and facilities that serve the different living units and the wider neighbourhood. The home zone creates piazzas of different scales and pedestrian roads and enriches indoor and outdoor situations. Woodlands Densified provides an urban atmosphere and integrates the qualities of countryside or suburbian living.

Link to the article: 

Abitare 19.01.2014: Italian Compilation. The 70s: 
Celli and Tognon and the Rozzol Melara Court in Trieste: Villa e Piazza


Some photographs from my study trip:

Reflections on Paris I - Sniedze Riekstina

Work on Woodlands Densified project elevated my interest in urban and social architecture to a whole new level. Maybe it was the largely self-directed brief, maybe the scope, scale and detail, to which we could develop our project, by working all together, or just the shear creativity and evolution of ideas; it all inspired to look further, think broader and go beyond conventional. 

So when the opportunity came to spend the first semester of my final year on exchange in Paris, I saw it not only as an academic challenge, but an immense resource for my studies and a chance to experience for myself some of the most influential urban and residential schemes, such as that of Haussmann and Le Corbusier. 

Typical Haussmann facade

Le Corbusier - Villa La Roche-Jeanneret, Paris

Le Corbusier - Villa Savoye, Poissy

Le Corbusier - Lounge Chair in Villa Savoye, Poissy

I started my studies on Parisian housing in an experimental design studio at ENSA Paris-Belleville exploring the concept of living by the railway. This research and design process led to a further urban investigation and a subsequent thesis project focusing on revitalisation of challenging, peripheral urban sites. 

During this process I came to realize that notional and experiential perception has almost as valuable as a formal research. Spatial experience being one of the key elements in architecture is also very personal and, in a way, elusive, therefore long walks seemed like a perfect way to engage with the city. Only later, upon my return in Mac I became familiar with situationist theories and the meaning of dérives in understanding urban psychogeography.

This awareness of urban atmospheres is largely subconscious, but can be developed and applied in research and design process. The notion of local character is important for communities, thus for urban developments of any scale. What makes a neighbourhood a nice place to live in? What are the main elements used for placemaking? Are there any particular techniques or approaches that work more than others? Are there really areas in the city that cannot be reclaimed and revitalised?

To seek answer to these questions I will look at some case studies of certain housing projects that I found inspirational and that stood out, for me, as being key in revitalisation and redefinition of local communities and particular areas within the city.  By analysing them I will highlight the techniques and approaches used to re-activate the neighbourhood and encourage social interaction. I have based the choice of the precedents solely on my own city experience. These are the developments that I stumbled upon during my dérives and that seemed to be the atmospheric centres of the vicinity.

And as such I will be analysing:

Vignoles Est – residential development that also comprises gym, community roof garden by TOA Architectes Associés in Paris (XX district).

Roof garden, Vignoles Est, Paris

Halle Pajol – redevelopment of disused train outbuilding into youth hostel, auditorium, public library, retail and office units by Jourda Architectes.

Square in front of Halle Pajol, Paris

I also intend to revisit Paris to conduct a few more dérives, to test this psychogeographical method in determining the atmospheric centres of the neighbourhoods.

To be continued…..

Research Proposal - Chloe Fawcett

Maintaining the common research theme of social housing, my chosen context is that of Belgium, and it’s waterfront cities in particular. The ambition is that this study should complement the investigations for the final design thesis to be produced for the ‘Stage 5’ Diploma studio project at the Mackintosh School of Architecture.

Having been lucky enough to spend the Winter semester of this year on exchange at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland, I have begun studies of two Belgian cities under Atelier DeVylder Vinck Tailleu. As an introduction to the Diploma thesis, the initial brief was to design seven single-family houses in Belgium (six in Brussels and one in and Ostend). By applying the same brief and client to each of these proposals, the influence of the surrounding context becomes extremely important, and historical, cultural, social, environmental, economic and aesthetic qualities of each neighbourhood are at once legible. All sites appeared at first unusual places to live, and the resulting architecture in each instance took on a quietly ‘monumental’ character in homage to its challenging surroundings.

Upon return to the Mac in February, the focus will shift away from Brussels and towards Ostend, and away from private houses towards the more complex questions surrounding social housing and its responsibilities towards the public realm.

It is arguably easier for a single dwelling to offer a strong sense of identity than it is for a multiple-unit social housing scheme. Such schemes are often accused of being “soulless”. How then might a social housing proposal display an equally strong sense of ‘character’? And could a powerful visual identity encourage feelings of pride and community within a large housing development? Should this ambition be applied to the scheme as a whole or to each home individually?

The aim is to research a series of precedents in Belgium, and visit these in person, in order to observe how they contribute to the public realm that surrounds them: How is shared space used? How do the public interact with these places? How can or should the divide between public and private space be read?

Projects with shared and public outside spaces are of particular relevance to the thesis investigations. Therefore in addition to housing, I also intend to visit some examples of public landscape design that could be adapted to apply to housing developments in comparable locations. Brownfield and particularly former industrial contexts are of interest. The challenge of designing for new communities in such places should begin with a look at how history has shaped Belgium’s dockland landscapes.

The revised preferred time for making this trip is mid-March 2014. Documentation will take the form of photography, written observations and analysis, but above all, sketches and hand-drawn studies produced on the trip will be used to explore the themes and capture the essence of these places.

Provisional destinations are Ostend and Antwerp, whilst Knokke, Ghent and Brussels are also being considered. Shortlisted projects for visiting include:

514NE: OCMW Nevele elderly housing; Huis aan’t Laar assisted living,

MDW Architecture: Le Lorrain housing, Victor Bourgeois: Sint Agatha Berchem, ‘Cite Moderne’ (1922)

Buro II & Archi + 1: Sint Agatha Berchem Sustainable social housing 2012

Rotor : Grindbakken Gravel pit restoration as gallery space [if accessible]

Research Proposal - Anna Barbieri

Trieste - Complesso Rozzol Melara

Genova - Quartiere Lavatrici di Pra'

Rome - "Il Corviale"

Naples - Complesso Scampia

Our group’s intention was to continue researching within the architectural field of housing, but in respect to different ideas and concepts that influenced the design of the Woodlands Densified proposal. For this project, one of our main ideas was to revitalise the urban perimeter block and especially the potential of the existing backcourt spaces.

Deriving from the idea of the block and inspired by an architectural project – the Rozzol Melara complex or Quadrilatero by Francesco Celli – that I visited during my thesis research trip to Trieste, Italy, I would like to visit and explore three modernist and brutalist housing complexes in Italy – the quartiere le Lavatrici di Pra’ in Genova, the Corviale in Rome and the Scampia complex in Naples. Examining and comparing impressions of the three different complexes, I want to enhance my knowledge of the superblock and the machine for living in respect of their relevance and potential in contemporary architectural discourse.

The interest in superblocks derives from a thought I intend to examine in my final design thesis, which I am currently working on at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art. It investigates seafarers and how their experience of a sea based life influence their habits and perceptions. This is especially important when seafarers come back to land and leave their sea life – particularly when retiring. Superblocks and housing complexes used the idea of the ship as a reference when developing living schemes and ways of living. In particular, Le Corbusier’s Unité is often referred to as a ship. Apart from nautical influences that entered Modernism, I would like to research and compare the integration of different functions – supermarkets, leisure programmes etc. in the above mentioned projects and their importance for the users of today.

Before travelling to Italy in the summer months, presumably July, I will research the theories and ideas behind housing hybrids and analyse my impressions of the visit to the Rozzol Melara complex. Theories I intend to investigate include examples by Le Corbusier and Alison and Peter Smithson but also research on the current problems of the four respective housing projects shall be undertaken.

I intend to reflect upon my findings in writing, using sketches and drawings as well as photographic documentation.  

Extracts from my thesis work so far:

Complesso Rozzol Melara - Arch. Francesco Celli, Trieste, IT