THE HEALTHY CITY
Urban restructuring of the neighborhood of Xirokampos in Nea Ionia, Magnisia, to face future pandemics.
The studio is focused on the entwining relationship between architecture and urban design in the framework of a project that includes the design of public and green spaces and public facilities in an area of the city of Volos. Students will investigate proposals that will challenge a variety of stakeholders and scales. With the conclusion of the course, students will:
- know basic techniques of urban analysis thought the use of photography, cartography, diagrams and collage;
- understand the basic urban, planning, historical, environmental conditions that characterize an urban area;
- understand the multi-faced problems that affect contemporary cities and the local circumstance and restriction as resources that inform the design;
- learn to analyze, to understand and to use historical and contemporary case-studies;
- know the panorama of urban theories referred to contemporary cities and urban design;
- investigate the role of urban design as a tool to serve collective interests;
- use physical models at the scale of the city and of the building;
- use various methods of representation at the scale of the city (maps, diagrams, images, collage);
- investigate various proposals at the same time;
- evaluate and judge their work and the work of other students in a sort of horizontal teaching environment.
The Heathy City, citing the World Health Organization, has the aim to improve the present health condition of cities thought the design of better physical and social condition. The strategic objective is to adopt policies and actions for the health and to a sustainable improvement of local conditions, with a focus on the provision of health facilities, on the people that live in a condition of poverty and on the needs of vulnerable groups. To reach this objective, it is suggested the reinforcement of politics focus on the improvement of public health condition together with urban renovation programs.
The course is focused on the urban restructuring of a peripheral neighborhood in Volos after the Covid-19 pandemic. Students are invited to imagine a more healthy, friendly and secure urban environment accessible for all, with the aim to face in advance future pandemics. The program of intervention includes:
- new public and green spaces;
- a local building of the ESY, the National Health System, with family doctors and other facilities;
- a social hotspot to support people that live in poverty;
- other places of facilities to facilitate public and common activities.
The course is organized in three phases, and each phase will be completed with a presentation of students’ works, a discussion and an evaluation:
- Urban Analysis: In this phase, students will analyze the city-scale, the many questions that urban design should take into consideration and the role of architecture in relation to the city and the environment. Students will work with maps, diagrams and collage though some exercises. This phase will conclude with the definition of a strategic design that will trace the guidelines of the following phases.
- Urban Design: the Aim of an urban design project is the transformation of an urban area with a scheme that includes the design of open spaces, new buildings and the creation of a set of actions and activities for the future transformation of the area. Urban design should create a vision for the future of the city.
- Architectural Design (final presentation): it refers to the design of buildings and public spaces inside the framework of the masterplan. At the final presentation, students will present the whole body of their work that includes the Urban Analysis, the Urban Design and the Architectural Design. At the final presentation, students will narrate the scenario that they envisioned for the future of the city.
Each unit of the course will be introduced by a lecture in order to define the framework of the investigation and to understand the objective that students will pursue. Lectures are grounded on the bibliography, case-studies, similar urban strategies, video, interviews. Aims of the lectures are to present the theoretical framework of the subject of the course to open reflection about the condition of contemporary cities with a focus in history, geography, ecology, health and democracy.
Students will work in groups of two. The final grade will be based on exercises, on periodic evaluations and on the final presentation. Attendances in class are required and crucial to follow the course program.
Total assessment 100%:
Urban Analysis 15%
Urban Design 30%
Architectural Design (Final Presentation) 45%
Participation in class/ initiative/ improvement: 40%
(The previous grades are usually considered indicatives to check students' progresses during the course. The final grade may be different from the arithmetic sum of intermediate grades)
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UNHABITAT, Cities and Pandemic: Towards a more Just, Green and Healthy Future [https://unhabitat.org/cities-and-pandemics-towards-a-more-just-green-and-healthy-future-0#:~:text=The%20UN%2DHabitat's%20Report%20on,lasting%20and%20sustainable%20recovery%20from]
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From the web:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3342823
https://www.politico.eu/article/italy-health-care-hospital-local-coronavirus-pandemic/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/t-magazine/art-coronavirus.html
Urban Design, Pandemic, Health, Public City, Public Spaces, Commons, Collage
https://eclass.uth.gr/courses/ARCH_U_268/