Filomena Nigro's portfolio by Filomena Nigro

FILOMENA Portfolio NIGRO

Contact Information +1 347.601.1239 Filomenanigro@hotmail.it

Professional Works 1

laidlaw lofts Green Realty LLC

Lafayette lofts Green Realty LLC

512 Greenwich Street Archi-tectonics

The Red Cross building in Scandiano SensibileDeRosales

Academic Works 5

The Ara della Regina temple Master’s Thesis Project 2015

A medicine campus in Berlin Design Studio 2014

The Como Insubria Law University Design Studio 2013

Urban Design in Piazza Firenze Design Studio 2013

A new use for CasaVilla Interior Design Studio 2009

Professional Works

The Laidlaw Lofts This project consisted of the conversion of a centuryold laundry building into a 95-unit rental building. Green Realty LLC adaptively reused the existing three-story warehouse and added three extra modern stories to the top of the existing structure. The project was completed in 2016 and is in the running for the LEED Silver certification. Location: 66 Laidlaw Avenue, Jersey City, 10013 NJ Area: 150.078 square feet Design Supervisor: James S.McNeight Construction Supervisor: Eyad Alkadashi LEED Consultants: Chartier Group Role: Junior Project Manager Responsabilities: Verified requirements at all levels during construction and created supporting documents to ensure that the project met the desired level of LEED certification. Managed resources and personnel. Worked on site logistics and schedule, project status and site performance reports, scope of work and contracts. Created construction take offs, estimations, material and specs selections, purchase orders. Reviewed shop drawings and technical details for code and design compliance, produced punch lists and reports in order to ensure high-quality deliverables from inception to completion.

Green Realty LLC

2016

Life on the construction site

For many years, the property was home to R.H.H. Steel Laundry. A three-story building was erected in 1906 and later expanded several times. The company vacated the building in 1970 and only in the last few years Green Realty LLC converted it into a 95-unit rental building. The old chimney is still in place and stands out as a historic symbol.

Sustainable architecture A particular emphasis was placed on following the LEED recommendations with regard to material selection, construction technologies and architectural layout. During the construction process, the LEED consultants team has been working with us in order to achieve the highest certification level possible. Here are some of the measures that were taken in order to ensure that the building became an example of sustainable practice in the area.

sensitive land protection high priority site The building is an historical building located in a previously developed site and therefore preserves sensitive lands and wildilife habitats from development. surrounding density and diverse uses access to quality transit The area where the building is located presents many diverse uses and the tenants won’t need to use their cars as often because everything is within walking distance. Furthermore, the building location offers a variety of public transportation systems: the PATH Train station and the Bus terminal are located nearby.

HEAT island REDUCTION reduced parking footprint A combination of high-RFI polimeric material for the rooftop and a large area of under-cover parking are meant to reduce the heat island effect.

Roofdeck Rooftop

OPEN SPACE outdoor water use reduction The building offers several open spaces: there are three common terraces and a roofdeck on the top floor. On the second floor there is a green space, where the use of native plants and a drip irrigation system reduces outdoor water use.

4th Floor Terrace

3rd Floor Terrace

Planting

indoor water use reduction water metering All plumbing fixtures are low-flow in order to reduce the indoor water use. Water metering devices are meant to collect data representing the whole building’s outdoor and indoor water use.

2nd Floor Terrace

bike racks

CAR CHARGERS

bike racks

GREEN VEHIcleS bicycle facilities Bicycle racks and electric car chargers are available for whoever wants to use a “greener” transportation method. Bike-sharing facilities are located in close proximity to the building entrances.

1st Floor

Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction More than 50% of the building envelope belongs to an existing structure. This material has therefore been saved from the landfill, reducing the building life-cycle impact. Building Product Disclosure & Optimization— Environmental Product Declarations Building Product Disclosure & Optimization— Sourcing of Raw Materials Building Product Disclosure & Optimization —Material Ingredients The materials that have been employed in the project have been selected in virtue of their environmental and health impact.

The common areas The Laidlaw Lofts feature several indoor and outdoor common areas. Tenants’ main access to the building is on the Oakland Avenue side, where a fully furnished family room, a mail room and a gym are also located. As for the outdoor areas, there are three terraces on the 2nd, the 4th and the 5th Floors and a rooftop deck with a Manhattan panoramic view.

The common terrace - Second Floor

The family room - First Floor

The gym - First Floor

The apartments Laidlaw Lofts features 47 one-bedroom units, 43 two-bedroom apartments and 5 three-bedroom ones. The 5th/6th Floor Plan below shows some of the apartment layouts and their distribution through a common hallway. The chimney stack stands out next to the elevator area.

FIFTH & SIXTH FLOOR P

66 Laidlaw Ave

REVISION 2.12.13 6.6.14 6.16.14 8.7.14

Jersey City, N.

JAMES S. M C NEIGHT ARCHITECT PLANNER PC 169 SCHUYLER AVENUE

PROJECT:

Conversion and expansion of an existing warehouse into a 95 unit apartment building w/ park

All of the apartments have central HVAC, red oak hardwood floors, porcelain tiles and quartz countertops. They also have exceptionally high ceiling, between 12 and 13 feet, and great window openings.

One of the balconies facing towards Manhattan

2 Lafayette Lofts

The project consists of the conversion of an abandoned storage building into a 46-unit rental building. The owner decided to preserve the existing structure and to renovate the facade. Interior partitions have been used to organize the space into various apartment layouts. Mezzanines have been created to exploit the unusual height of the ceiling. Location: 170 Lafayette Street, Jersey City, 10013 NJ Area: 60.799 square feet Design Supervisor: James S.McNeight Construction Supervisor: Alparen Sahin Role: Junior Project Manager Responsabilities: Produced construction estimations, take offs, material selection. Managed deliveries and purchase orders. Created technical details, punch lists, daily reports and reviewed shop drawings. Negotiated with dealers to outfit premises with lighting, furniture, appliances, fixtures. Worked on the interior design of common areas.

Green Realty LLC

2016

Pictures of the interiors of the Main Building before the start of the framing work, showing the replacement of the existing windows.

Lafayette Lofts The building was once part of the Historic Whitlock Cordage Manufacturing Complex. It is composed of two structures: a historic masonry and heavy timber annex constructed in the 1880s and a steel and concrete four story landmarked structure. The building is characterized by 10-foot-high historical windows, exposed industrial concrete ceilings, lofted units with mezzanines, and exposed brick walls. A great effort has been put into restoring the original architectural elements, such as the large concrete mushroom columns.

ANNEX BUILDING 10 Townouses

1 2

MAIN BUILDING 36 Apartments

1. Part of the openings had to be recreated and all of the existing glass windows have been replaced in accordance with the regulations for landmarked buildings 2. The complex had been abandoned for over 50 years, therefore the cleaning represented a considerable stage of the construction 3. The existing brick needed repointing and the damaged stucco had to be reinstalled in order to give the building the same look that it might have had when it was first built

The Main Building

The Main building will host 36 apartments of various dimensions and layouts. A metal stair in each of the apartments connects the main floor with a mezzanine area that looks into the living room. All ceilings are exposed in order to give the apartments a modern and industrial look.

Accessible rooftop

View of the hallway and of the interiors of the apartments

First floor reflected ceiling plan Main Building

The Annex The Annex building is going to have 10 townhouses, all with a similar layout and completely independent from each other. On the ground floor the entrance gives you direct access to the kitchen/living room, while the bedrooms are located on the second floor. A wood staircase connects the ground floor with the second floor. An operable ladder connects the second floor to a utility loft.

Lafayette Park, adjacent to the Lafayette Lofts site

A Townhouse in Greenwich Village During my experience as intern architect at Archi-tectonics, I had the chance to participate in the design development of a townhouse located in Greenwich Village. Three new floors are going to be constructed on top of an existing building: the interiors will be completely renovated and a new facade will give consistency to the whole structure, linking the new and the old parts togheter. Location: 512 Greenwich Street, New York, 10013 NY, USA Area: 4.357 square feet Design Supervisor: Winka Dubbeldam Role: Intern Architect Responsabilities: Created technical drawings (plans, demolition plans, sections, elevations, walls and floors sheets, doors and windows sheets, reflected ceiling plans, finishes sheet, zoning analysis; negotiated with dealers to outfit premises with lighting, furniture, kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures; created diagrams, presentations, documentation to update clients on progress of the project.

Penthouse

Guest Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Children’s Bedroom

Kitchen and Dining Area

Living Area

Retail Space

Archi-tectonics

2015

Storage

The existing building has been designated for re-use after being abandoned for several years. The ground floor will be the only part of the whole structure to have a different function since it will be leased as retail space, the storage area of which is represented by the cellar. The residential spaces will be connected by a staircase lit by a skylight located above. The living area and the dining area will be linked by a mezzanine space. Childrens bedroom, master bedroom and guest bedroom complete the structure and sit beneath a rooftop, where a volume pokes out of the lot line of the building: the penthouse. It will be the service area for the surrounding terrace and utilities present on the rooftop.

Cellar Plan

1st Floor Plan

2nd Floor Plan

3rd Floor Plan

4th Floor Plan

5th Floor Plan

6th Floor Plan

7th Floor Plan 31

The trellis

Panels withwith staggered pattern pivot Panels staggered pattern pivot

Structure has matte black ﬁnish

Structure has matte black finish 32

The building is wrapped by a second skin represented by the trellis. The development of it has been the most important part of the design phase, since it is predominant characteristic of the building’s external appearance. The trellis gives consistency to the composition of old and new volumes within the building. At the same time, its different patterns break up the monotony of the facade.

The structure has been gradually finalized as defined by wood cladding of different sizes that create an overall pattern. A regular metal grid keeps the cladding together and gives robustness to the structure. In some parts, the facade is subdivided into panels that rotate on their pivots and create openings in the front elevation of the building.

View of the children’s bedroom 33

Section of the building, scale 1/2”:1’-0”

Penthouse section, scale 1/2”:1’-0”

4 4

1/2"=1'-0"

BULKHEAD SECTION

1/2"=1'-0"

BULKHEAD SECTION

1/2"=1'-0"

1 2 2

1/2"=1'-0"

BULKHEAD SECTION

1/2"=1'-0"

BULKHEAD PLAN

BULKHEAD SECTION

Penthouse details, scale 3”:1’-0”

Section A

Section AA’

The Red Cross building in Scandiano

Section B

Winning Entry The city council of Scandiano has announced a competition for the design of a new Red Cross building. The chosen lot is located on the outskirts of the city and it is characterized by an irregular shape. The new building needed to accommodate various functions and retain pre-existing utilities (ambulances, furniture, first aid tools). I was a member ofSection the teamBB’ that won this competition during my Internship at the Architecture firm “SensibileDeRosales”.

Prospect C

Location: Via A.Moro, Chiozza, 42019 Emilia Romagna, Italy Area: 64.580 squared feet Design Supervisors: Leandro Sensibile, Valeria Ordono de Rosales Cigalini Role: Intern Architect Responsabilities: Participated in team of architects that submitted winning entry for this competition; created graphic layout, 3D model and graphics to show the project to the jury.

Prospect C Prospect D

SensibileDeRosales

2014

Volumes

Green area for outdoor activities and public events Visitors’ parking area

Ambulances’ parking area

Enclosure

Training area for employees of the Red Cross Structure

Circulation

Offices Dining hall for the patients of the Red Cross

Area for activities of social workers

Entrances

First aid area

The design of the building had to take into consideration the requests of the Red Cross team that started the architecture competition. Indeed, they were particulary concerned to have a building that was able to produce energy: therefore we decided to locate the solar panels in the parking area, which double as shelter from the sun. Also, a green area had been requested: we decided to create a courtyard whose design took inspiration from the geography of the plot: the green area follows the direction of the stream that currently crosses the plot and that will be partially covered to accommodate the new construction. Finally, the copper panels cover the whole building: its geometry and color makes it camouflage in the barren and wild surroundings.

22 22

15 15

11 11

99 55 55 12 12

14 14

13 13

11 11 11 11

11 11 11 11 11 11

33 9

10 10

33 33 33

B D 42

Spaces and functions 1 Parking area for ambulances 2 Parking area for the public 3 Storage area 4 Garden 5 Information point 6 Entrance 7 Common area 8 Restroom 9 Changing room 10 Lecture hall 11 Offices 12 Meeting room 13 Dining hall 14 Storage area for the dining hall 15 Secondary entrance

Academic Works

The Ara della Regina Temple -

Nomination to Mantero Prize Nomination to Archiprix 2016 This thesis has the goal of promoting the etrurian temple “Ara della Regina”, located in the Pianoro della Civita, in Lazio. In the past, the archaeological relic was an important sanctuary in the southern Etruria. We wanted to esteem in regard of the relevant role of this building through a project of fruition that starts from the general context where it is situated. Thanks to a study about the surrounding resources, we could elaborate an idea for the constitution of an archaeological and natural park. After a phase of territorial planning, we gave attention to the Ara della Regina temple, which is currently neglected. The first stage in which we got to know full well the building was important to define a preservation plan for it.

PROFESSOR: Maurizio Boriani, Susanna Bortolotto Supervisor: Andrea Garzulino Team Members: Sabrina Bergamo, Filomena Nigro, Cristina Villa Thesis Project

2015

Tarquinia is an italian city with over 16.500 inhabitants located in the Viterbo region. It is situated 132 metres above the sea level on a mountain facing the Maremma laziale area, next to the Aurelia street, a road that was built by the Romans and that still crosses the country from North to South. In the sixth century BC, Tarquinia developed on the Civita Hill and became one of the most relevant cities of Etrurian society. In that period, its expansion determined the construction of buildings that were meant to prove its supremacy: the Ara della Regina Temple was one of them. After the Romans conquered the city and the Civita Hill was abandoned, the ruins were completely neglected for over 10 centuries. The archeological excavations that started in the beginning of the twentieth century slowly brought back to life the antique ruins of Tarquinia: its fortifications, its public buildings and its sites of worship.

The restoration project After a first phase of study of the monument from its material point of view and a consultation of the historical sources, we thought of a way of bringing the temple back to life through a restoration project that could make it accessible to the public once again.

The “Naos” represents the heart of the temple: it is where the statue of the divinity was protected by the ministers

The Roman road was the main street that crossed the Civita Hill and connected it to its surroundings: in the third century BC, the Ara della Regina was a very popular center of pilgrimage

The entry to the archeological site is located at the intersection of two interesting elements: here you can admire the Cossuzio fountain and the polychromic wall that diagonally meets the base of the temple

The monumental stairs have been rebuilt with metal structures in order to show their original role within the building. On the left, the altar emerges from the terrace

Three different colors of gravel have been used to distinguish the construction phases of the temple throughout the centuries

A wood path takes the visitors on a walk through the temple that replicates how the temple was used by worshippers. The itinerary starts from the monumental stairs and goes all the way to the Naos, the holy core of the monument. The metal structure defines the limits within which the visitors can walk.

The second itinerary is represented by a path that guides the visitors all the way around the temple, to discover its facade and walk through the historical street that passes right next to it.

Study model of the relationship between the temple and the restoration project

The night visit The guided tour has to be an interactive experience for the visitors and new technologies can help them to understand the historical context of the monument. At the same time, the temple has to find a new role in the present, to prevent it from becoming a mere object of historical study without present-day significance. The idea is to transform the “Naos”, the area where the divinity of the temple was venerated,

A medicine campus in Berlin

Night view of the Naos 54

into a stage where performances can take place. Projections, sounds and lights guide the visitors through an alternative visit of the archeological site. The Roman street that still crosses the archeological site and that once was one of the main roads connecting Tarquinia to the other Etrurian cities is represented by the presence of moving profiles along the North facade of the temple, whose dialogues tell us more about life in the ancient Tarquinia.

Section AA’

Section BB’ 55

A medicine campus in Berlin The task of this studio was to create an ideal urban scheme in Berlin, a city that has been transformed by different urban setting over time. Thea The cityinterventions council inoftheScandiano inhanced city now offers an opportunity to create a new style and competition for the design of a new Red Cross impose order on its confusion. Therefore, we begin from venue. The chosen lotto is in identity the outskira random point of the city findlocated in it the lost of the tscity and it is characterised by an irregular shape. itself.

The new building was required to accomodate various functions and to contain pre-existing utilities.

PROFESSOR: Rosaldo Bonicalzi Team Members: Lara Locatelli, Filomena Nigro, Cristina Villa Architecture Design Studio

2014

B’

C’

A’

Design concept As Aldo Rossi has said, history is the material of architecture. Rossi believed that all architectural forms take inspiration from established historical antecedents. In his “The Architecture of the City”, Rossi writes: “I would define the concept of type as something that is permanent and complex, a logical principle that is prior to form and that constitutes it”.

students’ accomodation

departements and professors’ accomodation

laboratories

food court public library

conference hall

Sketches by Aldo Rossi

Erasmuslaan Houses by Fred Rietveld

Residences in Berlin by Giorgio Grassi

Section aa’

Section bb’

Section Cc’

The Public Library The public library is one of the most emblematic building of the urban scheme that we have designed. The existing structure, an abandoned office building of the 30s, has been renovated despite its exterior shape has basically remained the same. The open court has been covered by a glazed roof and the interiors have been completely changed to better host its new function.

The Como Insubria Law University The Como University campus is located in an old convent that has been adapted for the new use. The task of this design studio was to expand the initial building in order to create further spaces for a hypothetical increase of the number of students and the introduction of different functions that are not present under the current arrangement. The selected lot for the enlargement is located right next to the main building, in a green steep land characterized by centennial trees and a historic little chapel. The main theme of the project is the relationship between old and new constructions.

PROFESSOR: Alberto Novati, Aurelio Pezzola SUPERVISOR: Giacomo Morelli Team Members: Sabrina Bergamo, Filomena Nigro Architecture Design Studio

2013

Concept

A new use for Casavilla

The natural slope of the garden gave us the idea of creating an underground architecture that could be less invasive on the landscape. The project wants to find a link with the existing convent: the new building is clearly oriented in order to guarantee a relationship between old an new. Also, beside the existing entry from

the courtyard, two new enrances will guarantee access to it and will give renewed importance to the main facade of the Sant’Abbondio Church and the small Chapel in the back of the garden. A series of stairs connect these significant points that are kept together by the strong pole represented by the anphiteathre in the middle of hte new university pole.

CasaVilla is an old mansion located on the outskirts of Milan, 20 minutes from the city center. The villa was abandoned in the first half of the 20th century when the population started to leave the countryside in order to find a better life in the closest cities. Only lately the building has been renovated and it is now used as a venue for different kind of events. The task of the studio was to trasform the villa in a location for fashion events, in order to exploit its proximity to the fashion capital.

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+7.50

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+0.00 _ +0.0 Plan +7.5m

The new classrooms are facing on one side a corridor that represents the spine of the new building, and on the other side they receive light from the central courtyard thanks to a glazed wall. The corridor itself receives light from the skylights located on the ceiling. A conference hall has been designed to host the main events of the university and represents the lowest

point reached by the unferground architecture. The choice of having an underground architecture guarantees natural termic insulation, large energy/cost-saving and good resistance to atmospheric conditions.

B B

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Section A

Section b

The BASILICA OF Sant’Abbondio The Basilica of Sant’Abbondio is a church in Como, Lombardy, in northern Italy. The current edifice is from the 5th century and is famous for its sloped roof facade and two notable bell towers rising at the end of the external aisles.

Section C

Section D

The Insubria Law University The medieval monastery annexed to the church, recently restored, is the seat of the local faculty of Law.

The structural system and the water flow anlysis

sezione generale

For an earth-covered house, the roof loads are great. One foot of earth is equal to a two foot deep pond on the roof, or 10-20 feet of snow. Therefore, safety is an important factor. The structure can be made in pre-stressed concrete panels or steel bar joists with a H decking poured over then. All must be engineered carefully for structural safety. two-inch concrete

I Structural scheme schema strutturale

M Copertura ! ! ! ! ! !

Controsoffitto: 2 cm = 30 kg/m2 Strato isolante: 35 kg/m3 x 0,1 m = 3,5 kg/m2 Guaina impermeabilizzante: 4 mm = 4,8 kg/m2 Strato di ghiaia: 1700 kg/m3 x 0,05 m = 85 kg/m2 Guaina filtrante: 4 mm = 100 kg/m2 Terreno: 2000 kg/m3 x 0,45 m = 900 kg/m2

Totale permanenti portati: 1123,3 kg/m2

Piano tipo ! ! ! ! !

Controsoffitto: 2 cm = 30 kg/m2 Strato isolante: 35 kg/m3 x 0,15 = 5,25 kg/m2 Massetto: 1900 kg/m3 x 0,05 m = 95 kg/m2 Pavimentazione: 2000 kg/m3 x 0,02 m= 40 kg/m2 Ripartizione dei tavolati: 120 kg/m2

Totale permanenti portati: 290,25 kg/m2

chiusura orizzontale infer

materiale

spessore (m)

pavimento

0.047

cls alleggerito

0.05

strato isolante

0.15

cls armato

Rsi+R 1+R 2+R n

0.1 < 0.26

R 1 A

Water flow analysis

pianta delle coperture

sezione particolare_scala 1:10

Section detail, scale 1 cm:10 cm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

+6.0 m 27 28

29 30 31 32

+5.60 m

12 13 1 A

pianta delle coperture

sezione particola

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

+0.0 m 34 E 35 F

sezione generale

26 I schema strutturale

1.Waterproof premixed plaster added to water and acrylcox 2.450 mm thick soil 3.Draining layer made out of an extruded synthetic membrane paired to a non-woven polyester fabric 4.Draining layer of small-medium volume gravel, 100mm thick 5.Root inhibitor membrane reinforced with a non-woven polyester fabric, 4mm thick 6. Polymer-bitumen waterproofing membrane, 4mm thick 7.Insulating panels in rigid expanded polyurethane covered by saturated mineral fibre and with a thermal conductivity of 0,26 W/mK, 100mm thick 8.Reinforced concrete slab, 300mm thick 9.Ventilation system made of galvanized sheet steel ducting with rectangular section 10.Modular metal framework 11.600mmx600mm Panels for the suspended ceilings with a fibre core paired with acoustic fabric, 19mm thick 12. Reflected light fixtures whose structure is made of powdercoated and press-folded aluminium sheeting; optical assembly made of extruded painted aluminium 13.Load-bearing pillar made of reinforced concrete 14.Pietra piasentina flooring, 10mm thick 15.Protective cover made of lightened concrete, 50mm thick 16.Insulating layer made of panels in extruded expanded polystyrene and with a thermal conductivity of 0,36 W/mK,

150mm thick 17.Concrete casting with electrowelded wire mesh M 18.500mmx500mm Underground crawl with “Iglù” modules, 400mmNhigh 19.Light concrete substrate, 50mm thick 20.Polymer-bitumen waterproofing membrane,4mm thick O 21.Lean concrete, 100mm thick 22.Draining layer of small-medium volume gravel, 100mm P thick 23.Exacavated soil Q 24.Reinforced concrete foundation plinth 25.Lean concrete, 100mm thick 26.FreshR soil 27.Reinforced concrete slab, 300mm thick 6 4 5 7 1 2 3 8 28.Cast-in-place insulating concrete made of foam glass 29.Aluminium frame 30.Venetian curtain placed between the glass plates 31.4-16-4mm Double glazing system with low E glass and the hollow space filled with argon 32.False floor made out of plaster with a fastening system for the modular ceiling, 12mm thick 33.Concrete floor covered with a layer of waterproof premixed plaster added to water and acrylcox 34.240mmx600mm Concrete modular block, 200mm high 35.Ending part of the underfloor system Copertura ! ! ! ! ! !

Totale permanenti portati: 1123,3 kg/m2

Piano tipo ! ! ! ! !

Totale permanenti portati: 290,25 kg/m2

chius

15 16 17 18

Urban design in Piazza Firenze The studio consisted of studying the city of Milan on a large scale as well as a small scale, in order to finally understand the context of Piazza Firenze, a square located in the north of the city, in a location between the city center and theoutskirts. The square has many problems from the urban design point of view and needs to be redesigned to assume a new role in the city and to meet the needs of the surrounding area. The redesign also involves the Montello Barracks, an abandoned area that can become the core of the district and breathe new life into Piazza Firenze.

PROFESSOR: Campbell Beth Ellen, Sbattella Silvia Team Members: Dawn Fearne, Filomena Nigro, Giulia Pecora Urban Design Studio

2013

Analysis of the urban transformation of Milan: the infrastructure system, the development of urban and extra-urban areas of public interest, the regional public parks system and the city heritage sites Scale 1:25.000

Lynch mapping method In 1960, Kevin Lynch published “The Image of the City”, the result of a research project examining the most important elements in a city as perceived by the residents of the area. Lynch’s core concept was the idea of the “legibility” of the built environment. We used the key elements that Lynch used to map an individual’s perception of their city: paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks. Then, through conducting interviews with city residents we achieved a better understanding of the mental image people have of their built environment. This way of mapping the Piazza Firenze area was essential to understand the direction that our project had to take: in this way, we could finally pinpoint on one side the strength elements that had to be fully developped and on the other side the issues that our intervention should have found a solution to.

S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths

Weaknesses

The barracks represents a site of historical and cultural importance in the district;

Streets surrounding the lot not very recognisable(with the exception of via Caracciolo);

The front towards Piazza Firenze introduces the district to temporary users;

Lack of a strong community in the district;

Via Caracciolo is inclined towards Piazza Firenze: this is a characteristic that differentiates it from the other streets in the districts. Opportunities

Threaths

The Serra Flyover can be seen as a reference point;

Low urban quality in the district, expecially in the case of green areas;

Proximity to Corso Sempione, a monumental street that connects the district to the city center; The requalification of the external bypass could incentivize human relationships in the district; Citylife can stimulate the creation of new activities in the district; Proximity to the Sant’Idelfonso district, which is characterised by a good urban quality and a strong community life.

The lack of relationships between the lot and the rare surrounding activities make the area very unpopular and dangerous, expecially at night.

Intense traffic crossing Piazza Firenze towards Via Caracciolo; The tracks of the city train are aan evident edge crossing the area; The Serra flyover marks up the area as well and creates some places that are not popular or safe In the future, Citylife could attract the mayority of the public activities and take vitality away from the bordering districts;

edge the montello barracks

strong landmark

weak landmark

strongly defined district

weakly defined district paths

Nodes

Concept of the urban regenation project A pedestrian axis is connecting 5 main squares that play an important role in defining the identity of their own areas. This urban scheme will: exploit the potential of the single squares; link Piazza Firenze to a system of social activities; make Piazza Firenze more accessible by creating connections with cycling paths and transport; create an axis connecting Piazza Firenze to the city center.

Piazzale Prealpi

Piazzale Canova

Piazza Gerusalemme

Cycle path

Abandoned area

the montello barracks Train stop

The local market

Piazza A.Gramsci

Park located in close proximity to various sites used by young people (schools, sport centers, playgrounds)

M Metro stop

Public center for social services and activities

Urban planning excercise

A new layout for Piazza Firenze and the Montello Barracks

The strategy Horizontal axes: Connections from via Piero Della Francesca and Corso Sempione to Via Mac-Mahon through the Montello Barracks area. VERTICAL AXES: Connections along the district through the pedestrian green path that links the Montello Barracks to the other squares. ACCESS Access to the area must be guaranteed especially from the commercial axis: the Montello area will present main and secondary entrances for the public in order to be as permeable as possible.

Access to the area

FUNCTIONS Mixed-use functions guarantee that the Montello Barracks area will be lively not only during the daytime, but also during the nightime, solving all its safety issues. The Montello area will become the core of the district, hosting activities that will promote sociability and cohesion throughout the local population. legend Commercial axes Connections between the axes New commercial activities Thoroughfare Pre-existing buildings

VIALE MONTECENERI

PIAZZA FIRENZE

O CORS

SEMP

IONE

VIA PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA

GREEN CORRIDOR

A new use for Casavilla

PROFESSOR: Piardi Silvia Elvira Maria Team Members: Filomena Nigro, Sara Pezzini, Marta Polenghi Interior Design Studio

2009

Section AA’

Section BB’

1st Floor Plan

CHANGING ROOM

THE CATWALK A layer of corian material sticks out of the floor and becomes not only the catwalk itself but also the seating for the public.

BACKSTAGE 2nd Floor Plan

EQUIPMENT AREA

A Villa full of history A’

B’

CasaVilla is a villa from the 18th century that is now used as a location for private and public events. The various halls and the big park are ideal for photo shoots, cinema sets, confereces, concerts and receptions. Date of construction: 1700 Location: 20 minutes from Milan Capacity of the halls: 100 people Number of halls: 4 Presence of parking: public parking Park: 2 hectars

New uses for the old farmhouses The Lombardia region is very well known for the presence of many old farmhouses from the 18th century that are spred over in its territory. They are called “cascina”. Many of the old cascinas have lately been restored and brought back to life through new uses and functions.

A’

B’

THE CEILING The ceiling is meant to be used as a screen on which various images can be projected 87

Study model of CasaVilla

FILOMENA Portfolio

NIGRO

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