Inclusive Design / KU Leuven Project in Neapolis comment with the user expert
Kristal Virgilio
00. introduction: the user expert and the relationship with space With migraine attacks, there is usually higher sensitivity to sensory stimuli which means that at least one of the senses of hearing and Sensitivitysight.tolight and sound means the space you pass through or stay in must be controlled (Greties, Virgilio, 2021).
The user expert I worked with suffers of migrains triggered by sound and light, so she always pays particular attention to the spaces she lives and spend most of her time into. This is why the role of the architect/designer is crucial in this sense.
old map of the https://etc.usf.edu/maps/pages/1900/1932/1932.htmcity
The project relates directly to the ancient archaeological park of Neapolis, located on the island of Ortigia, in Syracuse. The reasons and the decisions regarding the project are based on considerations strongly aligned to the historical city and the ancient urbanism of the place. In the last few years, the urban planning of Greek Syracuse, after a long period in which some fundamental lines of reconstruction seemed to have been definitively acquired, so much so that they even entered into the most widespread manuals, has regained a dimension of problematicity, following the results of various archaeological research and geomorphological studies.
01. notes on the design / LPF 2018 - Politecnico di Milano
In Ortigia, the urban layout dating back to the seventh century BC has been clearly reconstructed, while the reconstruction of that part of the city that over time extended along the coast facing the island is more controversial, where the original aspects of the land (elevations, nature, and the environment) have been preserved. The terrain (elevations, nature of the soil, water courses) have been almost completely erased by the modern city.
sketches of the project development © Kristal Virgilio
plans and project by © Kristal Virgilio, Andrea Zuberti, Matteo Pasini, Sara Stermieri, Marco Masotto
02. about the buildings character and materials The slatted building has the function of a market selling typical Sicilian products. The function mirrors that of the existing building, as well as being a cultural reminder of the place, a reference to Sicilian public life and the products of its land. The user believes that the project can actually be a good solution, it reflects his aesthetic tastes and most of all it respects his condition: the building is closed, but open at the same time thanks to the solution of the slatted panels, maintaining a continuous visual contact with the landscape and the archaeology, favoring natural ventilation and making it a pleasant and comfortable place. It is an inclusive place, designed not to be completely closed, rather a ‘filter’ place, a place ‘other’ than the park, but also the park itself.
03. the focus on the two blocks
plans and project by © Kristal Virgilio, Andrea Zuberti, Matteo Pasini, Sara Stermieri, Marco Masotto
The project has not thought of a particular interior design solution, which is fundamental for the well-being and comfort of the user expert. Being a place where people stay and talk creating a lot of noise, the inclusion of acoustic panels and organic supplies, use of wood, carpets and indoor plants could be possible solutions to absorb sound. Creating, says the user expert, smaller more intimate spaces separated by wooden panels could be another solution that improves the space and creates additional possibilities to block out sound and improve the comfort of the space.
The user expert analyzed the materials used, studying the acoustic conditions of the spaces. The building is clad in panels with a metal lath structure, promoting natural ventilation in the building. The internal bodies, i.e. the volumes of the markets, are made of masonry but do not bother the user in any particular way. The only reason for discomfort in her opinion, could be the main passage, too narrow for the amount of visitors, and if a user wants to buy products and stops in front of one of the volumesmarket, it could create a congestion, and the congestion of people would mean noise and discomfort.
The second building, used as a foyer and cafeteria/restaurant area, has the same typology as the market building, but it is more closed off and therefore establishes a different relationship with the surrounding landscape.
materiality and spaces, projects by Sean Godsell https://www.seangodsell.com/
1 2 3 4 A B
A. cafeteria - Being a place where people stay and talk creating a lot of noise, the inclusion of acoustic panels (1) and organic supplies, use of wood, carpets (2) and indoor plants (3) could be possible solutions to absorb sound. Creating, says the user expert, smaller intimate spaces separated by wooden panels (4) could be another solution to improve the quality of the space and creates additional possibilities to block out sound and improve the comfort of the space.
plans and project by © Kristal Virgilio, Andrea Zuberti, Matteo Pasini, Sara Stermieri, Marco Masotto
Every-day activities or spaces you consider mundane, can easily develop into being too much. Fluorescent light of screens, direct strong sunlight, reflective glass, and rooms that are small, enclosed and have uniform surfaces are big problems since they can cause migraine attacks that can last for days. (Virgilio, Greties, 2021). How can a design that was conceived for people without any kind of motor and/or sensory impairment be reconsidered and changed in such a way as to preserve its basic concept, but at the same time be made sensitive to certain aspects and characteristics of certain human beings? The sensitivity and awareness learned during this course have been fundamental to rethink some aspects that improve and sensitize the project, making it more human, more inclusive and certainly more really accessible to a wider number of possible users. Here tehre are some ideas of the project development, that have been designed together with our user expert.
04. considerations and possible solutions
B. market-block - A solution could be to move the customer service part between one volume and the other, in order to keep the passage free and delimit the stop only in some precise and punctual points.
There’s no specific course that talks about human body in the architectural degree program. “Maybe its implicit that its implicit in the first year program”. architects, thinking about the human body is not an explicit or even a regular feature of the design process.Thedesign process design taught in universities takes for granted certain utopian and poetic components and concepts that are removed from the “human being” in his flaws and imperfections. The “mold” that we think we put in our buildings is an end in itself and does not consider other worlds and perspectives.his is why the design process must take into account the human being as imperfect and not standardized, in order to add quality, interest and sensitivity to the project itself.
04. conclusions: the design of attentiveness