SHINKENCHIKU Residential Design Competition 2008 RAFAEL MONEO
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT Planted City A non-Suburbia
We could not think of a “green city” without considering the proven failures of the American Suburbia, a housing array that has proved ineffective energy consumption patterns and that is simply unbearable for the planet’s sustainable growth. Suburbia requires a lot of energy and is a non-effective, linear consumer organization.
We envision Planted City as a transitional urban tapestry that will negotiate between the very dense urban nodes of the world, and the rural ones, or postindustrial landscapes. This pattern will perform a habitable crop-orchard-productive array, where major food fabrication will take place. Green becomes not only enjoyable and necessary, but useful on a local scale. Bringing production and contributing to the economics of the adjacent metropolis, Planted City will play a foremost role.
We have separated “Green” in three categories; each performs dependently, and can not exist without this intricate relationship:
Green Productive Private areas, (work / self consumption energy). Green Community productive areas, (social bond / energy surplus production), and Green ecosystem filtering modules. We have tried to close loops by engaging up-cycling waste management proposal that divides XIX century Industrial Revolution products into “biological waste” and “Industrial waste”.
About the Nine Square Grid design problem we have simply divided the plot with 2 main “orientation smart lines”. They are strategically positioned to produce a mathematical fair division among private areas, sun light gain, ventilation and intimacy of views.
Our architectural gesture rethinks the geometrical relations coexisting on a common cultivated field, but we envision a variety of design expressions at each unit (four houses). In this manner we try to establish a diversity of identities.
The areas of construction / open space and the relation of levels between dwellings will perform the urban design tactic of a self replicating unit. We want to think of the unit as a piece of a puzzle that could fit in more than one place. Assemblage of units describes the final City Planted pattern.
Local industries of Planted City could exploit the recreational and tourism potential areas along with agricultural food and energy production. A new vision of the global responsibility of a “Garden City”.
Paul Cremoux W. Dipl. Arch. MS.AAD.BA
