Courtyard Building, Fence of a Garden

Preliminary Introduction

The project area is located in the VII Municipio di Roma Capitale at the edge of XI Municipio. Therefore it is in proximity with the historical centre. The neighbourhood the site belongs to is Piramide - Ostiense but viale Marconi and Testaccio are pretty close as well. In southern side it borders on San Paolo. The toponym also indicates that this urban area hosts about 66,000 inhabitants.

Inside Ostiense it is possible to identify another area which is particularly known for its past industrial and commercial functions. This is what now are the ex Italgas industries (which still owns the four gasometers), the ex Mercati Generali, the Centrale Montemartini, the railroads.

Site Description

The nearly rectangular project site belongs to the block defined by the ways via dei Porto Fluviale North, via del Gazometro East, via dei Mercati Generali South and via del Commercio West. It is flat and at an altitude of 15 m. AMSL. It is 100 m. long and 35 to 62 m. wide. It covers 4700 sqm. and its perimeter is 300 meters long. The major axis is oriented NNO-SSE. Nowadays the area is occupied almost entirely by two or three storeys storehouses. 

Variety is a distinguishing trait of this neighbourhood. Profiles, heights, typologies differ and change from block to block, even in the same block. Let us make an instance. The north front is characterized by a mix of several buildings. Some are early '900's more than five storeys high residences (which were built originally at the same time as the river port to accomodate the factory workers). Some are low industrial buildings. Some others are courtyard residences, some are restored warehouses.

Design Concepts

Here are some of our first volumetric experiments. An important task was to understand the quantities and the relationships between the possible divisions and subtractions. All this led to various floor numbers, usually ranging from four to six. Experiment I develops the traditional courtyard idea. Experiment II thinks about galleries and public spaces. Experiment III applies radical transformations to the starting concept and is meant to be a middle step between the two other attempts. 

As shown the final choice was the courtyard house, a typology that affected most XX century architecture. Our approch is of course contemporary but especially deconstructivist and deconstructive. We raise the residence levels (red volume) over the commercial floor (blue volumes) to define two major squares. One is the private court, one is a semipublic space with both commercial and entertainment functions.

The alignments are as shown in this elevation scheme. We rely on the other five storeys residences in the block to determine the modules for our project. Best maximum height is 17 meters. We also do not let our building get in contact with the surrounding buildings. Even a small detachment makes a strong statement.

Design Approach

What we are attempting to make is differentiation, the same variety we can find in all the neighbourhood, but with criteria. It is almost like an illusion, that one to create facades that seem to be made of different materials and buildings also. But the inside scheme is actually vary neat and simple. Unity in variety can be our motto. The observer would get the general idea and the particular idea which is that of a series of buildings all connected to each other. But instead of being a ripetitive series, it changes in some elements, modules ect.

Aldo Rossi, Quartiere Schutzenstrasse, Berlino, 1994-98

These are some of the views that illustrate the first principles.

View from via del Porto Fluviale

View from Ponte dell' Industria

The Internal Court, Thoughts

Since it is one of our purposes to make a very enjoyable court, we were concerned about its solar radiation. We want it to be widely exploited by the residents so we have to put an eye on shadows, and the naturalistic side is very important to us, too. that said, we are going to have wider glass openings on the North facades while South one are going to have loggias, balconies and other kind of projections to shade the interiors. Eastern and Western ones will play through a middle way. This ideas will follow the same patterns and schemes previously explained. Other quality spaces will be made on the ground floor to guarantee free access to the courtyard, mostly on the Southern a Western sides, since the North ground floor is going to be occupied by shops and stores, according to the same principle applied to the other buildings along that street.

Equinoxes

The court is radiatied mildy. The north side is fully in sunlight.

Winter Solstice

All the court is in shade. Such a problem could be overcome by raising some internal surfaces or by lighting with the diffuse light reflected by tall trees or shrubs.

Summer Solstice

As said for the wintertime, vegetation could be a good ally against strong sunlight. Souther and Western sides are well protected.

Solar Radiation Analysis

As the title suggests , one of our main interests is to create an idyllic place in the court that can be experienced by condominiums and it becomes a beautiful corner of the city . For this reason the analysis of soil in the court was particularly important to assess solar radiation and to define the activities that can be provided in the court .The analysis shows that the exposure of the building and its size make it possible to create a place not quite sultry and pleasant to live because of its freshness .Most of the statements appear to have a low solar radiation in contrast to the insolation of the roof.
The attack on the sky will therefore be a sensitive issue that must be carefully sudiato with further and more specific analysis .

Equinoxes

Winter Solstice

Summer Solstice

General Quantities