Ca'stle in Venice

The project is located in Venice, in which architecture, history and nature live cohesively together creating a one of a kind city. We know the problematics of this city, and how through the years the inhabitants decided to move to the mainland in order to escape from a city which is more and more att acked by tourists and treated like an amusement park. The idea of bringing a senior housing inside the city is to contrast the escape of the inhabitants and make the neighborhood live as it was once before. The project site is located in the Sestriere Castello, a neighborhood situated in the north-east of the city. On three sides the lot is closed by both historical and rather new walls while on the northern part is open to the lagoon. This architectural conformation made it clear the idea of the enclosure and how to work accordingly. The correlation between the building and the site is fundamental. Close to the original monastery walls, we create a venetian calle while on the opposite side we decided to recreate a working rio in order to bring water inside the lot. These two elements create the new enclosure, the north gazes into the lagoon and from the south we recreate the connection with the surrounding neighborhood trought the reintroduction of a venetian campo. the ca’stle sett les in the lot in an “imperfect” way: it does not follow with a precise and punctual rule, it adapts widening and narrowing conforming different urban situations that make the space between the two enclosure stimulating. The building switches from the inhabited wall that makes it introvert from the outside to a more open and extroverted inside area, drawn in order to create correlation and union between the inhabitants. the ca’stle is made to welcome not only elderly, but also the surrounding inhabitants of the neighborhood. In fact towards the campo can be found a restaurant, a km0 food store and a library while on the side that overlooks the lagoon a physiotherapy and care center are located in order to be used by the elderly. The Ca’stle composition creates different cloisters within it, which are connected to each other in order to mantain continuity throughout the entire building. The central cloister is characterized by a private courtyard overlooked by the elderly’s apartments. This private area, accessible only by the residents of the Ca’stle, creates a convivial place for the inhabitants in order to cohabit with each other by being encouraged to leave their apartments. This cloister is characterized by the presence of greenery, a natural element that creates shading, cooling and brings joy and harmony between people. In front of the apartments there is a walking strip, it creates a place where the elderly can bring out their chairs to converse with each other, as it is a traditional activity in italian culture. This private cloister is connected to the public one, which is open to the citizens of venice. this is because we do not want to isolate the elderly but instead we want to integrate them into the community. The functions are divided between a restaurant in which the elderly and citizens can eat a meal cooked using the products of the botanical garden of the third cloister. at the same time, vegetables and homemade products can be sold in the store. Lastly there is a library, which can be used by everyone, especially the students of the school next door. Our Ca’ stle offers three different types of apartments: units for one person, apartments for two people, and accommodations for a couple. The inhabited wall extends along the external perimeter of the building, while the internal part is dedicated to the living area, open towards the courtyards to ensure ample natural light. Each living module is designed to be accessible and comfortable for everyone, including seniors with mobility issues. The living area, occupying half of the module, is conceived as a spacious and free-flowing space. Despite the inhabited wall having less floor space, it doesn’t feel cramped or restrictive, providing enough room for wheelchair rotation. The sleeping area is integrated into the wall as niches, ensuring proper lighting through strategically placed windows. Structurally, the inhabited wall is configured as a sandwich of pigmented concrete. The architectural concept involves 120 mm of thermal insulation to separate the interior from the exterior. The choice of using a red-pigmented material aims to create a warmer atmosphere in continuity with the colors of Venice and the surrounding elements, such as the existing brick wall. An essential aspect is the decision to have a dual exposure, ensuring optimal air circulation from one side to the other.