Abstract: The mountain and inland areas of the Italian peninsula offer forms of rural life deeply rooted in their topographic conformation. At the same time, today they are characterized by dynamics of strong marginalization, processes established starting from the economic boom after the Second World War, and which have not yet been reversed. The Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, and the specific case of Monte Cimone, are structured through a constellation of towns, villages, small hamlets, and borgate which for centuries have constituted their social-cultural, regional, and national backbone. The Apennines today would not exist, or they would remain a mere memory if the horizontal connections present between the plain and the mountain belt were missing. The underlying question during the entire research was: in these fragile contexts, what can and what should be the role of landscape architecture? And how can the physical design of a place be the means for the consolidation of sociocultural and economic dynamics capable of bringing out positive and sustainable development trends? In this sense, the thesis path tries to configure plausible possibilities in which communities support the landscape, and at the same time how the landscape can support the communities. The structure of the thesis brings out how it was developed. The composition started with the chapter Fragile Mountains, which includes the literature studied to support the research. Continuing, there is the Cartographic framework, which consists of the graphic designs developed for understanding the area under study and refers to the numerous site visits carried out over the last year through the construction of a photographic atlas. Then, the project definition of Communities supporting Landscape is developed, which contains the explanation of the project proposal defined through two pilot projects: Socio-Cultural Infrastructures and Re-Inhabited Heritage. Through the recognition and enhancement of the existing, the thesis project elaborates on the basic conditions for the consolidation of the habitability and infrastructure of the landscape of Monte Cimone. A research approach based on sustainable territorial regeneration is recognized. The developed scenario makes specific reference to the cooperative mountain community, a place for socio-cultural innovations. The intentions declared in the pilot projects answer in terms of the offer of services and new job opportunities. The strategies and motivations materialize in a punctual landscape project. The work carried out wants to be perceived as a starting point, research capable of generating indirect positive effects, both in the academic panorama and on the reference mountain communities.

Architecture and Urban planning have traditionally been viewed through an adult-centric lens, focusing on adult-scale and experience. However, this approach ignores the valuable insights and perspectives that children can bring to the transformation of our cities. Assemble story began from the desire to make children active participants of society´s transformation and its platform is an instrument to realize it. This is a sample of the process and results in 10 workshops (fall 2022), the collective carried out in Berlin with children between 9-14 years old.

Abstract: This article begins by posing the question of how to re-elaborate stories that respond to our different sets of crises, by enquiring into the urban development of New Faisalnagar: an informal settlement in the outskirts of Ahmedabad (India), which is investigated through an infrastructural lens. By doing so, it recognizes the inventive value found in the creation of ‘Jugaad’ systems (jugaad understood as a Hindi word denoting an ad-hoc, clever solution to a problem) which is then tied to incorporating this within the disciplinary realm of design, from a perspective of responsible experimentation. The artlicle reviews different contemporary architectural cases that display similar appointments, and hence proposes this condition of participative, citizen-led infrastructural improvisation as a hopeful future of practice. Resumen: Este artículo comienza planteando la cuestión de cómo reelaborar historias que respondan a nuestras distintas crisis, indagando en el desarrollo urbano de New Faisalnagar: un asentamiento informal en las afueras de Ahmedabad (India), que se investiga a través de un lente infraestructural. Al hacer esto, reconoce el valor inventivo que se encuentra en la creación de sistemas 'Jugaad' (jugaad entendido como una palabra hindi que denota una solución ad-hoc e ingeniosa a un problema) que luego se busca incorporar dentro del ámbito disciplinario del diseño, desde una perspectiva de experimentación responsable. El artículo revisa diferentes casos arquitectónicos contemporáneos que demuestran metodologías similares y, posteriormente, propone esta condición de improvisación infraestructural participativa y dirigida por los ciudadanos como un futuro esperanzador de la práctica profesional.

The cities are composed by a series of complex networks of relationships that shape an urban fabric based on the social condition developing around the territory. The urbanism that rules most human establishments today, can be clearly differentiated by the conditions in which the inhabitants have appropriated the spaces that constitute the urban centers. In the case of the city of Bogotá, the contrasting territory is notorious. The capital district stands as the largest urban center in the country, which has a great historical, economic, and social burden and yet stands out strongly for its anti-value of urban deterioration. Within the rest of the city, some sectors coexist despite of being on undergoing process of deterioration because of urbanistic and social reasons that determined the spatialization of the crime and marginal dynamics. This issue has spread and become more complex over time. The areas called “ollas”, remind the city the consequences of oblivion and indifference toward broken zones, and at the same time, set an opportunity to transform the urban environment through architectural actions. “Ollas” urban phenomenon in the city of Bogotá, intends to analyze the cases known as “ollas” in the Colombian capital scenario, understanding these urban decay cases from an abstract concept applied to an area of high complexity where spatial, institutional and social factors converge and result in a built territory inhabited by vulnerable populations isolated from legality and conventional city dynamics; the above, with the aim of generating an urban and architectural proposal in the character of a model of acting based on the analysis of causes and effects of the entire system.

Resumen: A través de la investigación en un barrio de Estambul y sus transformaciones físicas y sociales se plantea un proyecto que parte de la lectura del entorno construido. El entendimiento del mismo y de su valor arquitectónico (el valor de la no-arquitectura) genera un diálogo entre lo propuesto y lo existente. El edificio resultante sirve de marco para dar un nuevo significado a aquello que está ahí pero pasa desapercibido, transformando algo común en algo inusual. El objeto arquitectónico se convierte en una exploración en sí mismo, e intenta generar nuevas relaciones espaciales, retando convenciones establecidas por la arquitectura. El proyecto explora nuevas maneras en las que pueden habitarse y apropiarse tanto los espacios exteriores como interiores del edificio, un poco más cercanas a la forma en la que puede ocurrir en la arquitectura espontánea e informal de ciudades como Estambul. Abstract: Through the research of a neighborhood in Istanbul and its physical and social transformations, a project is proposed from the reading of the built environment. Its understanding and its architectural value (the value of the non-architecture) produces a dialog between what is proposed and the existent. The resulting building works as a frame to give a new meaning to what is already there but isn’t seen, making the common, uncommon. The architectural object becomes an exploration within itself and tries to generate new spatial relations, which challenge the conventions established by architecture. The project explores new ways in which both the exterior and interior spaces can be appropriated, closer to what can happen in the informal or spontaneous architecture of cities like Istanbul.

Abstract: Because there is nothing intelligent to say about a massacre. Everybody is supposed to be dead, to never say anything or want anything ever again. Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds.” All wars are atrocious, and the task of incorporating such inglorious events into a nation’s collective identity becomes understandably hard. But it needs to be done, otherwise, the memory of the war might be trivialized and forgotten and, hence, are more prone to be repeated. War is bound to replicate itself without confrontation and awareness. Mosul city was established on the western bank of the Tigris River in the 6th Century, just across the water from the ruins of the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The city flourished during the ancient era establishing itself as an epicentre of the Islamic world, therefore it is rich with ancient ruins and cultural heritage. The war which erupted in Iraq didn’t aim to destroy only its defence, but also its identity. Entire urban blocks of Mosul’s city were damaged so severely, that when it comes to reconstruction it cannot simply restore the former fabrics, either of space or architecture. The war has changed everything, and most critically the structure of society itself. The spatial reconstruction will mostly require more than just physical rehabilitation and restoration of the cities devastated infrastructure and housing. In order to provide sensations for the need of diversity and unity, more urgent concern should be given to restoring public facilities and daily utilities. Architectural and landscape design can be judiciously used in healing the social structure. How can common spaces be rearranged to create conditions for a peaceful and creative coexistence among citizens which survived such horrors? How can the location and the design of such utilities be done in a way as to meet the needs for intimacy and peace? This thesis study intends to recommend an urban and architectural regeneration project, to be taken upon during the redevelopment of the old city of Mosul. Furthermore, a set of strategies that may ensure the preservation of the urban identity of the area, while redeveloping and coping with the environmental, socioeconomic and political changes have been identified for reclaiming the urban identity and promoting the sense of belonging.

Architecture in a City Without Architects is the dissertation thesis for the Master in Sustainable and Resilient Architecture, in the framework on continuity and identity, which aims to cooperate with Nepal’s government in the reconstruction process after the devastating earthquakes of 2015 that affected that country. Focusing in Kathmandu’s city since it is the most populated and the most affected by the temblor as well as urban issues, this document presents an analysis with the main goal is to understand the current life’s conditions of this city; economical limitations, social concerns, isolated location and indochinese mentality. Therefore, a better approach to local perspective is achieved, questioning some paradigms from western mind. Translating this research to architectural and urban matters the investigation focuses on the accelerated and unplanified densification that affects the city specially in the center where oldest and more traditional neighbourhoods are located. And, the possible role of architecture on a system grounded in self-construction and non-regulations, out of reach of local authorities. Finally the understanding in consideration with architectural potential is apply to a specific case generating a proposal that aims to advocate for incorporate self -construction as economical support in order to add technical expertise that contribute in problems such as supplies lack, city’s ventilation, and gentrification. The specific strategy is the incorporation of high technology applied by bottom-up methods in order to get a passive system of oxygenation that use the current typology of narrow courtyards forced by the densification.

Este trabajo establece un marco de referencia a partir de la relación entre la idea de Naturaleza y Arquitectura en la obra de Le Corbusier, a través del análisis de su obra arquitectónica y pictórica. Esto se construye a la luz de sus textos y la experiencia del pasado, capturado a partir de sus viajes. Esta investigación se enfoca especialmente, en la compleja similitud que existe entre un texto como Après le Cubisme de 1918 y Le Poème de l´Angle Droit de1955. El trabajo presenta 3 etapas: Formulación y revisión crítica del concepto de naturaleza tanto en los textos de Le Corbusier, así como en su obra pictórica y arquitectónica. Esta revisión crítica parte de sus ideales planteados desde 1918 y desarrollados en su etapa purista durante los años veinte, donde la incidencia de su visita al Partenón durante su Viaje a Oriente (1911) es fundamental, en la formulación de sus postulados ante la relación del arte y la arquitectura con el concepto de naturaleza. La segunda etapa es el análisis e interpretación de Le Poème de l´Angle Droit de1955. Obra que da cuenta de la reflexión sobre su propia experiencia de vida, en la que se reafirman naturaleza e historia como elementos esenciales del pensamiento proyectual de Le Corbusier. La tercera parte del trabajo, establece de forma sintética, la relación entre la experiencia frente a la arquitectura clásica, teniendo como eje principal su mirada sobre el Partenón, y la arquitectura moderna, tomando como referencia su Notre-Dame du Haut en Ronchamp, a la luz de una obra como Le Poème de l´Angle Droit. Como dice Le Corbusier: “Ser moderno no es una moda, es un estado. Hace falta comprender la historia, y quien comprende la historia sabe encontrar la continuidad entre lo que fue, lo que es y lo que será.” Abstract: This study establishes a framework construed on the relationship between the idea of Nature and Architecture in Le Corbusier’s work through the analysis of his architecture and plastic work. This is complemented by the analysis of his writings and the experience of the past, captured in his travels. This research focuses on the complex similarities between a book such as Après le Cubisme of 1918 and Le Poème de l´Angle Droit of 1955. This study is organized in three parts: A critical review of the concept of Nature both in Le Corbusier’s texts, as well as in his plastic and architectural work. This critical review starts with the study of his ideals, raised up since 1918 and developed in his Purist period during the twenties, where the influence of his visit to the Parthenon during his Voyage d’orient (1911), is a fundamental key on the formulation of his postulates on the relationship between Art and Architecture, with the concept of nature. The second part is an analytical interpretation of his book Le Poème de l´Angle Droit of 1955. This book accounts the reflection on his own life experience, in which nature and history are reaffirmed as essential elements of projective thinking. The third part, enlightened by a book as Le Poème de l´Angle Droit, establishes the relationship between his knwolegde of architecture of the classical period, with the Parthenon as his main reference, and modern architecture, with the reference of his project of the chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut in Ronchamp.

Le Poème de l’angle droit es un livre de peintre, realizado por Le Corbusier entre 1947 y 1953, y publicado en París en 1955, como parte de la colección Grands livres manuscrits et illustrés par les artistes producida por Tériade Éditeur. Esta tesis busca demostrar que este libro es una obra-manifiesto de su arquitectura en la que, mediante el diálogo recíproco entre poeta y pintor, plasma los principios que establecen la relación entre su obra pictórica y arquitectónica. En este diálogo es posible reconocer tres principios: el proceso de investigación paciente, el trabajo paralelo entre oficios y la búsqueda de la unidad. La importancia de estudiar esta obra está determinada por el valor que Le Corbusier mismo le otorga, al señalar que en él condensa la prolífica y extensa exploración que desarrolla entorno a la arquitectura y, así mismo, sintetiza dicha experiencia mediante el uso mesurado de imágenes y textos capaces de producir sucesivas interpretaciones, en torno a la compleja relación reunida bajo un breve enunciado: el ángulo recto. Salvo recientes reediciones, la obra original aún reclama mayor estudio. En profundidad, es posible reconocer el complejo entramado de dibujos y pinturas, que –de modo análogo a un proyecto arquitectónico, permiten evidenciar los diversos senderos que lo configuran y los trazos que establecen puntos de referencia en la inmensidad de la constelación que constituye la obra de Le Corbusier. En otras palabras, el estudio de este texto fundamenta esta tesis, no como un complicado ejercicio criptográfico, sino que es necesario leerlo como un proyecto mismo, con las consecuentes decisiones proyectuales. Es necesario subrayar que la obra de Le Corbusier no establece límites disciplinares, ni rupturas de orden temporal, no hay que olvidar que su arquitectura proviene del estudio del pasado y del presente, para abrir camino a la experiencia del futuro. Por lo anterior, el proceso de investigación inicia con el análisis del objeto de estudio en cuestión: el poema. Es un proceso que indaga desde lo particular hacia lo universal y en el cual, la unidad es descompuesta en partes como la escena de un crimen para ser analizada científicamente, para luego recomponerla. Tres preguntas generales determinan la estructura de la tesis: el qué, el cómo y el para qué. El qué corresponde al objeto de estudio y el contexto histórico y teórico que rodean su realización. Es un livre de peintre realizado y publicado durante la posguerra de la segunda Guerra Mundial. Es un periodo en el que las discusiones sobre el arte, la arquitectura y la ciudad están determinadas por el concepto de síntesis de las artes y el espíritu de la reconstrucción. El cómo corresponde al proceso que constituye la realización y las decisiones proyectuales, las cuales determinan la construcción conceptual y material de la obra. Es el proceso en el que las ideas son materializadas en dibujos, textos preparatorios y maquetas. La reconstrucción del proceso de materialización permite verificar cómo la obra de Le Corbusier está fundamentada en la idea de una investigación paciente, en la que sus investigaciones son recogidas, sintetizadas y reelaboradas, en la medida en la que se enfrenta a la realización de un nuevo proyecto. En este proceso es posible demostrar que cada uno de los temas que componen Le Poème de l’angle droit son el resultado de investigaciones previas. El para qué, constituye la razón de ser de este libro e investigación. Es la búsqueda del propósito y de su aplicación. Le Poème de l’angle droit está estructurado y ordenado de forma sistemática, el cual revela principios puntuales que a la vez son parte de una verdad mayor: la búsqueda de la unidad y una estructura de acciones que permitan la generación de la emoción arquitectónica a través de la obra; es decir, una emoción poética. Abstract: Le Poème de l’angle droit is a livre de peintre, carried out by Le Corbusier, between 1947 and 1953 and published in Paris in 1955, as part of the collection named Grands livres manuscrits et illustrés par les artistes produced by Táriade Éditeur. The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate that this book is a manifesto of his architecture, by which he expresses, through a reciprocal dialogue between poetry and painting, the principles that establish the relationship between his pictorial work and his architecture. There are three principles that can be identifying in this reciprocal dialogue: the processes of “recherche patient”, the parallel creations in his different craftworks and the search for unity. The importance of studying this book is determined by the value given by Le Corbusier, when he states that in it, he condenses his prolific and extensive research in architecture, and he synthesizes such experience through a moderate use of images and texts that gathered together can produce consecutive interpretations around the complex relationship brought together in a brief principle: the right angle. Except for recent re-editions, the original art book still claims greater study. In-depth, it is possible to identify the complex network of drawings and paintings that, analogously to an architectural project, evidences the diverse paths and the traces that establish points of reference in the big picture of the constellation that Le Corbusier’s work embodies. In other words, the analysis of this book is the fundament of this thesis, not as a complex cryptographic exercise, but as to be read as an architectural project itself, with the consequent projecting decisions. It must be underlined that Le Corbusier’s work does not establishes disciplinary limits or ruptures in time. It is fundamental to remember that his architecture comes from the study of the past and present, to give way to future experience. Therefore, the research process of this thesis begins with the analysis of the object to be studied: The Poem. It is an inquiry process that goes from the particular to the universal, and in which the unit is decomposed into parts as a crime scene, to be analyzed scientifically, and to be recomposed afterwards. The structure this thesis is determined by three general questions: What, How and What for? (What?), corresponds to the object to be studied and the historical and theoretical context in which it was produced. It is a livre de peintre made and published during the postwar of World War Two. It is a period of time in which the discussions about art, architecture and city planning were determined by the concept of synthesis of the arts and the spirit of the reconstruction. (How?), corresponds to the process of “the making” and the creative decisions which establish the conceptual and the material construction of the work. It is the process in which the ideas are materialized in preparatory drawings, texts and models. Reconstructing the making process allows to verify how Le Corbusier’s work is founded on the idea of a patient research, in which his investigations are gathered, synthetized and re-elaborated every time he faces a new project. In this process, it can be evidenced that each one of the themes compiled in Le Poème de l’angle droit, are the result of previous investigations. (What for?), is the underlying reason for this research and the book. It is the search for its purpose and its application. Le Poème de l’angle droit is structured in a systemic ordered in which it reveals specific principles which are in turn, part of a greater truth: the search for unity and a structure of actions that allow an architectural emotion throughout the work: meaning, a poetic emotion.

The Green and Blue Network (GBN), also known as Green Infrastructure (GI) or Ecological Main Structure, is a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas (including terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems) that have location, extension, connections, health condition and multiple functions; designed and managed to provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES) in urban and rural settings. The Metropolitan Area of Lyon, France and the Region of Hanover, Germany have both integrated the GBN in their planning documents and are currently in the phase of implementation. The comparison of these case studies shows that GBN, along with a territorial governance scheme, gives higher importance to biodiversity and nature conservation in a development strategy and moves planning discussions towards climate change adaptation and mitigation using nature. However, results of implementation so far, in terms of protection level and functionalities are not enough to guarantee sustainable development. Likewise, climate change, an important threat to our ecosystems, is not yet clearly adopted in the planning documents, nor in the planners’ discourse. The reasons are found in the design and implementation steps where the concepts of ES, landscape functions and principles of GI play a key role. All in all, this paper provides lessons to encourage and guide GBN implementation by planners worldwide. La Red Verde y Azul (GBN), también conocida como Infraestructura Verde (GI) o Estructura Principal Ecológica, es una red planificada estratégicamente de áreas naturales y seminaturales (incluidos los ecosistemas terrestres y acuáticos) que tienen ubicación, extensión, conexiones, salud condición y múltiples funciones; diseñado y gestionado para proporcionar una amplia gama de servicios ecosistémicos (ES) en entornos urbanos y rurales. El Área Metropolitana de Lyon, Francia y la Región de Hannover, Alemania, han integrado la GBN en sus documentos de planificación y actualmente se encuentran en la fase de implementación. La comparación de estos estudios de caso muestra que GBN, junto con un esquema de gobernanza territorial, otorga mayor importancia a la biodiversidad y la conservación de la naturaleza en una estrategia de desarrollo y mueve las discusiones de planificación hacia la adaptación y mitigación del cambio climático utilizando la naturaleza. Sin embargo, los resultados de la implementación hasta el momento, en términos de nivel de protección y funcionalidades, no son suficientes para garantizar el desarrollo sostenible. Asimismo, el cambio climático, una amenaza importante para nuestros ecosistemas, aún no se adopta claramente en los documentos de planificación ni en el discurso de los planificadores. Las razones se encuentran en los pasos de diseño e implementación donde los conceptos de ES, funciones de paisaje y principios de IG desempeñan un papel clave. En general, este documento proporciona lecciones para alentar y guiar la implementación de GBN por parte de planificadores de todo el mundo.