Good also the second one, one might say, after the conclusion of REGENERATION 2016 which repeats, after one year, the success of the European design competition by Macro Design Studio in collaboration with the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), that promotes the Living Building philosophy, the most rigorous standard in the world for sustainability of the built environment. REGENERATION is not just a design contest, it is a multi-disciplinary experience, a real evolutionary path bringing through the technical challenge of Living Building Challenge the best young architects and engineers from all over Europe to face the future of our communities, by combining with a systemic approach to the problems a creative freedom with a robust technical competence.
The competition among the projects of the three international teams was so heated, that the international jury composed of Amanda Sturgeon, chairwoman of ILFI, Michele Stramandinoli, of Inarcassa Foundation and Giulia Peretti of Werner Sobek Green Technologies encountered difficulties in choosing the winner. So, at the end of the 64 hours workshop, it was the “Rocky Mountain” project of the YELLOW team (composed by Jernej Markelj, architect of Ljubljana, Cinzia Polesini, architect of Rome, Zuzana Prochazkova, engineer from Bratislava, Marco Scarlini, engineer from Modena and Cecilia Tosto, architect of Catania) to take home the € 3,000 prize offered also this year by the Italian Foundation of freelance Architects and Engineers.
The renovation project of the decayed bus station building in Arco presented by the yellow team combines highly sustainable performances (LBC design requires a building environmental impact equal to zero) with an interesting redevelopment of the surrounding area (another need expressed by the Municipality of this Alto Garda city). Why ‘Rocky’? Because one of the strong ideas of the winning project is the construction of a climbing wall adjacent to the building (a pastime while waiting the coach?), designed to ideally connect the local transport hub with the beautiful cliffs and the sporty vocation of Arco.
The award ceremony of Saturday, April 16 afternoon was the final event of the three days in Central Fies dedicated to a regenerative approach, beyond a mere sustainability for buildings and communities. Principles that have been presented and discussed in the event of the morning, REGENERATION. The Conference, where Amanda Sturgeon described how ILFI is currently focusing on the transparency of manufacturing companies (Declare is de facto an ingredient label for construction products, which prefigures an epochal revolution) and how to switch from building to ‘living communities’ certification . Martin Brown, a prominent UK figure of sustainability, then told us about the growth of the first project in UK that will achieve the LBC certification. Emanuele Naboni, Italian professor at KADK, Faculty of Architecture of Copenhagen, led some examples of architectural solutions designed for extreme environments (from the Amazon to the Arctic). In closing, the testimony of the winning team of REGENERATION 2015, with the “Proud to be zero” project, regarding the redevelopment of the city library building in Dro.
Also this REGENERATION edition showed that a zero impact redevelopment project of a public building is not only technically feasible, but it can start positive energies such as to stimulate the regeneration of a whole community. With the added complication this year of an intervention on a historic building bound by the local Conservation Authority, which has greatly restricted the space for participants’ manoeuvre.
To thank individually all the people, companies and institutions that have collaborated in 2016 REGENERATION would require too much time; we send a huge thanks to everyone. Without so a choral participation and commitment REGENERATION simply wouldn’t exist.
‘The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen’.- Frank Lloyd Wright.
Amanda Sturgeon’s (the International Living Future Institute, CEO) video interview on the future of sustainability in constructions and the “living buildings”.
Follow the event’s highlights on Facebook, Twitter #REGENERATION and YouTube.
