Architecture goes into reverse

The work of thesis concerns the regeneration of a former mill that is part of a small village which, being inside a rolling basin, is protected from the floods of the Olona River by a circular embankment. The future goal is to make the village a meeting place and socio-cultural promotion for the territorial development of the entire area.

The thesis aims to question the usual ways of designing: the classic design process of composition of the project and subsequent selection of materials, needed to be overturned. The available material was the fulcrum around which develop architectural solutions.\r\nThe first step was to contact companies (more than 150) within a distance of 30 km radial length from the project site, to ask which materials were discarded or unsold. \r\nBased on the answers obtained it was possible to build a \"database\" of information that can be useful to those who would like to undertake the same design process. This system can be replicated for any other project and territory.\r\nThe project has been divided into three phases, with a gradual increase in potential until full operation is achieved.\r\nThe thermal adaptation of the building is realised through an internal coat made of wooden frames. Different types of closure were studied for the existing openings, through the use of recovered windows, and the internal distribution was designed with a detailed focus on three hostel’s rooms.\r\nThe design was based on the assumption that the actors involved in the construction phase would be volunteers and not specialised workers. It was essential to study simple technical solutions, so as to allow a certain margin for error without compromising aesthetic and static performance.\r\nAfter the design phase, a self-construction workshop followed, during which was created the dividing wall that closed a space that will be use as an office. \r\nThe wall was created by rethinking the function of old, non-performing windows. To overcome this problem, it was decided to place two windows together in order to obtain an air cushion, inside which waste material was inserted with the function of experimental \"visible\" insulation. The material thus fulfils both a practical and didactic function. Thanks to this type of \"circular\" approach to design, it was possible not only to limit the use of new resources, but also to \"save\" materials considered to have reached the end of their life, but in good condition from a qualitative and aesthetic point of view.