WE ARE CITY - SOM CIUTAT

Barcelona (ES) - Winner

TEAM DATA

Associates: Lara Paloma Gaia Gallonetto (IT), Elisa Scattolin (IT), Erminia Barone (IT) – architects, Giuseppe Allegra (IT) – landscape architect

somciutat@gmail.com
www.somciutatstudio.com

See the complete listing of portraits here
See the site here

TEAM PORTRAIT

VIDEO (by the team)

INTERVIEW
Click on the images to enlarge
1. How do you define the main issue of your project in relation with the theme “Living Cities Imagining architecture taking care of the milieus”? And in which way do you think your project can contribute to an ecological and/or social evolution?
Immersing ourselves in a state of environmental and social sensitivity, we directed our attention to public spaces characterized by a significant presence of cars and substandard paving. Our proposal envisages a reduction in car accessibility by converting specific areas into pedestrian zones and enhancing biodiversity. This will be achieved through the establishment of a fully permeable green Rambla and a semi-public garden integrated amidst residential buildings.

2. How did the issues of your design and the questions raised by the site mutation meet?
We have sought to address the project's issues by starting from the voice of the neighborhood. In addition to listening to various interviews online, we have empathized with the residents. After a careful site visit, during which we experienced the physical space and perceived the cultural dynamics, the public space has been understood and designed by us as an extension of one's home; a place to inhabit in everyday life, during different hours of the day. A space that unfolds in various ways its intimacies and openings to social life.

PROJECT:

Masterplan XL and concept
Project sections: above Rambla de Prim, below Carrer d'Alfons el Magnànim
View of the inner garden from the balconies of the dwellings.
3. Have you treated these issues previously? What were the reference projects that inspired yours?
We bring diverse professional experiences that shape our approach to public space, social inclusion, and ecological considerations. Public spaces are reimagined as open-air rooms, exemplified in projects like Boulevard Richard Lenoir by Osty et associés. Streets become vital hubs for neighborhood life, fostering interaction between public and private realms, contributing to Soft City's vision. Finally, inspired by Lacol's La Borda Cooperative Housing project, we integrate semi-private spaces like courtyards, creating filters to the outside world and fostering meeting places in our dwellings.

SITE:

The Rambla and the surrounding public space lack continuity
The space between buildings is invaded by cars
The context of the buildings is characterized by poor quality and impermeable surfaces
4. How can your project be implemented together with the actors through a negotiated process and in time. How did you consider this issue in your project?
Our project stems from an analysis of proposals already underway by various actors for the redevelopment of neighbouring districts. This is why we have promptly positioned ourselves with an idea of integration with these projects, incorporating them into our design perspective without disavowing them. For this reason, we consider it a feasible project that can be implemented in different phases, as the developed themes contribute to a common objective but can be separated in their organization.

REFERENCES:

Boulevard Richard Lenoir, Paris - Osty et associés (1991-1994)
Soft city: building density for everyday life. David Sim, Jan Gehl, Island Press, 2019
La Borda, Cooperative Housing, Barcelona - LACOL (2018)
5. How did you form the team for the competition and if so what are the skills you associated?
Our team came together specifically for this competition, with each of us bringing prior collaborative work experience to the table. We are a collective of diverse professionals, comprising three architects and a landscape designer. Each of us has a substantial international background, having worked with various European studios. This range of experiences has been instrumental in merging our distinct skills and viewpoints, shaping them into the Project.

6. How could this prize help you in your professional career?
We view the winning of this prize as a substantial opportunity for our professional development, aiming primarily to contribute to this neighbourhood revitalization project, which we see as both human-centered and appropriately scaled. This achievement presents us with the chance to gain recognition for our proposed ideas, showcasing our conviction that the practice of architecture should be dedicated to serving the community.

TEAM IDENTITY
Legal status: 
Team name: 
Average age of the associates: 30 years old

Has your team, together or separately, already conceived or implemented some projects and/or won any competition? if so, which ones?
This is the first competition we have won together, and we hope it takes a positive direction in the implementation phase. However, our group of four boasts diverse and extensive professional experiences. Throughout our respective careers, we have been involved in numerous projects, both individual and collaborative, while actively maintaining our interest in academic research and study. Whether as employees in architecture and landscape agencies or through our individual careers or with the university, we have been engaged in architectural, urban planning, and landscape projects, addressing various phases and scales of design. Some team members have already successfully worked together on different projects.