new way to live Venice
MOBILITY DESIGN & URBAN DESIGN
2014 M-ARACH INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION HONORABLE MENTION
This project is an international competition that calls for solutions to solve a modern problem in the beautiful Italian city - Venice. Since I happened to visit the Venice Biennale that summer and was still immersed in its romantic sceneries, I immediately decided to join this competition.
This is a ‘what-if’ project, a non-architectural architectural practice in mobility design.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Modern techniques brought both conveniences and new challenges. One of the problems Venice is facing today is called “Wave Motion”, which is caused by modern transportation. The engines of motor boats roam in the canal and generate waves. This is shaking and destroying the foundations of the historical buildings and endangering the unique heritage.
The design task is to design a residential building/s on the islands of Poveglia and Ottagono and find an innovative transportation solution to connect it to the other islands of Venice.
SITE LOCATION
The site is located in the southern part of the Venetian lagoon, on the islands of Poveglia and Ottagono. Before designing any residential buildings, the first thing to get started is to understand:
Who are the potential visitors?
What’s their persona?
What are their visiting needs?
SITE ANALYSIS
After figuring out the overall characteristics and access needs of all potential visitors, I drew the distribution of characteristics and consumption distribution into diagrams to get a clear target of the service object, service subject, and percentage.
Compared with the expensive and noisy conditions on the main island, the site offers a quiet environment and a convenient transport system. It would be a good option for someone who wants to stay in Venice for a relaxing holiday.
SITE PLANNING
After understanding different user groups, the next step is to plan the site - from north to south, different islands are given different facilities, housing types, and transportation solutions to meet the different needs of different groups.
DEVELOPMENT IN PHASES
Taking into account a realistic time frame for the entire development, planning will be carried out in four phases, from building the docks, digging the canal, mapping out the orbit, to arranging the buildings.
NEW TRANSPORT CARRIER
Today, there are mainly three forms of transportation used in Venice: Vaporetto, Yacht, and Gondola.
Considering the 'Wave Motion' effect, we introduced a new transport carrier. It comes in two types: the public one and the private one (water bus). It will achieve the contrapuntal replacement between the new and the old.
SAME LANGUAGE
In order to maintain the original cultural scene in Venice, the design of the new transport carrier follows the same language in geometry and proportion as the classic Venetian facade.
RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM
The issue of 'Wave Motion' primarily refers to the impact of motor boats on the building's foundation. To address this, we introduced a rail transit system at sea level. This alteration transformed the adverse effects of the original boats, which relied on fluid dynamics for propulsion. Simultaneously, this approach preserved the city's distinct traffic culture and retained the original canal scene in Venice.
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL CARRIER
Various carriers serve different functions:
Private carriers, typically 1 to 2 floors in height, are designed for easy installation and removal from villas. They can be used as mobile offices or bedrooms.
Public carriers, such as the Water Bus, provide traditional transportation services for residents of the apartment. Passengers can board and disembark at designated bus stations.
TAKE AWAY
First of all, this project is incredibly fun to work on! By envisioning a 'what-if' scenario, it has encouraged more individuals to reconsider the essential debate when new technology challenges long-standing traditions. However, as history has consistently shown, we must remain open-minded, flexible, and adaptable to enable modernity to harmonize with tradition.
ROLE
Mobility Design
Architecture Design
Urban Design
Team of Three: Zoe, Jialun, Me
TIMELINE
Two Month
TOOLS
Photoshop
Indesign
Rhino