A Vision of Europe in collaboration with CIVICARCH (University of Ferrara -Italy- Architectural and Urban Design Studio at the Faculty of Engineering) is pleased to announce a research that will examine the Regional Traditional Architecture and Urbanism. All the contributions or collaborations are welcome (mail to: avoe@libero.it or civicarch@ing.unife.it ). The jointventure of AVOE and CIVICARCH has just organized 4th edition of the Bologna Triennale, dedicated to "New Civic Architecture. The Ecological Alternative to Sub-Urbanization".

Today, when the contemporary society is experiencing a process of globalization and European Union is realizing the extension of its boundaries, the debate on the regional dimension becomes central.
Two are the possible scenarios:
- a complete planetary uniformity of behaviours, economies lifestyles and urban environments dominated by a reduces number of industrian and tertiary conglomerates such as McDonald's, Burger King, Gap, Benetton, Microsoft, Saint Gobain, Vodaphone, Exon, etc.- creating a sub-urban environment characterized by the system - sckyscrapers, highways, suburbs ;
- a globalization developed through enhancing regional characters: natural and urban environments, food, culture, habits, and lifestyles, construction techniques, urban and architectural types.

According to the second scenario, inspired by the creation of a world enriched through the variety of differences, the search for a regional dimension in architecture becomes the key factor as an alternative to the diffusion of a sub-urban condition at a world scale.

How can one define a Region? What are the architectrural features of a Region? How can we classify a Regional Architecture? How is it possible to develop a programme of urban renaissance in decaying centres and sububurbs though the use of a Regional Architecture?
With what materials? With what construction techniques?

TARGET

The research aims at systematically analyzing the main features of Traditional Architecture and Urban Fabric in the area of the plains between Ferrara and Venice in relationship with a wider European context where the Region is recognized as the fundamental actor of a sustainable development in the Age of Globalization.
A development based upon the rational evolution of local architectural and urban types which are compatible with geographical and environmental elements. As reference regions for an European comparison Bayern in Germany and Basque Countries in France and Spain will be considered.
The research will analyze towns and cities from a typological and morphological point of view - including 20th century architecture as part of the European tradition of building cities. This operation will underline their key role in the actual process of both architectural re-qualification of historic edifices and urban redevelopment of ill-conceived sub-urban areas and lead towards the design of an Architectural Code for interventions of Re-urbanization based upon the use of Regional Architecture, and Traditional Urban Fabric as key element for the creation of a better urban environment in an age which has to face processes of intense standardization and reduction of architectural elements.
Thus, the research will propose an alternative way to globalization, based upon the reinforcement of local cultural and architectural characters seen as generators of a richer urban environment.

"One world, many regions"

PHASES

The research program stretches within a 2-years time, according the following phases:

1st phase: identification of case studies; 4 months;
2nd phase: analysis of main examples; 6 months;
3rd phase: comparison, cross-examination, identification of architectural elements which create that specific Regional Architecture; 10 months;
4th phase: editing and publication of the Atlas of Regional Architecture in Northern Italy; 4 months;

The research will specifically evaluate the following topics:

- definition of the "Region";
- identification of Regional boundaries and main architectural elements
- identification of architectural organisms and public spaces of reference;
- collection of selected materials from Italy, and Europe;
- designing of an analytical worksheet for buildings and public spaces;
- comparison between studied edifices and public spaces in Italian, and European cities;
- defyning guiding principles for interventions according to different categories of urban environments:
- within historic centers;
- within urbanistically-consolidated central areas;
- within sub-urban central areas;
- within historic peripheral areas;
- within urbanistically-consolidated peripheral areas;
- within sub-urban peripheral areas;
- editing of a final publication.
In particular, the first year of activities is dedicated to:
- identification of architectural organisms and public spaces of reference;
- collection of selected materials from Italy, and Europe;
- designing of an analytical worksheet for buildings and public spaces;

RESEARCH METHODS

The research methods are based upon the previous experiences developed by the scientific co-ordinator in the fields of the typological and morphological analysis within the "A Vision of Europe" international network together with public institutions such as the French Institute of Architecture in Paris (IFA), the European Foundation for Architecture in Bruxelles, the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de San Sebastian, The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture in London, the Schools of Architecture at the Universities of Notre Dame, Miami and Maryland, which led to the organization of the 1st and 2nd Laboratory for the European City as part of the EU Kaleidoscop and Raphael Programs.
The methods of typological and morphological analysis according to the comparative criteria set by prof. Banister Fletcher at the Oxford University and prof. Saverio Muratori at the University La Sapienza in Rome, allow to establish an organic link between the internal characteristics of the architectural organism -such asthe structures of load bearing walls and columns, facades, roofs, together with distributional schemes- and the external conditions of the studied edifice as part of a particular urban environment.
The experience developed by the research group in Ferrara in collaboration with other research teams in Europe and US (see attached reference list) has led to the publication of a series of books related to the analysis of Regional Architecture and Traditional Urban Fabric which represent the cultural premises for the proposed programme of research.

EXPECTED RESULTS

It is expected that at the end of the research program the scientific unit will produce a systematic classification of the fundamental features of Regional buildings and urban spaces, together with the clear understanding of their crucial role in the process of construction of the Italian and European city. Such a classification will be double-checked with the matrix of urban spaces in order to identify the architectural key factors which do constitute the very basic structure of the Italian and Western city: the urban neighborhood. Once the Regional Architecture and the Traditional Urban Fabric are recognized as builders of the domestic architecture of the city -the so-called res-privata- they will serve as basis for the designing of an innovative operational guide to the interventions of urban re-qualification: the Architectural Code for the redevelopment of contemporary ill-conceived sub-urban areas. Giving each place a clear identity, fully consistent with the regional character which embraces it.

"Be Regional, you'll be Universal"
Federico Fellini

Scientific Committee for the
EUROPEAN ATLAS ON REGIONAL ARCHITECTURE

Portugal - JOSÈ BAGANHA
Spain - JAVIER CENICACELAYA
France/Belgium - MAURICE CULOT
Germany - MICHAEL STOJAN, HARALD BODENSCHATZ
UK - ROBERT ADAM
Poland - MACIEJ MYCIELSKI
Norway - PIOTR CHOYNOWSKY
Sweden - PETER ELMLUND
Holland - MIEKE BOSSE
Greece - MICHAEL LYKOUDIS
Italy - GABRIELE TAGLIAVENTI,University of Ferrara; CARLO AYMERICH, University of Cagliari; ADOLFO CESARE DELL'ACQUA, University of Bologna; GIOVANNI FATTA, University of Palermo, PAOLO PASTORE, Politecnico di Bari; LUIGI ZORDAN, University of L'Aquila, LUIGI MOLLO, Second University of Naples

All the contributions or collaborations are welcome
(mail to: avoe@libero.it or civicarch@unife.it ).